Industrial Policy & Trade Monitor· 2675 actions· ✨ 91 recent

The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) initiated an anti-dumping investigation on 25 June 2026 into imports of Hot Rolled Flat Products of Alloy or Non-Alloy Steel (width ≤ 2,100 mm, thickness ≤ 25 mm; not clad, plated or coated; stainless steel excluded; HS 7208, 7211, 7225, 7226) originating in or exported from China PR, Japan and Russia, following a petition by domestic producers JSW Steel, JSW Vijayanagar Metallics and Jindal Steel Odisha. DGTR's prima-facie assessment found export prices significantly below normal value, with dumping margins above the de-minimis threshold for all three origins. The period of investigation (POI) is January–December 2025; interested parties have 30 days to register and submit questionnaire responses.

India's Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) initiated anti-dumping investigation No. 6/17/2026-DGTR (SETU Case ID: AD/OI/016/2026) on 22 June 2026 into imports of Cold Rolled Grain Oriented Electrical Steel (CRGO) and Amorphous Metal (AM) originating in or exported from China PR, Japan, Korea RP, and Russia, on application by JSW JFE Electrical Steel Nashik Pvt Ltd (a JV between JSW Steel and Japan's JFE Steel Corporation). The period of investigation (POI) covers 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026; the injury analysis period spans 2022-23 through the POI. CRGO is the magnetic-core input for every power and distribution transformer, and amorphous metal is the next-generation low-loss core alternative; together they constitute grid-critical capital-equipment feedstock for India's electricity-system expansion, making this probe analytically distinct from — and more strategically sensitive than — the CRNO definitive-duty case (Notification 35/2025-Customs (ADD)).

India's CBIC imposed definitive anti-dumping duties ranging from USD 75 to USD 1,748 per tonne on imports of Sulphenamides Accelerators — rubber vulcanisation chemicals used in tyre and rubber goods manufacturing — originating in or exported from China, the European Union, and the United States, via Notification No. 11/2026-Customs (ADD) dated 19 June 2026. The duties are valid for five years following DGTR final findings of dumping below normal value causing material injury to the Indian domestic industry. The principal domestic producer benefiting from the measure is NOCIL Limited (NSE: NOCIL), India's largest rubber chemicals manufacturer, which produces Sulphenamides Accelerators under its Pilcure brand.

The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) issued final findings dated 28 April 2026 in the anti-dumping investigation concerning imports of Low Ash Metallurgical Coke (ash content ≤ 18%, HS 27040010, 27040020, 27040030, 27040090) originating in or exported from Australia, China PR, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan and Russia, recommending a downward revision of the provisional anti-dumping duties previously imposed by Notification No. 41/2025-Customs (ADD) of 31 December 2025. The final findings are recommendatory; a definitive implementing customs notification from CBIC is expected before the provisional measures expire around June 2026. Significant reductions in duty rates are recommended for Indonesian and Japanese origin imports; the investigation covers six coke-exporting countries competing with domestic producers led by Tata Steel, JSW Steel, SAIL, Jindal Steel (JSPL) and AMNS India.

DGFT Notification No. 12/2026-27 (Gazette S.O. 2222(E)), issued 17 April 2026 under sections 3 and 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act 1992 and the Foreign Trade Policy 2023, reclassifies high-grade Baryte (Natural Barium Sulphate, ITC(HS) 2511 10 00) Grade A (specific gravity ≥4.2, code 25111010) and Grade B (specific gravity 4.10–4.20, code 25111020) from "Free" to "Restricted" export status, requiring DGFT prior authorisation for all exports in lumps, powder, or other forms. Grade CDW (specific gravity <4.0, code 25111090) remains freely exportable. India produces approximately 80% of global baryte output and the restriction is aimed at ensuring adequate domestic availability for oil-and-gas drilling fluids, radiation shielding, and high-density industrial applications.

