Big fashion brands fight a new battle in India
INDIA NEWS | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 9:24AM IST
A grid of about 800 sewing machines whir, rows of hissing irons let out clouds of steam and hundreds of workers move across a production floor at a vast clothing manufacturing facility in eastern India, some using laser-guided cutters to slice through giant rolls of fabric.Outside the sprawling site in Khordha, Odisha a 40-acre campus intended to eventually pack in as many as 10,000 staff temperatures on a late June morning hover around 34C, and feel far more extreme as hot, damp winds sweep in from the Bay of Bengal to deliver punishing humidity.The conditions appear all too familiar for supply chains across Asia that serve the $1.7 trillion global fashion industry, and in which tens of millions of employees predominantly women face increasingly severe impacts from extreme heat, frequently with inadequate protections inside their workplaces.Also read | JioStar taps AI for shopping, TV movie night ideasIn India, scorching temperatures are driving higher employee absences and contributing to productivity losses of as much as 10% for garment manufacturers during the peak summer months, according to a June study by the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights.Production lines for the clothing industry have long been particularly susceptible to the effects of extreme temperatures often combining large numbers of workers in close proximity, high volumes of heat-generating equipment, and basic or poorly ventilated buildings.Industrial architecture was designed to keep the most economically important component in the factory safe which was the machines, says Vidhura Ralapanawe, executive vice president for innovation and sustainability at Epic Group, a garment supplier which opened its new Khordha campus in April with an ambition of tackling workplace heat.The wider clothing sector has been slow to address the impacts of surging temperatures on employees, according to Ralapanawe. Its like the crab in the boiling pot of water. You dont see the problem because its happening so slowly, he says. By the time you realize the thresholds are crossed, it comes as a shock.India has suffered through another blistering summer heat season in 2026, and accounted for all 50 of the worlds hottest cities identified in studies of global temperatures in April and May by AQI. in.Step into Epics Trimetro campus, through airlock-style doors and past machinery blasting out a curtain of chilled air, and the tropical stew outside vanishes. Thick overhead pipes circulate cool gusts across production lines, while huge fans suspended from ceilings slowly push a continuous breeze toward workers, keeping the temperature inside closer to 28C.Also read | Can US President Trump 'cut off all trade' with Spain?Beneath the sweeping blades, Mamata Sahani, 23, and Madhusmita Das, 27, guide fabric through stitchers. Their faces are dry and collars free of sweat, and the pair joke together as the factorys speakers broadcast a mix of Hindi film soundtracks and Odia devotional songs.In a previous job at a different factory there was minimal cooling equipment, Sahani explains. We just had a few fans across the factory floor. During summers the tin roof got so hot that we felt we were baking, she says. "I am able to work better here. It isn't hot, so I can focus on my work more.More than 90 million people are directly employed in the worlds apparel industry roughly half of those in India and face increasingly frequent and severe impacts from weather extremes, Cornell Universitys Global Labor Institute and the International Finance Corp. said in a report last November.The analysis of 23 major global production hubs found that over the past two decades roughly three-quarters of the locations had experienced a 10% or more increase in the average number of days with temperatures above 35C, and seen accelerating patterns of dangerous heat stress.In India alone, 87% of garment workers had experienced heat-related illnesses in the past 12 months, according to a study published in February by HeatWatch and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.We need to stop treating heat as an inevitable cost of doing business and start engineering towards a future where productivity and human comfort or dignity are not compromised, said Ying McGuire, chief executive officer of Cascale, a nonprofit focused on climate and labor issues in the consumer goods industry.Epic Groups Trimetro facility was designed specifically to limit temperatures, rather than simply rely on cooling. Exterior walls are constructed from modified clay material, while the roof acts as a heavily insulated canopy with south-facing windows eliminated entirely. If ambient heat is your problem, you have to have the most efficient thermal insulated building, you have to block heat coming into the building, said Ralapanawe.The adaptations have also been influenced by the factorys funding. A $100 million debt financing package from the IFC to support the producers manufacturing in India and Bangladesh includes strict targets on lowering greenhouse gas emissions and freshwater usage, while also increasing the share of women in management roles.An air conditioning system uses oversized pipes curved at 45-degree angles to reduce friction, allowing its chillers to use less power. Traditional biomass boilers have been replaced with more efficient industrial heat pumps that dry garments and produce chilled water as a by-product which can be used to cool the factorys washing floor.In addition to harming workers, extreme heat and humidity can also damage equipment and spoil the garment assembly process. We need to take care of the fabric like we take care of food, said Vijay Subramanyam Renduchintala, a general manager at Epic Group.Delivering an entirely new campus has allowed Hong Kong-based Epic, which also operates manufacturing lines in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Jordan and Ethiopia, greater flexibility to deploy heat protections than is possible when adapting existing factories the main issue across the garment manufacturing industry.Many engineering teams will never get this freedom and flexibility, Ralapanawe said. When we build new, we can actually design it