SEPTEMBER 20268TOP STORIESIndia's PM-KUSUM is increasingly becoming a state-level story, with its impact varying sharply across the agricultural and renewable energy landscape.Rajasthan has emerged as the standout example, crossing 5.2 GW of installed capacity under Components A and C and ranking first nationally in capacity, according to the state Energy Department. But capacity alone does not capture the scheme's reach.Official data show Maharashtra had more than 11.2 lakh PM-KUSUM beneficiaries by November 2025, while Rajasthan had nearly 2.36 lakh. Gujarat and Haryana also recorded more than two lakh beneficiaries each. India's thermal power sector is facing mounting fuel supply pressure, with nearly one-third of the country's coal powered plants reporting critically low stocks.India's packaged food industry is entering a new phase of regulatory uncertainty as the Supreme Court has sought a definite timeline from the Centre for implementing FSSAI warning labels on packaged products.The proposed framework has sparked debate over nutrient thresholds, serving-size calculations and the balance between public health and industry compliance.The development could potentially reshape how companies formulate, package and market high-sugar, high-salt and high-saturated-fat products, making food warning labels an increasingly important issue for the food industry outlook. Unilever Global CEO Fernando Fernandez expressed India as "the blueprint of what we are doing in emerging markets," underlining the country's strategic importance to the British consumer goods major.Speaking at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference, Fernandez said India is probably the only large FMCG market with true exponential growth potential over the next five years.India is emerging as a critical growth market for global consumer businesses, with Unilever identifying the country as a blueprint for its broader strategy across emerging economies. India's manufacturing sector is looking to the 18th BRICS Summit, being hosted in New Delhi on September 12-13, as an opportunity to deepen trade, strengthen supply chains and attract investment into emerging industrial sectors.With India chairing the grouping under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," discussions on economic cooperation, digital payments, technology and business partnerships could influence the country's manufacturing competitiveness. HOW RAJASTHAN TOOK THE LEAD IN INDIA'S PM-KUSUM SOLAR CAPACITYINDIA'S COAL CRISIS: POWER PLANTS RUN LOW ON FUELBRICS SUMMIT 2026: INDIA PUSHES TRADE, PAYMENTS FOR MANUFACTURINGFSSAI FOOD WARNING LABELS: SUPREME COURT SEEKS TIMELINEUNILEVER CEO CALLS INDIA A BLUEPRINT FOR EMERGING MARKET GROWTHAccording to Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data cited by Reuters, 59 plants had less than 25 percent of the required coal inventory available with them, as of September 9, 2026. The number has considerably risen from 45 plants at the end of August.Manoj Kumar, an analyst at Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, highlighted concerns over the declining fuel inventories at power plants - The increasing number of power plants with lower coal stocks is a concern.
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