DGFT Notification No. 03/2026-27, issued 2 April 2026 under sections 3 and 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act 1992 and the Foreign Trade Policy 2023, reclassifies several Chapter 71 tariff lines — covering silver-clad base metals (ITC-HS 71090000), articles of precious metals (HS 7114–7115 series), and non-legal-tender coins — from "Free" to "Restricted" import status, requiring DGFT prior authorisation for each import consignment. The notification simultaneously liberalises certain platinum semi-finished forms (HS 7110 series) from Restricted to Free, except platinum alloys containing more than 1% gold content. No transitional relief applies: prior contracts, letters of credit, advance payments, or shipments in transit are not exempted, making the restriction immediately operative. EOU and SEZ units are carved out provided imported goods are not diverted into the Domestic Tariff Area.

The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) initiated an anti-dumping investigation on 20 March 2026 into imports of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) originating in or exported from China PR and Russia (Initiation Notification No. 6/9/2026-DGTR), exercising powers under Rule 5 of the Anti-Dumping Rules 1995 and Sections 9A–9C of the Customs Tariff Act 1975. The investigation covers PTFE in all commercial forms — granular moulding powder, fine powder, and aqueous dispersion — under HS 3904.61, with the period of investigation (POI) set as April 2024 to September 2025 (18 months) and the injury investigation period spanning 2021-22 through the POI. The investigation was filed by Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL) and other Indian domestic fluoropolymer producers alleging material injury from dumped imports; Russia's scope is unusual for India DGTR and constitutes the first formal trade-remedy reading of Russia's PTFE export pricing.

India's Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA) on 18 March 2026 with a ₹33,660 crore (~USD 4.0bn) outlay over six years (FY 2026-27 to FY 2031-32) to develop 100 plug-and-play industrial parks of 100-1,000 acres each across all states and Union Territories. Financial assistance of up to ₹1 crore per acre supports core infrastructure (internal roads, underground utilities, drainage, common treatment, ICT), value-added infrastructure (ready-built sheds, built-to-suit units, testing labs, warehousing), and social infrastructure (worker housing). The scheme is sector-agnostic and is implemented by the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) under DPIIT, with states forming Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and committing to single-window clearances. The first phase will deliver 50 parks.

India's DGTR issued final findings on 18 March 2026 recommending anti-dumping duties on cryogenic Liquefied Natural Gas Fuel Tanks (LFT) originating in or exported from China PR, after determining that Chinese-origin LFTs were being sold in India at dumped prices causing material injury to domestic manufacturers. The investigation was initiated in December 2024 following a petition by Inox India Ltd. The DGTR found price undercutting and suppression of domestic prices, with the Finance Ministry to issue the implementing customs notification.

India's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) issued Press Note 2 of 2026 on March 15, 2026 (following Cabinet approval on March 10, 2026), recalibrating the Press Note 3 (2020) FDI framework for investments from countries sharing a land border with India. Global investors with up to 10% non-controlling Chinese (or other land-border) shareholding can now invest in India under the automatic route across sectors, while entities domiciled in China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Afghanistan continue to require prior government approval. For 40 designated strategic sub-sectors — including rare earth permanent magnets, polysilicon and ingot-wafer manufacturing, printed circuit boards, electronic capital goods, Li-ion batteries and machine tools — proposals will be decided within a binding 60-day window, with majority Indian ownership and control mandated at all times. Effective from the date of the corresponding amendment to the FEMA Non-Debt Instruments Rules.

India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, issued Notification No. 62/2025-26 on 24 February 2026 permitting the export of 25 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of wheat under HS Codes 10011900 (durum wheat - other) and 10019910 (other wheat) while keeping the headline export-policy classification as "Prohibited". A second tranche of 25 LMT was authorised by Notification No. 13/2026-27 on 27 April 2026, bringing the cumulative quota envelope to 50 LMT (5 million tonnes). Public Notice No. 05/2026-27 (30 April 2026) prescribed allocation modalities for the second tranche: 18 LMT for large exporters, 5 LMT for state trading entities and cooperatives, and 2 LMT for MSMEs, with online applications open 1-10 May 2026 and authorisations valid for six months. The mechanism partially unwinds the May 2022 blanket wheat export ban (DGFT Notification 06/2015-2020) which had been in continuous force for nearly four years, while preserving DGFT's authority to retighten via the prohibition baseline. Pre-existing government-to-government exports to meet third-country food security needs remain permitted outside the quota envelope.