in a way to reduce the incremental cost and keep operational cost low. When I go and try to retrofit an existing factory, I can't control a lot of those parameters.Providing solutions to the sectors heat challenges will require global brands to also take responsibility alongside manufacturers, and is likely to translate into higher costs for consumers, according to An Zhou, vice president of technology at the Apparel Impact Institute, a nonprofit.Textiles is really a tight margin industry. Factories, especially in developing markets, don't have enough money to take risk and make these kind of changes, she said. The brands should think about how they can build a better business along with the factories.And even with adaptations inside their workplaces, supply chain staff continue to face severe risks outside the factory gates.After her shift in Khordha, Das returns to a nearby village where her only cooling at home is provided by fans and there are frequent power outages. It's difficult to come back to work the next day when you haven't had a full night's sleep, she says.There are signs the global fashion sector is increasingly recognizing the impacts extreme temperatures pose across their supply chains. The American Apparel and Footwear Association, which represents more than 1,100 companies including Ralph Lauren Corp. and Levi Strauss & Co., in April issued new guidelines on heat stress, urging brands to share responsibility with suppliers.An initial phase of Epic Groups Trimetro facility is producing clothes for Fast Retailing Co.s Uniqlo, which said long-term contracts can help suppliers take action to address factors like heat stress.Our partners have the stability required to make facility and equipment upgrades for sustainability objectives, including reducing emissions, increasing the use of more sustainable raw materials, and raising workplace standards for the people who help make our clothes, the Japan-based company said in a statement.In addition to heat protections, Epics campus has added porous grass pavers, pebble-lined drains and a 15,000-cubic-meter central lake to ward against flooding risks and Odishas slow-moving cyclones.The garment industrys challenge from natural hazards is only likely to become more complex and costly, according to Ralapanawe. Its not possible to design a completely climate-resilient facility, with the kind of climate extremes that we are increasingly getting, he said. The more you stretch the limits, the more expensive it becomes.
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Adani Enterprises, France's Dioxycle partner on low-carbon chemicals in India
INDIA BUSINESS | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 9:23AM IST
Adani Enterprises and Dioxycle have formed a long-term partnership for chemical production. This collaboration marks Adani Group's entry into the low-carbon chemical sector. Initially, a pilot plant will produce formic acid using renewable energy sources. The companies will also explore other emissions-reducing chemical production opportunities. This venture aims to convert captured carbon emissions into valuable products.
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INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 9:19AM IST
Graphite India shares are set to remain in focus after the company announced the planned closure of its Graphite Specialities and Coating divisions in Germany, citing the prolonged impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and weak demand. The company expects the shutdown process to be completed within six months and will announce its Q1 earnings and dividend after the board meeting scheduled for August 4.
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Stock Market LIVE: Sensex rises 100 pts, Nifty above 23,900; Eternal, Adani Ent top gainers
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 9:16AM IST
Sensex Today | Stock Market LIVE Updates Thursday: At pre-open, the Nifty50 and the Sensex advanced. Most Asian markets advanced as chip stocks supported
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TCS shares in focus as IT major set to announce Q1 earnings today. What to expect?
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 9:07AM IST
Tata Consultancy Services will announce its first-quarter results for fiscal year 2027. Analysts anticipate modest profit growth and weak revenue momentum for the IT bellwether. The company's shares have experienced significant declines this year due to various economic pressures. Demand for IT services is expected to remain soft, with some support from large deal ramp-ups. Investors will monitor commentary on the demand environment and the outlook for fiscal year 2027.
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Antony Waste shares in focus after waste mound collapse at Pune facility; workers feared trapped
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 9:07AM IST
Shares of Antony Waste Handling Cell are likely to remain under pressure after a waste mound collapsed at its Waste-to-Energy plant in Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune, following exceptionally heavy rainfall. Rescue operations are underway, while the company said the plant was under scheduled maintenance and no immediate material impact on operations has been identified.
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Antony Waste shares tumble 5% after waste mound collapse at Pune facility; workers feared trapped
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 9:07AM IST
Antony Waste share price fell 5% after a waste mound at Pimpri Chinchwad facility collapsed due to heavy rainfall. The debris fell onto the administration building, causing its structural failure. Rescue operations are currently underway involving multiple emergency response agencies. The company is providing medical assistance and support to affected families. No immediate material impact on company operations has been identified so far.
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Stock Alert: IRB Infra, S H Kelkar, Tata Steel, Phoenix Mills, SBI
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 9:04AM IST
S H Kelkar and Companys consolidated revenue grew 13.7% YoY to Rs 660 crore in Q1 FY27. As of June 30, 2026, net debt stood at approximately Rs 864 crore.
