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Mumbai, Jun 18 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has granted in-principle approval for a state-level MANTRA Centre with an allocation of Rs 60 crore to support patent filing, intellectual property management and commercialisation of research from universities.

The Higher and Technical Education Department will establish MANTRA (Maharashtra Academy for Nurturing Technology, Research and Intellectual Assets), an official statement said.

Recognising the need to create a support mechanism for intellectual property creation and management within higher education institutions, the department had constituted an expert committee under the chairmanship of Dr A B Pandit, Vice Chancellor, Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai.

The committee noted the need for greater institutional support to assist researchers throughout the patenting process, and recommended a two-phase approach.

In the first phase, MANTRA will be established. Further, a two-credit, 30-hour training programme titled 'Sankalp' will be introduced for faculty members across higher education institutions in Maharashtra.

MANTRA is proposed to commence operations from July 1 at the University of Mumbai's Kalina Campus.

The Department also proposes to create a state-level Patent Bank that will serve as a repository of patents generated by educational institutions.

In the second phase, emphasis will be placed on technology transfer, industry collaboration and wider utilisation of intellectual property generated within academic institutions, the release said. PTI SM KRK

Mumbai, Jun 18 (PTI) Coal gasification is crucial for India's long-term energy security and help the country reduce dependence on imports, Union coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said on Thursday.

Speaking at a roadshow on the central government's scheme for the promotion of surface coal/lignite gasification projects in the financial capital, the minister said that investments in gasification projects would enable the domestic production of syngas, methanol, hydrogen, ethanol, urea, and sustainable aviation fuel, among others.

These products, which are currently imported in significant quantities, can increasingly be manufactured domestically through coal gasification, resulting in substantial foreign exchange savings, reduced import dependence and the creation of new industrial value chains across sectors, including fertilisers, steel, chemicals, transport and clean energy, the minister added.

The roadshow was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Satish Chandra Dubey, Minister of State for Coal and Mines, Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Coal, along with senior officers of the ministry, representatives of Coal sector public sector enterprises, industry leaders, technology providers, investors and other stakeholders.

The Union minister said that the country has the world's fifth-largest coal reserves of over 400 billion tonnes, and the potential to convert its abundant coal resources into high-value products that can transform the country's industrial landscape.

India is the world's second-largest producer and consumer of coal, and Coal India Limited is the largest coal-producing company globally, he said, adding that the Gevra mine in Chhattisgarh is one of the world's largest coal mines.

India's 70 per cent electricity demand is met through coal, which contributes nearly 55 per cent of the country's energy mix, he said, adding that the government is firmly committed to achieving the net-zero target by 2070 through cleaner and more efficient utilisation of domestic coal resources.

Referring to the National Coal Gasification Mission, Reddy said the government has set an ambitious target of gasifying 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030, and expressed confidence that the government's incentive scheme would catalyse large-scale investments, accelerate technology adoption and establish India as a global leader in coal gasification.

He further said that the draft Request for Proposal (RFP) has been placed in the public domain for stakeholder consultations and suggestions, and feedback to further strengthen the implementation framework.

Stating that India is entering a new era of coal gasification powered by modern technologies, Maharashtra chief minister emphasised that Atmanirbhar Bharat is the pathway to Viksit Bharat, while energy security is fundamental to India's growth and resilience.

Excessive dependence on imports makes the country vulnerable to global geopolitical developments and supply chain disruptions, Fadnavis said and invited investors and industry leaders to the state. PTI IAS HVA

New Delhi/Jaipur, June 18 (PTI) The GeM platform has inked a pact with Common Service Centre e-Governance Services India Ltd (CSC-SPV) to expand access to government procurement opportunities across the country, particularly in rural and underserved regions, an official statement said on Thursday.

The expanded scope of collaboration includes facilitation for vendor assessment, brand approval, and product and service catalogue creation and publication, it said.

As a key feature of the partnership, 50 GeM Suvidha Kendras will initially be established on a pilot basis through the CSC network across select states, including Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana and West Bengal.

These centres will serve as dedicated facilitation hubs where sellers and service providers can access guidance, training, onboarding support and assistance related to GeM processes.

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*Amazon Prime Day sale to begin from July 4

E-commerce major Amazon on Thursday announced that the 10th edition of its annual Prime Day sale in India will be held from July 4 to July 6, offering Prime members access to deals, discounts and new product launches across categories.

