14, Aug 2026
Covestro Covestro-backed BioBTX to produce aromatics from waste
Aug 14: Dutch circular chemistry technology developer BioBTX is building its world’s first commercial-scale plant to transform mixed plastic waste into high quality aromatic chemicals based on its in-house developed ICCP technology. Covestro has been a shareholder and strategic partner of the Groningen-based company since 2024, with a mid-single-digit million Euro stake.
The plant, which shall create 35 new jobs, will be built at Chemical Park Delfzijl at the northern Coast of the Netherlands. It will use BioBTX‘s proprietary ICCP technology, which converts the type of mixed plastic waste that would otherwise be incinerated or put to landfill via catalytic pyrolysis into aromatic oil consisting of benzene, toluene and xylenes. These are the same building blocks the chemical industry uses today in coatings, pharmaceuticals and performance materials. They can also be used for the isocyanate production of Covestro, out of which soft foam for e.g. mattresses or rigid foam for insulating refrigerators are made.
“We’ve followed BioBTX‘s progress for years and are very happy to now see the point where the technology proves itself at industrial scale,” says Dr. Thorsten Dreier, Chief Technology Officer at Covestro. “This marks a very important step. Moreover, it processes mixed plastic waste instead of a single sorted stream, which is exactly the kind of recycling we need more of at scale to make a circular economy become reality.”
In total, the plant is expected to recycle about 20,000 tonnes of waste and produce around 10,000 tonnes of renewable aromatic oil and 8,000 tonnes of sustainable by-products from it annually. Compared to conventional, fossil-based BTX production, the process is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions of the resulting chemical building blocks by 70 to 80 percent.
“Reaching this key milestone in the development of BioBTX marks an important step in our journey towards our mission of making circular chemistry possible. I am very proud of the full BioBTX team and shareholders whose dedication and commitment has made this achievement possible. We are going to build our world’s first fully sustainable aromatic plant. A great accomplishment!” says Ton Vries, Co-founder and CEO of BioBTX.
This milestone concludes a 14-year journey from an idea in 2012 through lab- and pilot-scale to commercial execution. While this first plant focuses on mixed plastic waste, the ICCP technology is feedstock-flexible, with the potential to expand to other sources in the future, such as biomass.
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- By Neel Achary
14, Aug 2026
NITI Aayog Consults Stakeholders on Transforming Vocational Education in Schools
New Delhi, August 14, 2026: NITI Aayog organised a stakeholder consultation on “Transforming Vocational Education in India: Vocational Education in Schools”, chaired by Dr. Joram Aniya, Member, NITI Aayog, with the objective of strengthening the integration of vocational learning into school education.
The consultation brought together representatives from the Department of School Education & Literacy and other stakeholders to discuss ways to make vocational education more relevant, accessible and aligned with the changing requirements of the economy and labour market.
The discussions focused on improving the delivery of vocational education at the school level, strengthening links between education and employment, and creating greater opportunities for students to acquire practical and industry-relevant skills alongside academic learning.
The consultation also underlined the importance of closer coordination among policymakers, educational institutions, industry and skill-development organisations. Such collaboration can help ensure that vocational programmes reflect emerging opportunities and equip young people with skills needed for the future of work.
The initiative is in line with India’s broader efforts to build a more flexible and skills-oriented education system, where vocational pathways are integrated into mainstream schooling rather than being treated as an alternative to academic education. NITI Aayog’s ongoing work on education and skills seeks to support policy approaches that can contribute to a more capable and future-ready workforce.
14, Aug 2026
President Murmu Honours Eminent Artists With Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards
New Delhi, August 14, 2026: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards for 2024 and 2025 on eminent artists at a ceremony in New Delhi, recognising their contribution to India’s rich performing arts heritage.
The honours recognise achievements across music, dance, theatre, folk and tribal arts, puppetry and traditional performing arts. Seven distinguished artists were selected for the Akademi Fellowship, while the awards covered a wide range of artistic disciplines and traditions from across the country.