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SBI Funds Management targets $12.24 billion valuation in India IPO
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 9:02AM IST
SBI is selling up to 128.3 million shares, while Amundi India Holding will divest up to 75.4 million shares, together offloading about 10 per cent of SBI Funds Management's paid-up equity capital
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Hardeep Puri questions eruption of 'controversy' over ethanol blended fuels
INDIA NEWS | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:58AM IST
Petroleum minister says E20 has been used safely for nearly two years and argues higher ethanol blending will reduce crude imports, support farmers and strengthen India's energy security
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Ather Energy among 4 stocks closed above VWAP, signalling bullish shift
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:58AM IST
On July 8, four stocks with a market capitalisation of over Rs 10,000 crore closed more than 1% above their Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP), according to StockEdge's technical scan data. A move above the VWAP is considered a bullish technical signal, indicating strengthening buying interest and the potential for further upside in the near term.
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Mumbai's iconic Rustom ice cream parlour shut by FDA over hygiene lapses
INDIA BUSINESS | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:54AM IST
Mumbai's K Rustom ice cream parlour license has been suspended by the FDA. Officials found expired flavouring agents and live rodents during an inspection. The popular Churchgate outlet also lacked required cold chain maintenance. The FDA took action as part of its 'Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra' campaign. Samples were collected for laboratory analysis after the inspection.
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Aegis Logistics among 4 stocks that closed below VWAP
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:53AM IST
Four Nifty500 stocks, Balkrishna Industries, Aegis Logistics, PhysicsWallah and OneSource Specialty Pharma, closed over 3% below VWAP, highlighting bearish sentiment and weakening price momentum.
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Q1 results today: TCS, Anand Rathi Wealth, GM Breweries among 10 on July 9
INDIA BUSINESS | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:50AM IST
Q1FY27 company results: Firms including Eimco Elecon (India), Arunjyoti Bio Ventures, Cupid Breweries and Distilleries, and Gujarat Hotels are also set to release their April-June earnings today
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CEAT approves rights issue subscription in subsidiary, Tyresnmore Online
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:50AM IST
CEAT announced that it has approved an investment of up to Rs 2.74 crore in its wholly owned subsidiary, Tyresnmore Online, by subscribing to its rights issue.
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NALCO shares in focus on JV with NLC India for 1,080 MW thermal plant in Odisha
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:43AM IST
National Aluminium Company and NLC India have signed an agreement for a joint venture. This new entity will establish a 1,080 MW captive thermal power plant in Odisha. The plant will supply electricity for NALCO's aluminium smelter expansion project. Partners will also explore renewable energy sourcing and long-term coal supply. Both government-owned companies will hold equal stakes in the proposed joint venture.
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Premier Energies among 4 stocks showing bullish RSI upswing
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:37AM IST
Four stocks in the Nifty500 pack featured in the RSI Trending Up scan on July 8 after showing improving momentum. The RSI moved above the 50 mark from lower levels, signalling strengthening price action, improving sentiment and potential short-term buying opportunities for traders tracking bullish technical setups.
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JioStar taps AI for shopping, TV movie ideas
INDIA NEWS | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:17AM IST
JioStar is betting that conversations with viewers powered by generative AI will become a powerful tool for the streaming TV company.The unit of Reliance Industries Ltd., which boasts 500 million monthly users, is using OpenAIs technology to move beyond traditional recommendations, envisioning an AI-powered platform where conversations help users discover shows, buy products and eventually influence what gets made.Executives say the same conversational interface that recommends movies from a library of over 300,000 hours of programming could become a real-time signal of audience demand, shortening the feedback loop between what viewers want and what studios produce.The future is conversational search, Bharath Ram, JioStars chief product officer, said in an interview. Interesting search results lead people to watch content they otherwise wouldnt have watched, increasing engagement, watch time and our ability to monetize.Also read | Netflix to widen India content play with four weekly launches, creator-led showsThe strategy reflects a broader shift as streaming platforms look for new ways to drive engagement and revenue with generative AI. Netflix Inc. has focused on conversational recommendations, while YouTube, TikTok and Amazon. com Inc. have integrated commerce into their platforms. JioStars ambition is to combine those models by using AI conversations as both a recommendation engine and a source of consumer-intent data, creating a feedback loop that could support shopping, advertising and, ultimately, decisions about what content to commission.JioStar is Indias largest media company formed by the merger of Reliance Industries Viacom18 and Walt Disney Co.s India operation. The corporate entity operates over 100 TV channels and oversees JioHotstar, which is the unified streaming platform that combined JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar.The streaming service rolled out OpenAI-powered conversational search earlier this year. Instead of typing keywords, viewers can describe their mood, ask for recommendations for a date night or simply tell the app they have 45 minutes to watch something. More than 