Economy

Domestic urea output has grown sharply over the last decade. India produced around 22.5 million tonnes of urea in 2014-15. Production rose to a record level of around 31.4 million tonnes in 2023-24. In 2024-25, the country produced 30.667 million tonnes. This expansion has helped India absorb demand pressure from agriculture and reduce the impact of global volatility.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said that India’s scientific progress has now moved beyond laboratories and entered the national mainstream. Space technology, atomic energy, digital systems, deep ocean research, health technology and advanced innovation are becoming part of India’s development story. This shift shows how science is being used directly for public benefit, economic growth and strategic capability.

The proposal was reviewed during a meeting chaired by Rohit Kansal, Secretary, Department of Rural Development. The discussion focused on the progress of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission and its related initiatives. Senior officials from the Rural Livelihoods Division and the National Mission Management Unit also participated in the review.

The April figure also shows a mixed picture. Imports rose compared with March, but they were lower than the same month last year. This suggests that India’s energy demand is strong, but the import pattern is also being shaped by prices, refinery planning, inventory decisions and global supply conditions. Refiners often adjust purchases based on price movements, freight availability, refining margins and crude grades suitable for their plants.

The ePlane Company is developing the e200x, an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft designed for urban air mobility. The idea is simple and ambitious: create a compact electric air taxi that can help reduce city congestion by moving short-distance travel from crowded roads to the sky. For a country where major cities lose enormous time in traffic every day, such aircraft could become part of a future mobility network connecting business districts, airports, transport hubs and urban clusters.