Addressing the gathering, President Murmu described artists as custodians of India’s collective memory and important contributors to the country’s cultural future. She highlighted how generations of artists have preserved traditions, languages, stories and artistic practices while allowing them to evolve with changing times.
The President also called upon senior artists and gurus to make systematic efforts to mentor and nurture the next generation, stressing that the continuity of India’s diverse artistic traditions depends on passing knowledge and skills to young practitioners.
The ceremony underscored the importance of performing arts not only as cultural expressions but also as a living link between India’s heritage and its future.
14, Aug 2026
Chamoli Tunnel Tragedy Leaves Seven Dead as Rescue Teams Search for Missing Worker
Chamoli, August 14, 2026: Seven workers have died after a sudden rush of water and debris entered an under-construction tunnel at the THDC hydropower project in Mayapur, Pipalkoti, in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. One worker is still reported missing, while rescue teams continue operations at the site.
Officials said the incident occurred after a landslide created a cavity that allowed water and debris to surge into the tunnel. Fourteen workers were rescued and taken to a hospital in Gopeshwar for treatment.
Teams from the NDRF, SDRF, police, CISF, ITBP and Army have been deployed for the search and rescue operation. Authorities are working in difficult conditions as water continues to pose challenges inside the tunnel.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed agencies to intensify relief and rescue efforts and is scheduled to inspect the affected site. The administration is closely monitoring the situation as rescue personnel continue efforts to locate the missing worker.
14, Aug 2026
Maharashtra Moves Toward One Digital Identity for Easier Access to Public Services
Mumbai, August 14, 2026: The Maharashtra government is preparing to roll out ‘Maha-ID’, a digital identity framework designed to give citizens a simpler way to access government services and welfare programmes.
The initiative seeks to reduce the administrative burden on citizens by creating a common digital identity that can be used across multiple government departments. Instead of repeatedly providing the same information and documents for different services, residents could use their Maha-ID for streamlined verification.
The proposed system will be connected with Aadhaar, helping authorities authenticate beneficiaries and improve the accuracy of service delivery. The government expects the digital approach to reduce paperwork, shorten processing times and bring greater transparency to citizen-facing services.
Maha-ID is also expected to improve coordination among government departments by enabling information to be accessed through a more integrated digital framework. This could make it easier to identify eligible beneficiaries and minimise duplication in the delivery of government schemes.
The initiative forms part of Maharashtra’s broader digital-governance strategy, with technology increasingly being used to shift public services from department-centric processes to a more unified, citizen-focused model.
14, Aug 2026
Colombia Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 273 as Rescue Efforts Continue
Bogota, August 14, 2026: The death toll from the powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday has risen to 273, while rescue teams continue searching for people still trapped or missing in affected areas.
According to Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, 3,824 people have been injured and 377 remain missing. The disaster has affected more than 97,500 people, with over 40,000 families reporting impacts from the quake.
The earthquake caused extensive damage to infrastructure, destroying 12,584 homes and damaging nearly 75,000 others. At least 172 buildings collapsed, while schools, healthcare facilities, community centres and airports were also affected.
Search-and-rescue teams, supported by rescue dogs and emergency equipment, continue to work through damaged areas as authorities assess the scale of the destruction and coordinate relief operations. A further 4.2-magnitude tremor was also recorded in the Chocó region, where the main quake was centred.
14, Aug 2026
India’s Goods Exports Surge Nearly 20% in July Despite Global Uncertainty
New Delhi, August 14, 2026: India’s merchandise exports rose 19.63 per cent year-on-year to $44.24 billion in July 2026, marking a strong recovery in outbound trade despite geopolitical tensions and disruptions affecting global supply chains.
The July performance was supported by strong shipments of petroleum products, electronics and engineering goods. Petroleum exports increased nearly 68 per cent to $6.92 billion, while electronics exports climbed 57.4 per cent to $5.92 billion. Engineering goods shipments grew about 17.7 per cent to $12.24 billion.
