AUGUST 20268TOP STORIESOdisha is strengthening its position as a solar manufacturing hub with another major capacity addition. Saatvik Solar has signed an MoU to establish a 3.6 GW solar cell manufacturing facility in Gopalpur, Ganjam district.The agreement was signed with the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha (IPICOL). The proposed plant will form part of Saatvik Solar's Phase II expansion in the state. The project comes as India pushes to expand domestic solar manufacturing capacity. It also adds to Odisha's growing role in the renewable energy manufacturing sector. Indian MSME exporters stand at a crucial point as India expands its network of free trade agreements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged smaller enterprises to use these trade pacts to expand the global reach of Indian products.This is to further integrate with international value chains and strengthen competitiveness. India has finalized FTAs with about 40 countries since 2014, creating opportunities across sectors including textiles, machinery and medicines. However, exporters say the bigger challenge lies in converting preferential market access into actual export orders. Samsung's Asia-Pacific HVAC push has gained a new manufacturing base in Pune. The company plans to target rising demand for AI data-center cooling across India and regional markets. Samsung Electronics has completed a 13,826-square-metre FläktGroup facility that will manufacture advanced heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment.The plant can progressively reach 6,500 HVAC units annually and will serve customers in India and Asia-Pacific. Samsung selected Pune for its expanding data-center and industrial ecosystem, proximity to Mumbai and major logistics infrastructure. The facility also marks the first new FläktGroup manufacturing site since Samsung completed its acquisition of the HVAC specialist in November 2025. India's green hydrogen push is gaining fresh momentum as Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) partners with Hystar AS. The tie-up targets the manufacture of PEM electrolyser systems in India. This green hydrogen move could support local manufacturing and strengthen India's clean energy supply chain.BHEL has entered a strategic partnership with Norway-based Hystar AS. The agreement will focus on manufacturing proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser systems. These systems are used to produce hydrogen through the electrolysis of water. Critical minerals are moving from a resource issue to a manufacturing priority as India plans four processing parks across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The government wants these parks to accelerate value addition for battery materials, starting with lithium and nickel.Each park will build an element-specific ecosystem that combines processing with downstream industries in one location. The plan forms part of the National Critical Mineral Mission, which carries a seven-year outlay of Rs 34,300 crore. WHY ODISHA IS EMERGING AS INDIA'S NEW SOLAR MANUFACTURING HUBCAN INDIAN MSMES FULLY CAPITALIZE ON THE FTA OPPORTUNITY?INDIA TARGETS THE MISSING MIDDLE IN CRITICAL MINERALSWHY SAMSUNG CHOSE PUNE FOR ITS ASIA-PACIFIC HVAC PUSHBHEL TURNS UP THE HEAT ON INDIA'S GREEN HYDROGEN RACE
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