Daily Pour

Date: 24/04/2026   Issue No.: 3843/25-26

Compiled By: Aarti Ghag, Executive Officer - WR

B. Ramchandran, Chennai

IIF News

Dear Members,

The IIF – Western Region in association with the Greater Mumbai Chapter is pleased to invite you to a Technical Talk on: “Energy Management for Sustainable Manufacturing”

Speaker: Mr. Anant Bam, Foundry Consultant, Date: 25th April 2026

Venue: Hotel Bawa International, Mumbai

This session aims to provide valuable insights into effective energy management practices and their role in driving sustainable manufacturing. It will be an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge, interact with industry experts, and engage in meaningful discussions.

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KOLHAPUR CHAPTER.

Series of Best Safety Practices – Session 2

As part of our ongoing Series of Best Safety Practices, we are pleased to invite you to the Second Session on:

Topic: Mock Drill Preparation - Planning, Execution & Learnings

Mock drills are critical for emergency preparedness and response effectiveness. This session aims to help organizations conduct meaningful and compliant mock drills that truly enhance safety readiness.

Participants:  Plant Heads, HR, EHS teams, Managers, Safety Professionals and Supervisors etc.

We look forward to your active participation in this important learning initiative.

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With Regards,

Mrs. Aarti Ghag

Executive Officer, IIF-WR

 7303511171

Thought of the Day

News Letter Supported By

Today's Top Raw Materials Headlines

*** India: Melting scrap prices remain stable d-o-d in Alang

*** India: BigMints ferrous scrap index softens on weak steel demand

*** India: Ferro titanium prices remain stable w-o-w

*** India: Medium-carbon silico manganese prices ease on weak demand

*** India: Ferro chrome prices steady amid limited market activity

*** Chinese Magnesium Alloy price declines 

*** Chinese Magnesium Ingot price decreases

*** Chinese Offer higher price for Alumina

Raw Material News

India: Ferro chrome export prices remain steady w-o-w

Indian ferro chrome export prices to China remained unchanged w-o-w at 97 cents/lb CNF. Demand was limited, with the market waiting for next month's tender price from key stainless mills. Prices to Japan and South Korea edged up by 1 cent/lb each to 102 cents/lb CNF. In South Korea, some deals were reported to have been concluded at 102-103 cents/lb last week.India: Ferro chrome prices steady amid limited market activity

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India: Medium-carbon silico manganese prices ease on weak demand

Indian medium-carbon silico manganese (Mn 53%, Si 20%, C max 0.5%) prices fell by INR 1,300/t ($14/t) w-o-w to INR 93,400/t ($993/t) exw-Durgapur on 23 Apr'26, driven by weak sentiment and need-based buying amid subdued domestic and export demand. Offers were at INR 92,700-93,800/t ($985-997/t), with a 200 t deal concluded at INR 92,000/t ($978/t).

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India Accelerates Ethanol Blending to E20 Target by 2026, Advancing Timeline by Five Years
India has significantly sped up its Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme, now targeting 20% ethanol blending (E20) across the country by 2026, bringing forward the original 2030 goal by five years. The initiative is designed to cut crude oil imports, conserve foreign exchange, and increase income for farmers.

Industry News

India's Private Sector Growth Accelerates in April as Manufacturing Leads  

India's private sector activity accelerated in April, with the HSBC Flash Composite PMI rising to 58.3 from 57.0 in March. Manufacturing was the key driver, showing notable rebounds in output and new orders compared to a more moderate services expansion. Companies reported building buffer stocks amid supply-side uncertainties and continued to pass higher input costs to customers. Employment growth reached a ten-month high, supported by business expansion plans and positive forecasts.

India's private sector activity expanded faster in April, driven by strong manufacturing growth and improved services, according to HSBC's flash PMI data.

India's private sector grew faster in April, with strong expansion in both manufacturing and services, according to HSBC's latest flash Purchasing Managers' Index data.

The HSBC Flash India PMI Composite Output Index rose to 58.3 in April, up from 57.0 in March, indicating solid growth compared to the long-term average.The improvement comes after a slower March. Businesses reported better demand and a pickup in activity. The survey noted that overall output and new orders increased at a faster pace at the start of the new fiscal year, supported by capacity expansion, stronger demand, more new work, and technology investments

"Aggregate activity and new orders in India's private sector expanded at quicker rates at the start of this fiscal year, after growth receded in March due to the Middle East war," The report noted, Manufacturing emerged as the key driver of growth. The report highlighted that "manufacturing led the resurgence with notable rebounds in rates of increase for output and sales," while goods producers recorded faster increases in both output and new orders compared to services firms. Services activity also improved, albeit at a more moderate pace. The survey said services companies "still noted accelerations, though they were marginal in comparison" to manufacturing. Commenting on the data, HSBC Chief India Economist Pranjul Bhandari said, "The survey indicated that firms are building buffer stocks to manage the uncertainties around the longevity of the supply-side shock. On the price front, inflationary pressures remained elevated but eased slightly from March levels."