On 21 February 2026 in New Delhi, during the State Visit of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, India and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Critical Minerals between India's Ministry of Mines and Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy. The MoU establishes a bilateral framework spanning the entire critical-minerals value chain — exploration, mining, processing, recycling, and refining — with explicit focus on rare-earth elements, lithium, nickel, cobalt, niobium, manganese, and other strategic minerals. It was issued alongside a broader Joint Statement targeting USD 30 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 and a ten-year strategic-partnership roadmap covering AI, defence, energy, agriculture, and digital transformation.

DGFT Notification No. 58/2025-26, issued 5 February 2026 under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act 1992, reclassifies imports of articles of platinum under ITC (HS) code 71141920 from "Free" to "Restricted", bringing them under Policy Condition No. 6 of Chapter 71 of the ITC (HS). Importers must obtain the requisite DGFT authorisation before undertaking such imports. Re-import of Indian-made platinum articles previously exported for exhibitions/export-promotion tours, and re-import of goods sent abroad for repair, remain "Free" and are unaffected by the change.

On 4 February 2026, East Coast Railway — a zonal railway of India's Ministry of Railways — launched a tender for the design and construction, on an EPC basis, of loop lines at existing stations, valued at INR 127.80 crore (approx. USD 15.4 million). The tender embeds a domestic-content preference under India's Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017 (as amended), consistent with the wider batch of India localisation-preference tenders already tracked in this register. GTA records the intervention as announced/implemented on 4 February 2026.

On 1 February 2026 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled India's Union Budget 2026-27, with Customs Notification No. 02/2026-Customs (dated 1 Feb 2026, effective 2 Feb 2026) implementing the customs-duty package. The notification zero-rates basic customs duty (BCD) on (i) capital goods imported for domestic processing of critical minerals — crushing, beneficiation, refining, chemical-processing, separation/purification, and metallurgical/alloy-making equipment; (ii) capital goods for lithium-ion cell manufacturing for battery energy storage systems (BESS), extending the 2024-25 EV-cell exemption to stationary storage; and (iii) twelve additional critical minerals plus cobalt powder and lithium-ion battery scrap, on top of the 25 critical minerals already exempted in the FY2024-25 budget. In parallel, critical minerals (including monazite / rare-earth concentrate) are migrated from the customs-exemption notification mechanism into the First Schedule of the Customs Tariff Act at Nil BCD, effective 1 May 2026 — a tariffisation step that locks the rate into primary legislation rather than annually renewable notification. The Budget also commits to dedicated critical-mineral / rare-earth-magnet processing corridors in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Structurally this is the fiscal/tariff layer underneath the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM, Jan 2025) and the National Manufacturing Mission (Feb 2025): NCMM funds capex and overseas asset acquisition (₹34,300 cr), this Budget removes the import-duty drag on the equipment needed to actually run domestic processing lines. It complements the REPM scheme (Nov 2025) for sintered rare-earth magnets and Semicon Mission 2.0 (Feb 2026) on the demand side for refined critical minerals.

On 1 February 2026 India's Ministry of Finance tabled the Finance Bill 2026 alongside Customs Notifications 01/2026 to 03/2026-Customs, restructuring the customs tariff schedule across hundreds of HS lines. Duty rates rise on a range of consumer and finished-goods lines (e.g. umbrellas: 20% to "20% or ₹60/piece, whichever is higher"; potassium hydroxide: 0% to 7.5%; INVAR steel: 5% to 7.5%; radio-trunking parts: 5% to 15%; video-game parts: 5% to 20%) while falling on nuclear and renewable-energy inputs (fuel elements and control/absorber rods for nuclear reactors: 7.5% to 0%; sodium antimonate for solar glass: 7.5% to 0%) and on personal-use dutiable imports under heading 9804 (20% to 10%, effective 1 April 2026). Roughly 80 exemptions previously granted by standalone notification are being written into the First Schedule of the Customs Tariff Act at unchanged rates, effective 1 May 2026 — converting administratively-reversible exemptions into statutory ones.

