Topic
production
Commodities India Retains Global Dairy Lead as USDA Forecasts Milk Output Rise to 105.4 MT in 2026
India is set to strengthen its position as the world's largest milk producer in 2026, with cow's milk production forecast to rise to 105.4 million tonnes, according to the USDA. The increase is accompanied by a dairy herd of 62.5 million head and rising domestic consumption of fluid milk, butter, and non-fat dry milk. The report portrays India as a domestic consumption-driven market, with little emphasis on export growth despite Amul's international expansion.
Business India Industrial Output Grows 7.3% in June, Fastest Pace in 22 Months
India's industrial production grew 7.3% in June, the fastest in 22 months, driven by strong manufacturing and electricity output. The Q1 growth stood at 5.8%, up from 3.4% a year ago. Economists note resilient domestic demand but warn of risks from high input prices, erratic monsoon, and global slowdown.
Commodities Global Steel Output Rises 1.7% in June 2026 Driven by Strong Regional Gains
Global crude steel production increased 1.7% year-on-year to 155.7 million tonnes in June 2026, driven by gains in Asia, the EU, and North America, according to the World Steel Association. First-half output fell 0.7% to 931.5 mt. India led the top five producers with 7.1% growth in H1, while Vietnam surged 27.5% in June.
Commodities Lower area under arhar in India’s Karnataka unlikely to be offset elsewhere
India's kharif arhar (pigeon pea) sowing area fell 18% year-on-year as of July 17, driven by a 42% decline in Karnataka. While Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh reported increases, experts said the overall area may still fall short of the government's 50 lakh hectare target needed for 4 million tonnes production in 2026.
Commodities India’s moong sowing dips 11% on lower rainfall, likely to gather pace
India’s moong sowing has dropped 11% from the previous year due to lower rainfall in key states, according to government data. However, recent rains are expected to help acreage recover to at least last year’s level. Farmers continue to grow moong despite prices averaging 26% below the minimum support price.
Commodities India Uses 3.9M Tonnes FCI Rice, 6.8M Tonnes Maize for Ethanol Till June 2026
India has used 3.9 million tonnes of surplus FCI rice and 6.8 million tonnes of maize for ethanol production till June 2026 in the current Ethanol Supply Year (ESY 2025-26). Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas Suresh Gopi stated that the 20% ethanol blending target has not affected food crop availability or food security, and only surplus foodgrains are diverted. The government also reported that PSU oil marketing companies procured 705.43 crore litres of ethanol for ₹49,577.36 crore in the same period.
Commodities Kharif Sowing Acreage Down 6% as Sowing Completes in 60% of Normal Area, Says Agriculture Ministry
India's kharif sowing acreage reached 531.25 lakh hectares as of July 17, down 6% from 632.69 lh a year ago, according to the Agriculture Ministry. The deficit narrowed from 21% in early July due to surplus monsoon rains. Paddy coverage is nearly on par, while pulses and oilseeds still lag. The government targets a foodgrain production of 176.16 mt for the season.
Commodities India's Sugar Mills Prepare for 2026-27 Crushing Season with FRP Hike and Ethanol Strategy Shift
India's sugar industry is preparing for the 2026-27 crushing season with the FRP set at ₹365/quintal, a 2.81% increase. Mills face a strategic shift as ethanol blending surpasses 20%, with grain-based sources now dominating 70% of supply. The article highlights the need for feedstock flexibility, treasury planning, and maintenance readiness to navigate the season.
Manufacturing Mexico Heavy-Duty Truck Production and Exports to US Rebound in June 2026
Mexico's heavy-duty truck manufacturing sector saw a rebound in June 2026, with production up 7.6% and exports up 3.2% year over year, driven by US market recovery. However, first-half totals remain below 2025 levels. Industry leaders urge preservation of USMCA rules.
Logistics Petronas Extends Indonesian FPSO Charter to 2036, Ensuring Long-Term Offshore Production
Petronas Carigali has negotiated a 10-year extension for the Ratu Nusantara FPSO on the Bukit Tua oilfield offshore Indonesia, keeping the vessel in operation until 2036. The floating production unit, owned by Sabah International Petroleum and PT M3 Ketapang Sejahtera, has a processing capacity of 25,000 bbl of oil and 60m cf of gas per day. The extension follows over 11 years of consistent performance and strengthens the partnership between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Commodities Wheat Production Likely Affected by Climate This Year, Experts Warn at Conclave
At the Wheat Products Promotion Society CEO Conclave in Varanasi, experts warned that El Nino could impact wheat production this year, with delayed kharif harvest and potential drought. Despite geopolitical tensions, global wheat markets remain well supplied, anchored by Black Sea region stocks, limiting price rises.
