Government Updates on Energy, Shipping and Evacuations

31 Mar 2026 CW Team

Natural gas supplies have been prioritised, with 100 per cent deliveries to D-PNG and CNG transport and supplies to industrial and commercial consumers maintained at 80 per cent of average consumption. The Government has accelerated city gas distribution expansion through streamlined approvals and incentives for gas distribution companies, and directives have asked entities to make prompt residential and institutional connections. Defence permissions have been eased temporarily to expedite pipeline installation.

Domestic LPG delivery has been normal and more than five point four million (mn) refills were delivered yesterday, while online bookings rose to 91 per cent and delivery authentication code based deliveries increased to 84 per cent. Commercial LPG allocation has been raised to 70 per cent of pre-crisis levels with priority to food and process industries, and more than 46,000 five kilogram (kg) FTL cylinders were sold yesterday. Since 14 March 2026, commercial entities have uplifted 33,781 tonne (t) of non-domestic LPG and additional kerosene allocations have been issued.

Port operations remain normal with no congestion and the Directorate General of Shipping and other agencies continue to monitor movements and seafarer welfare. The Government has facilitated the safe repatriation of over 938 Indian seafarers so far, including 25 in the last 24 hours, and evacuation efforts and flight operations have brought around 497,000 passengers back to India since late February. Enforcement action has been intensified to check hoarding and black marketing, with thousands of raids, seizures and inspections reported.

Amid the evolving situation in West Asia, the Government of India has intensified measures to maintain stability across energy, maritime and consular sectors. It stated that refineries are operating at high capacity and that petrol and diesel stocks are adequate at all petrol pumps, with excise duty reduced by Rs. 10 per litre and export levies imposed to secure domestic availability. States and Union Territories have been urged to hold daily press briefings and counter rumours. Natural gas supplies have been prioritised, with 100 per cent deliveries to D-PNG and CNG transport and supplies to industrial and commercial consumers maintained at 80 per cent of average consumption. The Government has accelerated city gas distribution expansion through streamlined approvals and incentives for gas distribution companies, and directives have asked entities to make prompt residential and institutional connections. Defence permissions have been eased temporarily to expedite pipeline installation. Domestic LPG delivery has been normal and more than five point four million (mn) refills were delivered yesterday, while online bookings rose to 91 per cent and delivery authentication code based deliveries increased to 84 per cent. Commercial LPG allocation has been raised to 70 per cent of pre-crisis levels with priority to food and process industries, and more than 46,000 five kilogram (kg) FTL cylinders were sold yesterday. Since 14 March 2026, commercial entities have uplifted 33,781 tonne (t) of non-domestic LPG and additional kerosene allocations have been issued. Port operations remain normal with no congestion and the Directorate General of Shipping and other agencies continue to monitor movements and seafarer welfare. The Government has facilitated the safe repatriation of over 938 Indian seafarers so far, including 25 in the last 24 hours, and evacuation efforts and flight operations have brought around 497,000 passengers back to India since late February. Enforcement action has been intensified to check hoarding and black marketing, with thousands of raids, seizures and inspections reported.

Infrastructure Urban

31 Mar 2026

India and UK Review CETA Progress at WTO Ministerial

On the sidelines of the 14th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Yaounde, Cameroon, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal met the United Kingdom (UK) Secretary of State for Business and Trade Mr Peter J Kyle. The meeting saw both ministers exchange views on the MC-14 agenda and review progress on the implementation of the India-United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) signed in July 2025. The discussion reviewed implementation milestones and procedural steps toward ratification and operationalisation. Goyal noted that India has c..

Infrastructure Urban

31 Mar 2026

Goyal Holds Bilateral Talks With EU Trade Commissioner

On the sidelines of the 14th World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference in Yaounde, Cameroon, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal held a bilateral meeting with European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic. The meeting examined the MC?14 agenda and assessed progress on work to finalise the recently concluded India?European Union free trade agreement (FTA). Both sides also considered avenues to further enhance bilateral trade and economic cooperation. On WTO reforms, both leaders agreed on the necessity of substantive change and underlined that reform ef..

Infrastructure Urban

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L&T Secures Significant Orders For Buildings And Factories Business

The Buildings and Factories (B&F) business vertical of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has secured multiple orders across several states in India, including new contracts and add-on work in ongoing projects. In Gujarat the unit won an order for the construction of a float glass plant, with the scope covering design and construction of all civil, steel, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work and associated external development. In Andhra Pradesh the business secured an order from a leading two-wheeler manufacturer for the construction of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, encompassing civil, st..