The modernisation of sugar mills in the last six years has transformed them into "integrated sugar complexes," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday.
Addressing an event on the occasion of 120 years of the sugar industry in the state, he said sugar in the state today is being produced on the same premises where there is an oxygen plant and an ethanol plant.
"UP's sugar mills which are the largest producer of sugarcane and sugar in the country, are now being recognised as a source of 'green energy' with adoption of the policies of the Prime Minister and production of ethanol in large quantities," he said.
The first sugar mill in the state was established in Deoria.
The chief minister said that the way in the last few decades sugar mills were closing down farmers were desperate and were forced to migrate, till 2017, when the trend was reversed.
"In the last six years, a sum of Rs 1 lakh 97 thousand crore was paid to the sugarcane farmers through DBT (Direct Ben

Sugar, Ethanol, Sugarcane

UP govt is trying to integrate the sugarcane crop with lucrative ethanol value chain in order to provide fair prices to the farmers and protect the sector from the cyclical nature of the sugar market

graph

Bajaj Hindusthan badly needs money to shore up its operations but its NPA tag to make raising funds difficult

Sugarcane

Experts cite three key drivers of what they see as a permanent change in production patterns

chart

Hit by the slump in sugar demand following lockdown and consequent subdued realisations, mills have run up huge farmers' outstanding pertaining to the current sugar season 2019-20

Heavy flooding to bring down sugar output by 20% to 26 mn tonnes in 2019-20

Ethanol is disrupting the traditional sugarcane value chain and could be a viable option to hedge the sugar sector from seasonal fluctuations and export market shocks

Next season to start with a high opening stock of 6-7 months of consumption

From the 2018-19 sugarcane season starting October, the Centre not only increased the base recovery rate from 9.5 to 10 per cent, but also raised the premium extra yield in sugar from Rs 2.68 per quintal to Rs 2.75 a quintal

Targets licensing 50 new khandsari plants before 2018-19 crushing season

Sugarcane mill

To boost such units, the government recently amended the Khandsari Policy to encourage gur and khandsari units

Sugar

Domestic sugar market glut and farmers' outstanding of about Rs 170 billion coupled with bumper sugarcane crop for the next crushing season 2018-19 has all the makings of another crisis ridden sugar cycle staring ahead. In this backdrop, the Yogi Adityanath government has directed mills to start their crushing operations early from October 15 onwards with the units in western UP taking lead. Of total arrears of Rs 170 billion, UP mills, totalling 119, owe the highest of about 112 billion, followed by Maharashtra at Rs 11 billion. The state mills, dominated by the private sector at 94, have already expressed their inability to participate in the next crushing season due to high arrears and paucity of working capital to pay for the routine maintenance and repair of their units before the next season. Owing to higher pan-India estimated cane acreage of 5.44 million hectares (MH) in 2018-19 - 8% higher compared to previous season - the sugar production has been pegged at almost 35.5 ...

It is seeking steps so that mills can clear dues to the tune of Rs 225 billion to farmers

Pending sugarcane dues in Uttar Pradesh for the 2017-18 season have now mounted to Rs 130 billion, 37% of the value of the total sugarcane purchased by mills in this period

Molasses

Record sugar output has also yielded molasses production way beyond market demand and plant capacity of state distilleries and country made liquor units

UP govt mulls Brazilian sugar industry model to break sugar lobby monopoly

Yogi Adityanath government has decided to revive the state gur and khandsari industry to boost local entrepreneurship, create job opportunities and spur rural economy

With many sugar mills are planning to commence cane crushing early this year, the pre-season supply is set to meet the supply deficit in some parts of the country, said C R Choudhary, Minister for state, Food & Public Distribution, here on Friday.For the first time, sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh have decided to commence crushing of cane in October this year. Mills in India's largest sugar producing state normally begin crushing in November with the maturing of standing crop. In Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, however, mills start crushing by mid-October. A recent survey conducted by the apex industry body Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) showed all sugar mills accumulative to see 800,000 tonnes of production in October. The October output is set to a new monthly record this year.Speaking on the sidelines of the "AISTA Sugar Conclave 2017", a three-day event that begun today, Choudhary said that the government's focus is to make India an export-oriented sugar industry ...