Companies continued to pass on higher costs to customers, with the report noting that "Indian companies lifted their selling prices again at the start of the first fiscal quarter," even as output price inflation remained below input cost increases. Employment trends were positive, with hiring picking up across sectors. The survey indicated that the rate of job creation reached a ten-month high in April, driven by rising business requirements, expansion plans and upbeat year-ahead forecasts.

Looking ahead, firms remain optimistic about growth prospects, supported by marketing efforts, pending projects and rising client enquiries, although overall confidence dipped slightly from March.

- ANI

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India's Carbon Credit Rules to Tighten by FY2027, Hitting Cement & Aluminum Profits

India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme is set to become significantly stricter by the financial year 2027, according to an ICRA ESG analysis. The study of 14 major cement and aluminum companies indicates FY2026 will serve as a manageable transition period, but FY2027 will bring heightened financial risks. Cement companies could see profits impacted by up to 19%, with a potential financial impact reaching Rs 700 crore, if they fail to reduce emissions intensity. Aluminum firms, while starting more efficiently, will also face rising costs, necessitating annual emission intensity reductions of 1-3% for cement and 2-5% for aluminum to remain competitive.

India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme is expected to become much stricter by FY2027, increasing compliance costs--especially for cement and aluminum companies--according to an ICRA ESG analysis.

The study looked at 14 major companies (10 cement and 4 aluminum) and found that while FY2026 will be a relatively manageable transition year, FY2027 will bring tighter rules and higher financial risks if companies don't reduce emissions fast enough.

In FY2026, cement companies can mostly meet targets if they reduce emission intensity by about 1.5%. But if emissions stay the same or increase, companies could face shortfalls, forcing them to buy carbon credits. Some firms may still benefit by cutting emissions early and selling surplus credits.

By FY2027, the situation becomes tougher. Around 30% of cement companies could face deficits even under favorable conditions. In worse scenarios, the financial impact could reach up to Rs 700 crore, and carbon costs could cut profits by as much as 19% for some firms. To stay on track, companies need to reduce emission intensity by roughly 0.7% in FY2026 and 2.7% in FY2027 compared to FY2024 levels.

Aluminum companies start with better efficiency, but rising production will increase pressure. In FY2026, larger firms may already need carbon credits, while smaller firms benefit from efficiency improvements. By FY2027, stricter targets could widen the gap further, with carbon costs reaching up to 3% of profits for some players. To meet targets, aluminum firms may need to cut emission intensity by 1.6% in FY2026 and 5.2% in FY2027.

If companies continue at current emission levels while production grows, none are likely to meet targets. The report highlights that steady emission reductions of 1-3% for cement and 2-5% for aluminum will be essential to control costs and stay competitive.

In short, FY2026 offers a transition period with manageable costs, but FY2027 will significantly increase pressure. Large companies may see profits hit by carbon costs, while smaller, more efficient players could gain an advantage by cutting emissions faster.

- ANI

Life Style and Management

Poor diet increases risk of vision loss in later life

If you want to protect your vision in old age, make sure you eat healthy food. Researchers have found that people eating a diet high in red and processed meat, fried food, refined grains and high-fat dairy products may be three times more likely to develop an eye condition that damages the retina and affects a person's central vision.

The condition is called late stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an irreversible condition that affects a person's central vision, taking away their ability to drive, among other common daily activities.

"Treatment for late, neovascular AMD is invasive and expensive, and there is no treatment for geographic atrophy, the other form of late AMD that also causes vision loss. It is in our best interest to catch this condition early and prevent development of late AMD," said Shruti Dighe, who conducted the research at the University at Buffalo in the US.

The results suggest that that a Western dietary pattern may be a risk factor for developing late AMD.

However, a Western diet was not associated with development of early AMD in the study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

The authors studied the occurrence of early and late AMD over approximately 18 years of follow-up among participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study which was designed to investigate the etiology and clinical outcomes of atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries.

Dighe and her colleagues used data on 66 different foods that participants self-reported consuming between 1987 and 1995 and identified two diet patterns in this cohort -- Western and what researchers commonly refer to as "prudent" (healthy) -- that best explained the greatest variation between diets.

"What we observed in this study was that people who had no AMD or early AMD at the start of our study and reported frequently consuming unhealthy foods were more likely to develop vision-threatening, late stage disease approximately 18 years later," said study senior author Amy Millen, Associate Professor at the University at Buffalo.

Early AMD is asymptomatic, meaning that people often do not know that they have it. To catch it, a physician would have to review a photo of the person's retina, looking for pigmentary changes and development of drusen, or yellow deposits made up of lipids. 

With early AMD, there could be either atrophy or a build-up of new blood vessels in the part of the eye known as the macula.

"When people start developing these changes they will begin to notice visual symptoms. Their vision will start diminishing," said Dighe, who is now pursuing her PhD in cancer sciences at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York.

"This is advanced or late-stage AMD," she said.

Jokes All the Way......

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The Institute of Indian Foundrymen