On 1 February 2026 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the Union Budget 2026-27, announced the launch of India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 — the second-phase national semiconductor industrial-policy framework succeeding ISM 1.0 (2021, INR 76,000 crore). The Budget makes an initial INR 1,000 crore provision for ISM 2.0 in FY 2026-27 and raises the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) outlay from INR 22,919 crore to INR 40,000 crore. ISM 2.0's distinct architecture centres on four strategic priorities not in ISM 1.0: (i) indigenous semiconductor equipment, chemicals, gases and materials production, (ii) full-stack Indian semiconductor IP design, (iii) industry-led R&D and skills/training centres, and (iv) domestic and global supply-chain integration. Total mission outlay reported as approximately INR 1-1.2 lakh crore (~USD 12-14bn) is being finalised; Cabinet clearance and the formal scheme launch are expected by mid-2026.

India's DGFT issued Notification No. 56/2025-26 on 29 January 2026, amending the import policy under Chapter 29 of ITC (HS) 2022 to impose minimum import prices (MIPs) on three antibiotic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs): Penicillin G-potassium (₹2,216/kg CIF), Amoxycillin trihydrate (₹2,733/kg CIF), and 6-Aminopenicillanic Acid/6-APA (₹3,405/kg CIF). Imports below these price floors are reclassified from "Free" to "Restricted" status, requiring a DGFT import authorisation before Customs clearance. The measure takes immediate effect and is valid for approximately ten months (until 30 November 2026), with an implied renewal pathway. It is explicitly aimed at preventing very-low-priced imports and supporting domestic manufacturers built under the PLI Bulk Drugs scheme, targeting China's dominant position in global antibiotic-fermentation supply.

The Government of India, exercising powers under Section 11C of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, amended the First Schedule on 29 January 2026 to add "Coking Coal" explicitly to Part A (Coal expanded to "Coal, including Coking Coal") and to Part D (Critical and Strategic Minerals list). The designation transfers exclusive auction authority over coking coal mining blocks from state governments to the Central Government and extends the existing EIA public-consultation exemption — previously applicable to atomic and strategic minerals — to coking coal projects. India imports approximately 80% of its coking coal requirements (primarily from Australia, the United States, Russia, and Canada); the classification is the statutory pathway to fast-track domestic exploration, NMEDT funding eligibility, and KABIL-backed overseas-acquisition mandates for coking coal.

The Rajasthan State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, approved the Rajasthan Aerospace & Defence Policy 2026 on 21 January 2026 in the same session that cleared the Rajasthan Semiconductor Policy 2026. The policy positions Rajasthan as a manufacturing and MRO hub for aircraft, helicopters, drones, missiles, avionics, satellite buses, armoured vehicles, radars, defence electronics, and precision engineering, targeting OEMs, system integrators, MSMEs, and startups under the Make in India / Atmanirbhar Bharat defence-industrial pivot. Projects are tiered (large / mega / ultra-mega) with differentiated incentive menus including capital grants, tax reimbursements, and turnover-linked incentives aligned with national DPEPP and iDEX frameworks.

India's Ministry of Mines on 19 January 2026 notified the country's first national Tailings Policy, establishing a standardised framework for the systematic exploration, sampling and economic evaluation of critical and strategic minerals from secondary sources — tailings, mine dumps, slag, anode slimes, red mud and fly ash — at existing mines. The policy designates the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) as the implementing agencies, and mandates inter-ministry coordination across the Ministries of Coal, Mines, Petroleum and Atomic Energy because critical-mineral host materials cut across sectoral jurisdictions. It supplements the National Critical Mineral Mission (2025-01-29) by adding a secondary-source recovery track aimed at lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements found as companion minerals in legacy mining waste, with the explicit objective of reducing import dependency.