UP sugar mill owners meet Yogi over deadline to clear cane arrears

One month's time to settle Rs 4,000 cr dues expires Apr 23; mills mum on what was discussed at meet

Overseas institutions are also a better bet for Adani. Tapping Indian banks, especially state-run lenders, would be a tad cheaper, but might invite greater political scrutiny ahead of general election

Adani, Adani Group

454 members voted in favour of the Bill, while two voted against it.

Lok Sabha

As they did in June, Fed policymakers at the median still see the central bank's benchmark overnight interest rate peaking this year in the 5.50%-5.75% range

US Federal Reserve

Closing Bell on Thursday, September 21: The broad-based selling was led by public sector banks with the Nifty PSU Bank index sliding 2.3 per cent

bear market, sensex, nifty, loss, growth, investment

Tensions have been high since Canadian PM Trudeau on Monday alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar

visa, Canada

Six hundred indigenously-manufactured self-neutralising anti-tank mines, known as "Vibhav", have been inducted into the Army to provide mobility kill against all enemy armoured vehicles, officials said on Monday.
The anti-tank mine is made of new-age plastic, which gives it adequate strength and durability to withstand the requirements of storage, handling and operating in varying field conditions, they added.
"It (the 'Vibhav' anti-tank mine) is already in production. It has been completed. It is now in demand. It has been inducted into the Indian Army. Six hundred mines have been inducted (recently)," an official of the manufacturing company told PTI.
Designed and developed completely indigenously in a joint venture with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in India, "Vibhav" is a point-attack anti-tank munition, the officials said.
They said the mines are designed to provide mobility kill against all enemy armoured vehicles.
"Made from new age plastic, the m

tank, DRDO, Ministry of Defence

Though Disney Star has seen declining subscriber numbers after losing the IPL streaming rights, it hasn't ceded the entire cricket business, securing the television rights through 2027

Disney, Walt Disney

During a mahapanchayat, the Vaishya community of Rajasthan demanded adequate representation and increasing EWS quota to 15%

BJP, RSS, Jana Sangh, Indian politics

The RBI said it purchased $5.32 billion and sold $1.84 billion in July. In June, the central bank had bought a net of $4.50 billion in the spot market

RBI, SHAKTIKANTA DAS, RESERVE BANK OF INDIA

PM Modi in his opening speech during the special session of Parliament on Monday expressed gratitude for the acknowledgement of the success of G20 by the Chair

PM Modi, Narendra Modi

The government introduced the Women's Reservation Bill in the Parliament almost three decades after it was first drafted

Parliament

Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan said it is better if the person's expertise is considered than whether he/she is a bureaucrat or a private sector executive

TRAI

The fiscal burden of states will increase over time

pensions, funds, retirement, investments, investors, savings

Canada said it was expelling a top Indian diplomat Monday as it investigates what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called credible allegations that India's government may have had links to the assassination in Canada of a Sikh activist.
Trudeau said in Parliament that Canadian intelligence agencies have been looking into the allegations after Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a strong supporter of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was gunned down on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural centre in Surrey, British Columbia.
Trudeau told Parliament that he brought up the slaying with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G-20 last week, that he told Modi that any Indian government involvement would be unacceptable and that he asked for cooperation in the investigation.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mlanie Joly said the head of Indian intelligence in Canada has been expelled as a consequence. "If proven true this would be a great violation of our sovereignty and of the most basic

Hardeep Singh Nijjar

MEA's statement comes after Canada expelled an Indian diplomat on Monday as it investigates credible allegations that India's government may have had links to the assassination in Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives for his daily press conference on COVID-19, in front of his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa. Photo: PTI

Justin Trudeau

Amazon Web Services (AWS) India on Thursday announced that edtech social enterprise ConveGenius has built a conversational artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot on its platform for government schools and low-free private schools.
The conversational AI chatbot platform -- SwiftChat -- aims to improve learning outcomes for school students using more than 53 conversational AI chatbots that deliver personalised learning content in 13 regional languages to over 100 million students across India.
ConveGenius has built SwiftChat Conversational AI Platform on AWS, a release said.
"Using the SwiftChat platform, which holds 124 million student profiles across 19 million devices, government schools can create omnichannel chatbots to deliver personalised learning, like curated videos and read-along content, through a single AI-enabled chatbot conversation," it said.
Besides the personalised learning, SwiftChat offers teacher training and data-driven decision-making for school administrators, ..