Commodities India's Coffee Output for 2026-27 Projected Up 8% at 4.04 Lakh Tonnes, Coffee Board Says
The Coffee Board of India's post-blossom estimate projects coffee output for the 2026-27 crop year at 4.04 lakh tonnes, an 8% increase from the final 2025-26 estimate of 3.73 lakh tonnes. Karnataka leads production with higher arabica and robusta output, while uneven pre-monsoon showers and USDA FAS's lower projection add uncertainty.
Business Consumer Companies Ramp Up Festive Production as Demand Hopes Rise Across India
Consumer goods makers in India are ramping up festive season production by up to 30% year-on-year, driven by optimistic demand outlook. Leading contract manufacturers like Dixon Technologies and PG Electroplast report double-digit order increases, with PG Electroplast's festive order book up 40% year-on-year. Companies expect a stronger rupee and lower oil prices to ease inflationary pressures and spur consumer demand.
Commodities Lakshadweep targets 50,000-tonne annual tuna production in five-year plan
Lakshadweep has drawn up a five-year perspective plan to raise annual tuna and tuna-like fish production to 50,000 tonnes, more than doubling current catch. The plan, developed through a stakeholder consultation led by ICAR-CMFRI, includes 50 new deep-sea fishing vessels, seaweed cultivation over 5 sq km, and major infrastructure such as cold storage and value-addition units. The initiative aims to create livelihood opportunities for island fishing communities under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.
Commodities Global oil output to return to pre-Iran war level by year's end, US EIA says
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that global oil output and trade flows should rebound fully by the end of 2026 from disruptions caused by the Iran war. The agency cut its Brent crude price forecast to $74/barrel for Q3, down from $85 in June and a previous estimate of $101. The easing of the Strait of Hormuz blockade after a preliminary U.S.-Iran deal has enabled increased vessel movement, and the EIA expects most shut-in Middle East production to return by Q1 2027, lowering fuel prices.
Commodities India’s 163.65 LT Fertilizer Stock and Rising Production to Meet Kharif Demand, Says Government
As of July 2, 2026, India’s fertilizer stock stands at 163.65 lakh tonnes (LT), meeting 43% of the Kharif season demand of 383.9 LT. Domestic production exceeded targets for urea and DAP in Q1 FY27, while natural gas supply to urea plants has been fully restored after disruptions caused by the US-Israel conflict with Iran. The government has diversified import sources and 15 of 20 vessels carrying imported fertilizers have safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz.
Commodities Deficit summer rains in South India slash May 2026 tea output by 3.54% year-on-year
India's tea production in May 2026 fell 3.54% year-on-year to 131.60 million kg, driven by a 25% decline in South India due to deficit summer rains. North India saw a marginal increase. Tamil Nadu output dropped 28%, while Kerala fell 16%. The Tea Board data highlights the impact of dry weather on the key growing regions.
Commodities OPEC+ agrees fresh August oil output hike as Strait of Hormuz reopens
OPEC+ has agreed to increase oil production quotas by 188,000 barrels per day (bpd) from August, continuing the unwinding of earlier cuts. The decision comes as the Strait of Hormuz reopens following a US-Israeli war on Iran that had disrupted exports. Oil prices have retreated to pre-war levels, with Brent crude settling near $72 per barrel.
Commodities Kharif Sowing Slumps 23% as Delayed Monsoon Hits India's Key Crops; Reservoir Storage at 26%
Kharif sowing in India has slumped 23% to 182.72 lakh hectares as of June 25, 2026, compared to 236.46 lakh hectares a year ago, due to a delayed and deficient southwest monsoon. Key reservoirs are at 26.37% of full capacity, with 29 reservoirs below 50% of normal storage. Paddy acreage fell 25.17%, pulses 30.47%, and oilseeds 53.33%, raising concerns for agricultural output.
Commodities India’s kharif acreage down 23% as deficient monsoon threatens crop output
India’s kharif sowing area has fallen 23% to 182.72 lakh hectares as of June 25, compared to 236.46 lakh hectares a year ago, driven by a 42% monsoon deficit. Sugarcane is the only major crop showing an increase, while paddy, cotton, soybean, and pulses report significant declines. The India Meteorological Department expects monsoon to advance into more regions in the coming days, but July rains will be critical for recovery.
Commodities Milk production slows to 4% but organised dairies eye 13-15% revenue growth: CRISIL
CRISIL Ratings expects India's raw milk production to slow to 4% this fiscal, down from a 5% CAGR, due to El Niño-linked weather disruptions and rising fodder costs. However, organised dairies are projected to grow revenues by 13-15%, driven by price increases and expansion in value-added dairy products, despite flat operating margins.