NHPC Limited issued Notice Inviting e-Tender No. 2026_NHPC_894115_1 (registered ~12 January 2026, corrigendum 19 January 2026) for "Development of Power Evacuation Infrastructure for 1200MW Jalaun Solar Park" — three 33/400 kV pooling substations and associated transmission works for the Bundelkhand Saur Urja Limited (BSUL) solar park, a joint venture between NHPC and the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA). Global Trade Alert values the tender at INR 614.21 crore. Per NHPC's standing compliance with the Government of India's Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017, bidders must certify minimum local content, giving Class-I local suppliers a bid-evaluation preference margin. GTA records the intervention as announced/implemented 15 January 2026.

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) issued a tender (RFP ref. BMRCL/Phase-3/P3/Double Decker/2026/145, 13 January 2026) for construction of elevated structures — metro viaduct, rail-cum-road flyover, and stations spanning approximately 6.652 km — as part of the Bangalore Metro Phase 3 double-decker corridor, with a disclosed contract value of INR 1,415.65 crore (~USD 165-170 million). The tender embeds a domestic-supplier local-content preference margin under India's Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017, restricting bid-evaluation advantage toward Class-I local suppliers across the civil-engineering, general-construction, and engineering-services categories. Global Trade Alert records the intervention as announced and implemented on 13 January 2026.

North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO), a Government of India enterprise, published a public-procurement tender on 9 January 2026 for Power House Electro-Mechanical Works on the 3x80 MW Heo Hydro Electric Project (Shi Yomi District, Arunachal Pradesh) that embeds a domestic-supplier local-content requirement under India's Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017. Global Trade Alert records the intervention as announced and implemented the same day. The underlying EM-works tender (NIB No. 477, dated 26 February 2025, Tender ID 2025_NEEPC_228155_1) was independently located via third-party tender-aggregator listings, though its specific local-content percentage sits in the full RFP document rather than in public summaries.

On 8 January 2026, NHAI published a Request for Proposal (tender ref. MPDIV-2101...) for a road-construction project in Madhya Pradesh state, valued by Global Trade Alert at INR 1,662.93 crore (~USD 190m). The tender embeds a domestic-supplier preference margin under India's Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017, giving a bid-evaluation advantage to Class-I local suppliers across civil-engineering, general-construction, and supporting-services categories. GTA records the intervention as announced/implemented 8 January 2026.

On 6 January 2026 National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), an NHAI subsidiary, published a Request for Proposal (ref. NHLML/Ropeways/Kamakhya/2026/) for the development, operation, and maintenance of a ropeway connecting Kamakhya Railway Station to Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam, valued at INR 201.52 crore (~USD 24 million), embedding a domestic-supplier preference margin under India's Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017, across civil-engineering, general-construction, and engineering-services categories. Global Trade Alert records the intervention as announced/implemented 6 January 2026, in force, with no revocation date; full tender terms sit behind GTA's account-gated view.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) issued tender RVNL/KOL/EL/Metro/20 (announced and implemented 6 January 2026) for Design, Supply, Erection, Testing and Commissioning of Environmental Control Systems (ECS) and Tunnel Ventilation Systems (TVS) across four underground stations on the Kolkata Metro, with a disclosed contract value of INR 305.81 crore (~USD 36 million). The tender embeds a domestic- supplier local-content preference margin under India's Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017, restricting bid-evaluation advantage toward Class-I local suppliers across the civil-engineering, general-construction, and engineering-services categories. Global Trade Alert records the intervention as announced and implemented on 6 January 2026.

UPMRC issued a Notice Inviting Tender (ref. UPMRC/LKCC(02)-02/Vol-1/NIT) on 1 January 2026 for the design and construction of the elevated viaduct and five elevated stations (Thakurganj, Balaganj, Sarfarajganj, Musabagh, Vasantkunj) on Lucknow Metro Line-2's East-West Corridor (Phase 1B), valued at approximately INR 492.22 crore. As with the parallel NHAI/NHIDCL road-tender filings on this register, the NIT embeds a domestic-supplier local-content requirement and purchase preference margin under India's Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017, giving Class-I local suppliers a bid-evaluation advantage in the civil-engineering, general-construction, and site-preparation-services categories. Global Trade Alert logs this as two linked interventions (localisation and preference margin) under the same state act; both are consolidated into this single filing.