Artificial intelligence, jobs, AI, ChatGPT, technology

The new centre is also projected to increase the company's margin by around Rs 50 crore in the near term, according to Black Box

IT sector, IT companies, Deals

In a "significant" move, aviation watchdog DGCA on Thursday said regulations for watch duty time limitations and rest requirements for air traffic controllers have been implemented at 57 airports, including Amritsar, Coimbatore, Patna and Imphal.
The implementation of the norms will ensure that air traffic controllers will get adequate rest while carrying out their duties.
The regulations regarding 'Watch Duty Time Limitation (WDTL) and rest requirements for Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs)' are being implemented at the 57 airports from Thursday, DGCA said in a release.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the norms are modelled on ICAO regulations and based on the country's national, social and cultural contexts, coupled with scientifically valid, optimal duty time limit for ATCOs.
ICAO is the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
"This is a significant reform in the civil aviation sector and will provide adequate rest to ATCOs while engaging in the 

AAI, airports, flights, aviation, airlines

ITC Hotels on Thursday announced that it has signed a management agreement with a construction company for Welcomhotel Kalimpong resort in West Bengal.
The 70-key greenfield project will spread over four acres of land and will offer plush rooms with views of the Himalayas and the valley, a company statement said.
The company announced the signing of Welcomhotel Kalimpong resort under a management agreement with Pravez Constructions Private Ltd.
"With the upcoming property of Welcomhotel Kalimpong, the group will have a strong presence across West Bengal with eight hotels across various segments," ITC Hotels Divisional Chief Executive Anil Chadha said.
He also said the 'Welcomhotel' brand trajectory is "growing fast across both business and leisure locations".
The upcoming facility in north Bengal will have an all-day dining restaurant, a lounge and a bar among other facilities.
The group portfolio currently showcases 25 Welcomhotels across India with more in the pipeline, the com

Welcomhotel opens its first property in Himachal Pradesh, at Shimla

Welcomhotel, Himachal Pradesh, ITC Hotel

US aerospace major Boeing on Thursday outlined its plan for enhancing engineering, manufacturing, and sustainment capabilities of the P-8I long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft in India, eyeing an additional order of six planes.
At present, the Indian Navy has 12 P-8I aircraft.
The company said it had already generated a substantial economic impact, amounting to USD 1.7 billion to support the current P-8I aircraft fleet in service with the Indian Navy.
Boeing said it envisions that increasing the P-8I fleet to 18 aircraft will increase investments, approximately USD 1.5 billion, while creating further indigenisation opportunities within India's aerospace and defence sector by 2032.
"Boeing's commitment to advancing the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision drives our dedication to the P-8I fleet," said Salil Gupte, president of Boeing India.
"As we respond to the Indian Navy's need for more P-8I aircraft, we are actively looking to enhance engineering, ...

Heatmap

UP Sugar industry

UP sugar industry has transformed into 'sugar complexes': Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh crosses Rs 12,000 crore mark in the ethanol economy

Not so sweet for UP sugar industry as giant Bajaj Hindusthan gets NPA tag

How India's sugar sector managed to shrug off its perpetual cyclical nature

Windfall for sugar mills as Centre allows export of alcohol-based sanitiser

Heavy flooding to bring down sugar output by 20% to 26 mn tonnes in 2019-20

Sugar industry pins hopes on Paswan for a sweetener as glut still looms

Yogi govt gives 'khandsari' plants a push ahead of challenging sugar season

UP gives push to setting up unrefined sugar plants to help cane farmers

UP govt wants early start for crushing; sugar mills not ready over arrears

Sugar industry knocks on Prime Minister's Office door for a sweetener

The Ganna that trumped Jinnah: Bitter crisis of the sugar industry in UP

After sugar, glut in molasses churns a bitter brew for mills in UP

Yogi govt mulls Brazilian model to break sugar lobby monopoly in UP

Govt focuses to make sugar industry export oriented

UP sugar mill owners meet Yogi over deadline to clear cane arrears