Technology Domestic PCB Manufacturing to Save Rs 40,000 Crore Imports Annually: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that domestic PCB manufacturing could save Rs 40,000 crore in imports annually. Foundation stones were laid for two projects in Uttar Pradesh's electronics manufacturing cluster, involving a ₹3,250 crore JV with Korea Circuit Co. and a ₹3,500 crore facility by Amber Enterprises, expected to generate 3,000 jobs.
Commodities OPEC Global Crude Share Could Drop to 31% Without UAE, EIA Data Shows
The United Arab Emirates' departure from OPEC could reduce the group's share of global crude oil production from 35% to 31%, according to US EIA data. The exit, effective May 1, 2026, also impacts the OPEC+ alliance's share and comes amid significant production disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz closure.
Commodities Global crude steel output slips marginally in May 2026, India maintains growth
Global crude steel output edged down 0.3% year-on-year in May 2026 to 157.9 million tonnes, according to World Steel Association data. India maintained its position as the second-largest producer with a 1.9% output gain, while China's production fell 2.7%. North America and Africa saw robust growth, but the Middle East recorded a sharp 19.4% decline.
Commodities El Nino Threatens India's Sugarcane Production, Weakening Monsoon Adds Risk
A developing El Nino weather pattern could weaken India's monsoon and weigh on sugarcane production. Industry experts warn output could drop to 390 million tonnes if July-August rainfall disappoints, tightening sugar supplies.
Commodities Deadly Ras Laffan Blast Raises Fresh Questions Over Qatar LNG Recovery Pace
An explosion at the Barzan gas facility within Qatar's Ras Laffan complex killed 13 workers and injured 66. QatarEnergy insists LNG exports remain unaffected, but the incident adds uncertainty to the recovery from earlier missile strikes that knocked out two LNG trains. Asian buyers and LNG shipping markets are closely watching for further setbacks.
AI Co-Scientist Boosts Production Search Ranking by 0.201% at Large Travel Platform
Researchers present an AI Co-Scientist framework that closes the research loop for production search ranking at a large online travel platform. By pairing LLM agents with direct cloud-compute access, the system iterates idea generation, code implementation, and GPU experimentation with a human in the loop. On the ranking task, the AI contributed an additional +0.083% offline gain over a transformer baseline, achieving a combined +0.201% improvement in roughly one extra week.
Manufacturing Mexico's Truck Factories Find Footing After Rough Start to 2026
Mexico's heavy-duty truck sector posted its strongest export month of 2026 in May, with production nearly matching year-earlier levels. Exports climbed from about 5,000 units in January to nearly 12,000 in May, driven by demand from the US market. Freightliner led production with 9,348 trucks, while wholesale sales rose but retail demand remained weak.
Commodities India's Foodgrain Reserves Hit Record 122 mt as El Nino Looms Over 2026 Kharif Crop
India's Central Pool foodgrain reserves hit a record 122.64 million tonnes as of June 1, 2026, sufficient to sustain welfare programmes for over two years. This buffer comes as El Nino threatens the 2026 kharif crop, with the government targeting 176.16 mt of foodgrain production despite a below-normal monsoon forecast.
Commodities Kharif Pulses Sowing Off to a Weak Start: Acreage Down 43% as of June 12
Kharif pulses sowing in India has started weakly with acreage down 43% as of June 12 due to a delayed and deficient monsoon. Tur acreage fell 57%, urad 22%, and moong 55% compared to last year. Farmers in key regions await rains, while the government holds buffer stocks of 4.3-4.5 million tonnes to keep prices in check.
APEX Adaptive Principle Extraction Framework Enables Multi-Dimensional Self-Evolution for Production AI Agents
Researchers propose APEX (Adaptive Principle EXtraction), a three-layer self-evolution framework that simultaneously improves an AI agent's prompt harness, behavioural principles, and workflow topology. Tested on the production-grade Joe AI agent built on NVIDIA Nemotron, APEX achieved a 90% improvement in Health Score over baseline, distilling six novel reusable principles and selecting a research-first workflow scoring 0.900 (+20%). The framework outperforms single-axis harness optimisation and requires only 4 LLM calls (~270 seconds).
Commodities Two New Urea Plants to Boost India's Domestic Production, Reduce Import Dependence
India is set to add 25.4 lakh tonnes of annual urea production capacity with two new fertiliser plants expected to begin operations soon, a move the government says will strengthen domestic availability and reduce reliance on imports. Domestic urea production hit a record 314.07 lakh tonnes in 2023-24, up from 225 lakh tonnes in 2014-15. Despite geopolitical disruptions, the government maintains subsidised retail prices.