India’s exports to West Asia also recovered, rising 8.6 per cent to $5.7 billion during the month. The United States remained the country’s largest export market, with shipments to the US increasing by nearly 13 per cent to $9.02 billion. Exports to China also recorded a sharp rise.
However, the strong export performance was accompanied by a rise in imports. Merchandise imports increased 17.52 per cent to $76.22 billion, pushing the goods trade deficit to a six-month high of $31.98 billion. Higher crude oil prices and increased imports of electronics, gold, fertilisers and coal contributed to the wider deficit.
The July numbers underline the resilience of India’s export sector, while also highlighting the need to strengthen domestic manufacturing, logistics efficiency and supply-chain resilience to sustain growth in global trade.
14, Aug 2026
India’s July Exports Cross $80 Billion as Global Shipments Gain Momentum
New Delhi, August 14, 2026: India’s combined exports of merchandise and services rose 13.31 per cent year-on-year to $80.14 billion in July 2026, signalling continued strength in the country’s external trade despite global economic and geopolitical pressures.
The growth was supported by a sharp rise in merchandise shipments, which climbed 19.6 per cent to a record $44.24 billion during the month. Engineering products, electronics and petroleum-related shipments were among the key contributors to the strong goods export performance.
Services exports also remained an important pillar of India’s trade performance. However, imports of goods and services increased faster, rising 15.83 per cent to $95.16 billion, resulting in an overall trade deficit of about $15.03 billion in July.
The latest figures highlight the resilience of Indian exporters at a time when businesses are dealing with higher freight costs, supply-chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty. The strong July performance also adds to the positive momentum recorded during the opening months of FY27.
For policymakers and industry, the challenge now will be to sustain export growth while improving logistics efficiency, widening the export base and containing the impact of rising import costs on the overall trade balance.
14, Aug 2026
NITI Aayog Identifies Four Sectors That Could Drive India’s Manufacturing Ambitions
New Delhi, August 14, 2026: NITI Aayog has identified chemicals, textiles, telecom and networking equipment, and solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing as four high-potential sectors that could play a central role in strengthening India’s position in global manufacturing.
The policy think tank’s report focuses on sectors where targeted policy interventions, stronger domestic capabilities and greater value addition can help Indian manufacturers compete more effectively in international markets. The broader exercise covers 12 priority sectors with the objective of increasing India’s participation in global value chains.
NITI Aayog has pointed to opportunities across the four sectors while also highlighting challenges such as import dependence, supply-chain gaps, cost competitiveness and skill shortages. Addressing these constraints will be critical for Indian companies to scale production and move higher up the global value chain.
The report comes as India seeks to raise the contribution of manufacturing to economic growth, exports and employment. NITI Aayog’s approach places greater emphasis on building competitive industrial clusters, improving infrastructure and reducing production costs to attract investment and expand exports.
The recommendations are expected to support India’s longer-term ambition of becoming a major global manufacturing centre by combining domestic demand with export-oriented production and deeper integration into international supply chains.
14, Aug 2026
Centre releasesRs.605.71 Crore to Strengthen Agriculture in Rajasthan and Telangana
New Delhi, August 14, 2026: The Centre has approved a combined allocation of ₹605.71 crore for Rajasthan and Telangana under the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) and the Krishonnati Yojana, aimed at supporting agricultural development and farmer-focused initiatives.
Rajasthan will receive ₹340.59 crore, while ₹265.12 crore has been approved for Telangana. The decisions followed a review of the states’ annual action plans, utilisation of earlier funds and expenditure progress.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan approved the allocations during a virtual meeting with Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena and Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao.
Chouhan also appreciated Telangana’s Farmer ID and fertiliser distribution model, highlighting its potential to make the delivery of agricultural services more transparent and efficient. For Rajasthan, he called for greater attention to the implementation of Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to improve farmers’ access to institutional credit.
The latest funding is expected to support state-level agricultural programmes and strengthen efforts aimed at improving farm productivity, farmer services and rural livelihoods.
