9NOVEMBER 2026ANDHRA PRADESH BOOSTS GREEN ENERGY WITH RS 5,400 CRORE SOLAR PLANTINDIA CALLS BIDS FOR INR 7,280 CR RARE EARTH MAGNET SCHEMEUnilever will invest 35 million to build an innovation ecosystem across its research and development (R&D) hubs in Mumbai and Bengaluru. The global fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company also plans to launch a strategic Bio-Futures partnership in India. The investment aims to strengthen scientific research, product development and technology-led innovation. The new investment comes on top of more than 20 million that Unilever has invested over the past five years. The earlier investments supported facilities and capabilities such as its Liquids Lab of the Future, Unilever Fragrance House, Advanced Manufacturing Center for Bars, Packaging and Flexibles Design Lab, and artificial intelligence (AI) and digital modeling platforms. Both Indian R&D hubs are part of Unilever's global R&D network. They support activities ranging from consumer research and product adaptation to testing, validation, scale-up and market deployment. India is among Unilever's largest global R&D hubs, with more than 800 scientists, researchers, digital specialists and designers. A Rs 6,200 crore semiconductor packaging facility will be established in Madhya Pradesh through a partnership between Paras Semiconductors and US-based BroadPak Corporation. The project, planned along the Ujjain-Indore corridor, will begin with a monthly capacity of 10,000 wafers, with plans to scale beyond 50,000 wafers. The partnership also targets more than 10 million packaged units per month at full production. With around 90 percent of output intended for exports, the facility could give India a larger role in the global semiconductor supply chain.Its production roadmap, technology partnerships and customer pipeline will be key to achieving these ambitions. The proposed semiconductor packaging facility will be developed in phases, with an initial capacity of 10,000 wafers per month, with plans to increase the capacity over time to more than 50,000 wafers monthly over the next six to seven years. At full production capacity, the facility is expected to manufacture more than 10 million packaged units every month. Auto manufacturing investment is gaining momentum in Andhra Pradesh as South Korean automaker Kia India plans to invest USD 1.5 billion to expand its Anantapur manufacturing facility. The proposed expansion could increase annual production capacity from 3 lakh to approximately 5 lakh vehicles. The development also comes amid Rs 1,614 crore in investment commitments from three Korean automotive component manufacturers.Together, these developments highlight the potential for a wider automotive manufacturing ecosystem in the state, spanning component localization, ancillary units, employment generation and export capabilities. Government incentives under Andhra Pradesh's industrial and electric mobility policies could further support this manufacturing momentum. Andhra Pradesh IT, Electronics and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh said the investments followed his team's engagement with automotive component manufacturers during a July visit to South Korea. Solar capacity expansion is gaining momentum at KPI Green Energy as the company energizes additional capacity across two renewable energy projects in Bharuch, Gujarat. The latest addition of 171.5 MWp takes the cumulative energized capacity under these projects to 811.5 MWp against a planned 1,027 MWp. Backed by a Rs 3,200 crore financing sanction from State Bank of India (SBI), the projects highlight the company's growing Independent Power Producer (IPP) business.The development also raises questions about how quickly KPI Green can complete the remaining capacity, strengthen its long-term power supply agreements and build recurring revenue from its renewable energy assets. KPI Green Energy has energized an additional 171.5 MWp across its solar and hybrid power projects at Bharuch, Gujarat. Financing is an important part of KPI Green Energy's renewable energy expansion. In September 2025, the company secured a Rs 3,200 crore sanction from State Bank of India, comprising fund-based and non-fund-based facilities. UNILEVER TO BUILD INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM IN INDIA WITH 35 MILLION PUSHPARAS-BROADPAK'S RS 6,200 CR SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGING FACILITYWHAT DOES KIA'S USD 1.5B AUTO MANUFACTURING INVESTMENT SIGNIFY?KPI GREEN ENERGY'S SOLAR CAPACITY HITS 811.5 MWP MILESTONE
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