60% of users choosing the feature now speak rather than type, according to Chief Architect Vijay Seshadri. And those conversations provide something conventional search cannot.Also read | Star Plus bets big on premium non-fiction as broadcasters chase new audiences, advertiser interestOne of the problems in current discovery with all this excess production of content is the fact that I dont know what I want, Seshadri said. We think that a conversation or voice interface is actually going to be a game-changing way to discover content.JioStar sees those conversations extending well beyond entertainment. The company recently integrated food delivery into its streaming platform through a partnership with food delivery company Swiggy, allowing users across around 690 cities watching cricket games or blockbuster movie releases to order meals without leaving the app. It has also experimented with letting viewers purchase clothing featured on MTV reality show Splitsvilla.Ram described those initiatives as the first step toward content commerce. Eventually, viewers could ask where to buy a jacket worn by a character or order a cricket teams jersey while watching an Indian Premier League match using the same conversational interface, he said.Its not there yet, but thats where itll naturally come, Ram said. We hope people get comfortable purchasing something within the JioHotstar app. There is a good case to make that this is how performance advertising is going to evolve into the future.Turning JioHotstar app as a commerce platform may strengthen Reliances broader consumer ecosystem in India, where the e-commerce market is set to reach $250 billion by 2030. The screen economy and the retail economy are merging into a single economy, said Vivek Couto, chief executive officer at the research firm Media Partners Asia.Microdramas could become one of the first formats to capitalize on those audience insights. JioHotstar has already launched Tadka, a vertical-video destination featuring episodes under two minutes that has attracted about 100 million monthly active users, giving the company a testing ground for stories inspired by emerging viewer demand before expanding into longer-form programming.To prepare for that future, JioStar is building an AI studio in India. JioStar said the studio is designed to produce far more than microdramas. It is developing production workflows that combine text, image, audio and video models from multiple AI providers, with OpenAI supplying conversational search as well as text and voice capabilities.Were not just doing microdramas with AI. Were going to do daytime TV and primetime TV, premium and streaming feature films, ad films, said Stephan Bugaj, senior vice president of GenAI content and technology, who leads JioStars AI studio. Were not just trying to turn on a big siphon and spray out AI slop all over our platform.The goal, he said, is not simply to make production cheaper but to expand what Indian filmmakers can create. AI will help creators tell better stories rather than replace them.The promise of the technology is to be able to do things that are spectacular at the level of a Star Wars or a Harry Potter at a budget that will allow us to still be profitable in India, Bugaj said.
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JioStar taps AI for shopping, TV movie night ideas
INDIA BUSINESS | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:17AM IST
JioStar is integrating generative AI for conversational content discovery and commerce. This technology allows users to find shows and products through natural language interactions. The company aims to shorten the feedback loop between viewer demand and content production. JioStar is also developing an AI studio to create diverse content formats.
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US judge seeks more details from Adani on DOJ move to drop bribery case
INDIA BUSINESS | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:15AM IST
Judge Nicholas Garaufis has directed the Indian billionaire to file sworn responses by July 15 on whether any promises or deals were linked to the Justice Department's move to dismiss the indictment
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Q1 Results Today: TCS, Anand Rathi Wealth Among Ten Firms To Announce Earnings On July 9
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:15AM IST
TCS is among the top firms which will announce the Q1 results today
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INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:14AM IST
PM Modi is on a six-day, three-nation tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand from July 6, with the visit focused on strengthening trade and investment ties, deepening strategic partnerships, engaging with business leaders and connecting with the Indian diaspora.
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Nifty Suffers Biggest Fall In Three Months, Tests 50-DMA: More Pain Ahead?
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:11AM IST
Going ahead, immediate support is placed near 23,828, which coincides with the 50 DMA.
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Five Stocks To Buy: Ather Energy, Swiggy, Chennai Petroleum, And More | July 09, 2026
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:10AM IST
Market analysts and brokerage firms have identified high-conviction trading ideas for the upcoming session, focusing on food delivery and quick commerce, electric mobility, housing finance and oil refining sector.
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Kusumgar IPO Day 2: GMP at 38%, Rs 650-crore issue sees strong investor interest
INDIA MARKET | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:07AM IST
The IPO received a solid response on Day 1, with the issue subscribed 3.45 times against the 1.14 crore shares on offer. The retail investor portion was subscribed 3.52 times, while the Non-Institutional Investors (NIIs) category saw a strong 7.35-times subscription.
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Australia's largest pension fund invests $346 million in India's NIIF
INDIA BUSINESS | Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 8:06AM IST
The fresh commitment takes the pension fund's total investments in India to A$3.3 billion, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's business engagements in Australia
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