Commodities India’s horticulture output hits record 378 mt in 2025-26
India's horticulture production for the 2025-26 crop year is estimated at a record 377.78 million tonnes, up from 370.74 mt a year ago, according to the Agriculture Ministry. The increase is driven by a marginal rise in acreage and improved yields in fruits, vegetables, spices, and flowers. Key crops like banana, mango, potato, and tomato posted gains.
Technology Old Nvidia GPUs Resurrected, SK Hynix Plans to Triple Memory Production by 2034
Old Nvidia RTX 3060 and 3050 GPUs are being resurrected by graphics card maker Manli in Asia as budget alternatives amid rising current-gen GPU prices. Meanwhile, SK Hynix chairman Chey Tae-won revealed plans to double wafer capacity by 2031 and triple it by around 2034, accelerating from a previous 20-year timeline to meet surging memory demand driven by AI.
Commodities U.S. Approves First LNG Production Ship Amid Controversy
The U.S. has approved its first floating LNG production ship, led by Delfin Midstream, despite controversy over environmental reviews. The project, located off Louisiana, aims to enhance U.S. energy exports.
Manufacturing Denby Pottery Ends Production After Two Centuries
Denby Pottery has ceased production after over 200 years, citing reduced demand and rising costs. Despite efforts to save the company, administrators could not find a buyer.
Commodities Gujarat's Role in India's Copper Self-Reliance
Gujarat is emerging as a crucial player in India's quest for copper self-reliance. With Hindalco's massive smelter at Dahej and strategic infrastructure, the state is poised to reduce India's import dependency.
Commodities Assam's Tea Output Surge Boosts India's April Production by 5%
India's tea production increased by 5% in April 2026, reaching 104.28 million kg, primarily due to a significant output rebound in Assam. Favorable weather conditions contributed to a 36% increase in Assam's production, while other regions like West Bengal and South India saw declines.
Commodities Poultry Production Slashed by 25% Amid Rising Soybean Meal Costs
The poultry industry in India is cutting production by 25% due to a 40% rise in soybean meal prices. This move aims to mitigate increased feed costs impacting poultry producers.
Commodities India Lowers Foodgrain Output Target Amid Monsoon Concerns
India has reduced its foodgrain output target for the 2026-27 crop year to 373.93 million tonnes, citing concerns over a below-normal monsoon forecast. The decision reflects potential impacts from El Nino, affecting rice and maize production.
Manufacturing Rising Costs Challenge Beverage Production Amid Summer Demand
Beverage companies are grappling with increased production costs due to supply chain disruptions and material price hikes. Aluminium can prices have risen by 15%, impacting companies like Coca-Cola and Sleepy Owl. The industry is considering passing these costs onto consumers.
Manufacturing Ernakulam KVK Boosts Reed Handicraft with Mechanisation
The Ernakulam Krishi Vigyan Kendra has introduced mechanisation in reed handicraft production, significantly increasing productivity. The new technology allows a single worker to produce in 2.5 hours what previously took four workers a full day.
Commodities NMDC Iron Ore Production Rises 20% in May
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Business Industrial Output Growth Slows Amid Sectoral Challenges
India's industrial output growth decelerated to 4.9% in April 2026, down from 5.7% a year earlier, due to a contraction in the mining sector. Despite this, manufacturing and electricity generation showed resilience.
Manufacturing China's Manufacturing PMI Dips: A Cause for Concern?
China's manufacturing PMI fell to 50.0% in May, indicating a potential slowdown in industrial activity. Large enterprises showed resilience with a PMI of 51.1%, while medium and small enterprises faced contraction. Rising raw material costs due to geopolitical tensions are impacting production.
Commodities India's Ethanol Expansion Reshapes Agriculture and Energy Markets
India's ethanol blending initiative has significantly increased farmland dedicated to fuel production, reshaping agricultural practices and impacting energy markets. The shift from sugarcane to grain-based ethanol, particularly maize and rice, has altered crop choices and raised concerns over food availability.
Commodities India's Foodgrain Production Hits Record High in 2025-26
India's foodgrain production increased by 5% in the 2025-26 crop year, with rice production reaching a record 154 million tonnes. This growth is attributed to government initiatives and favorable conditions, despite challenges like El Nino.
Commodities India's LPG Output Reaches Record 52,000 TPD Amid Supply Challenges
India's LPG production has reached a record 52,000 tonnes per day, driven by the resumption of operations at key refineries. Despite this increase, geopolitical tensions in West Asia and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have significantly impacted supply routes.
Trade India's Path to Production Freedom
India seeks to enhance domestic production to reduce import dependency and achieve economic autonomy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasizes the need for strategic production growth.
Commodities Global Crude Steel Output Declines Amid Geopolitical Strains
Global crude steel production decreased by 1.9% in April 2026, with significant declines in China, the Middle East, and Russia. India and the US showed growth, countering the trend.