9APRIL 2026GKishan Reddy, Minister for Coal and Mines said India's coal stock has reached a level that can support electricity demand for about 90 days, marking a major improvement in energy stability.The coal stock now stands at over 200 million tonnes, a sharp rise from earlier years when supply buffers were tight and unpredictable. The coal stock build-up reflects stronger domestic production and better supply coordination across the system.The concern around shortages did not emerge suddenly. In 2021 and 2022, India faced one of its most difficult coal supply phases in years. Several thermal power plants reported coal stock levels dropping to critical lows, in some cases below a week of supply. India's solar sector is entering its most aggressive growth phase yet, with industry estimates indicating that the country is on track to become the world's second-largest solar market by 2026.Rapid capacity additions, strong policy backing, and rising demand across industries and households are driving this transformation at an unprecedented pace.The country has already crossed around 150 GW of installed solar capacity, with nearly 50 GW added in just the last 14 months--marking the fastest expansion in its renewable energy history. Spark Minda Green Mobility Systems, a subsidiary of Minda Corporation, has entered into a joint venture with UK-based Turntide Drives to develop next-generation electric vehicle powertrain solutions. The newly formed company, Spark Minda Turntide Pvt Ltd, reflects a strategic push to strengthen India's fast-growing electric mobility sector.The joint venture was officially incorporated on April 11, 2026, following an agreement signed between the two companies in March. By combining Turntide's global technology expertise with Spark Minda's strong manufacturing base in India, the partnership aims to deliver efficient and cost-effective EV components manufacturing tailored for the domestic market. India's spacetech startups are entering a new phase of growth, moving beyond research and development and focusing on building scalable manufacturing capabilities to compete in the global space economy.This shift reflects how the country's private space sector is maturing. After years of innovation and testing, startups are now concentrating on producing satellites, launch components, and related technologies at scale. The goal is to make their solutions commercially viable, faster to deliver, and ready for real-world demand."At Bellatrix, the transition from R&D to scaled manufacturing has been deliberate," said Yashas Karanam, cofounder and COO of Bellatrix Aerospace. India has rolled out a INR 10,000 crore fund aimed at strengthening manufacturing startups and pushing the next wave of deep-tech innovation.Announced as part of the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0, the move is designed to unlock capital for sectors that need long-term investment and stronger financial backing.The new fund will not invest directly in companies. Instead, it will route money through SEBI-registered alternative investment funds, which will then support startups working in advanced manufacturing, hardware, and other capital-heavy industries.This approach is expected to bring in more private investment while giving venture funds the scale to back bigger, riskier ideas. The increase was driven by a combination of higher crude volumes and rising global oil prices, which pushed up the overall import bill even as total crude imports from other regions stayed uneven. COAL STOCK SUFFICIENT FOR 90 DAYS OF POWER GENERATION: G. KISHAN REDDYINDIA SET TO BECOME WORLD'S SECOND-LARGEST SOLAR MARKET BY 2026SPARK MINDA & TURNTIDE JV TO POWER NEXT-GEN EV SOLUTIONSINDIAN SPACETECH STARTUPS PIVOT TO SCALABLE MANUFACTURING PUSHINDIA BACKS MANUFACTURING STARTUPS WITH INR 10,000 CR FUND
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