'Diesel price hike affecting garment industries'

In his statement in the Lok Sabha, Puri said the government has taken multiple measures to safeguard the country's energy security and ensure the uninterrupted availability of petroleum products, cooking gas, and natural gas.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday that the country is successfully navigating the major disruption in global energy supplies following the West Asia conflict.

In a major boost to India's agricultural exports, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry facilitated the first export consignment of 25 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Joha rice from Assam to the United Kingdom and Italy on March 12, 2026, in collaboration with the Assam Agriculture Department.

The textile industry in Bhilwara, a city renowned for its extensive fabric production, is currently facing significant challenges as the ongoing crisis in the Middle East casts uncertainty over exports and operations. The situation has escalated as the crisis in the Middle East has begun to impact local businesses. "Textile industries are facing some trouble due to the war, and if the war continues in the near future, exports from here could be affected," Jain noted. He emphasised the current predicament, saying, "Currently, export orders are on hold. They are either stalled locally or at the port, or have been put on hold by other parties."

IIT Guwahati leads a collaboration between Northeast India and Japan to strengthen academic and industry ties. IIT Guwahati conducted the Japan-Northeast Academia Industry Cooperation Symposium 2026 (JNTCS) on March 9 and 10, in partnership with Gifu University, Japan.