India extends imported coal power operations

25 Aug 2023 CW Team

Amid soaring electricity demand, India's power ministry has instructed imported coal-based power plants to continue operating at maximum capacity until October. Initially set until June 15, the directive under section 11 of the Electricity Act was extended until September end. A surge in demand, reaching record levels of 234 GW on August 17, has been attributed to irrigation needs and humid weather, while wind power generation decrease and coal stock depletion have added to thermal capacity pressures.

Coal stocks at power plants fell from 34.9 million tonnes on August 1 to 31.8 million tonnes on August 21. Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi assured sufficient stock availability to meet increased demand. Despite monsoon-induced production slowdowns, imported coal-based power plants have contributed to meeting the higher demand.

Section 11 of the Electricity Act permits the government to direct a generating company to operate and maintain a station based on its directions during extraordinary circumstances. This approach was invoked last year due to constrained domestic coal supply.

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

VECV Sales Rise 7.8 Per Cent In May 2026

VE Commercial Vehicles recorded sales of 7,978 units in May 2026, compared to 7,401 units in May 2025, registering growth of 7.8 per cent. This included 7,789 units from the Eicher brand and 189 units from the Volvo brand.Eicher branded trucks and buses reported sales of 7,789 units during the month, up 7.3 per cent from 7,258 units a year earlier. In the domestic commercial vehicle market, Eicher sales rose 9.1 per cent to 7,375 units from 6,758 units in May 2025.Exports declined 17.2 per cent to 414 units from 500 units in the corresponding month last year. Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses recor..

Table Space Strengthens DESYN Leadership Team

Table Space has announced strategic leadership appointments within DESYN, its integrated Design and Build business, as it looks to strengthen operations across key enterprise and GCC markets in India. DESYN was launched as a strategic extension of Table Space’s workspace solutions portfolio to meet rising demand for agile, high-quality and rapidly deployable enterprise workspaces.Shruti Ookabhoy has joined DESYN as Executive Director and will lead the Design vertical, focusing on design capability, operational excellence and team development across markets. She brings over 22 years of experi..

Concord Associate Bags Rs 2.79 Bn Kavach Order

Concord Control Systems said its associate company, Progota India, has received a Rs 2.79 bn domestic order from Indian Railways for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of on-board Kavach 4.0 loco equipment.The order is scheduled for execution within 12 months and strengthens Concord’s role in India’s railway safety and signalling ecosystem. Kavach is India’s indigenous automatic train protection system, designed to improve operational safety by helping prevent signal passing at danger and reducing collision risks.Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Syst..