A company official said Rajasthan is an important market for its operations and seller ecosystem and participants will benefit from the sale.

Pallavi Singh, senior manager, Amazon Prime India said Prime Day 2026 will run for 72 hours and feature more than 500 new product launches from Indian and global brands, including smartphones, consumer electronics, appliances, fashion, beauty, groceries and home products.

Singh said more than 1.4 lakh sellers from Rajasthan are currently selling on the platform, including over 39,000 local shops.

"We have strengthened the logistics network in the state with two fulfilment centres and one sortation centre in Jaipur, besides 474 Amazon Hub Delivery locations and 106 company-owned and partner delivery stations across the state," the official said. PTI RR AG SHM

New Delhi, Jun 18 (PTI) Net direct tax collection grew 14.64 per cent to over Rs 5.21 lakh crore till June 17 this fiscal year on higher advance tax mop-up from corporates, government data showed on Thursday.

Net corporate tax collection rose 22 per cent to Rs 2.08 lakh crore, and mop-up from net non-corporate tax (NCT), which includes taxes paid by individuals, HUFs, firms, grew 8 per cent to about Rs 2.94 lakh crore till June 17.

Mop-up from Securities Transaction Tax (STT) grew 45 per cent to Rs 18,856 crore.

Advance Tax collection grew 15.30 per cent to over Rs 1.78 lakh crore.

This includes 16 per cent growth in mop-up from corporates at over Rs 1.40 lakh crore, and 13 per cent increase in NCT at Rs 37,620 crore.

Refunds worth Rs 89,026 crore was issued till May 17, registering an increase of 1.19 per cent over the year-ago period.

On a gross basis, direct tax collection increased 12.46 per cent to over Rs 6.10 lakh crore. This includes corporate tax of over Rs 2.76 lakh crore and NCT of about Rs 3.15 lakh crore.

The government has budgeted to collect Rs 26.97 lakh crore from direct taxes in the current fiscal year, a 15 per cent growth over Rs 23.40 lakh crore collected in FY26.

Deloitte India Partner Rohinton Sidhwa said overall it appears that tax collections have shrugged off the degrowth caused by previous years' rate cut and once again resumed the growth path.

"The data also shows strong advance tax growth from companies indicating the corporate sector is doing well. While these are early indicators of the trends sustains it would help keep the government on its track of maintaining the fiscal deficit target," Sidhwa said.

EY India Tax Partner Jayesh Sanghvi said the advance tax growth indicates a reversal trend from the tepid growth of corresponding period last year on both corporate and non-corporate.

"This is a forward indicator of potential business confidence. Interestingly, the STT growth stands out indicating continued heightened market activity following from buoyant corporate results for FY 2025-26," Sanghvi said. PTI JD TRB

Paris, Jun 18 (PTI) Trade was a major subject of discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, with both leaders directing their negotiators to finalise the proposed trade pact at the earliest, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Thursday.

Misri's comments came a day after Modi and Trump held wide-ranging talks for the first time in 16 months on the margins of the G7 Summit in an attempt to rebuild the strained bilateral ties.

"There were some important and urgent issues that needed to be discussed yesterday, notably the trade agreement, which is something that has created a certain amount of uncertainty over the past year or so between the two countries," the foreign secretary said.

"And it was important that we move forward to some kind of certainty on these issues," he said at a media briefing.

Misri said significant progress has been made on the conclusion of the interim trade pact and that US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, will be visiting India next week to take forward the discussions.

"With the United States, we have made significant progress already on the conclusion of an interim free trade agreement. We are in the final stages of concluding that agreement," he said.

"In the bilateral meeting between the prime minister and President Donald Trump in Evian, this was a major subject of discussion. Both leaders once again gave instructions for this agreement to be concluded at the earliest possible," Misri said.

The foreign secretary said trade was a key area of focus during Modi's separate bilateral meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian PM Mark Carney, and European Union leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.

Misri said the West Asia situation also figured prominently in PM Modi's engagement at G7 outreach meetings as well as in his bilateral talks. 

PM Modi expressed India's desire to see sustained peace and security in West Asia, he added.

US President Trump on Wednesday signed an initial agreement to end the war with Iran.

Misri said India has been in close touch with most of the protagonists who are involved or affected by the conflict.

"We remain in very close touch with all of those partners, and we'll be ready to do whatever it is, whatever it is possible for us to do, in so far as addressing the next steps," he said.

"India welcomed the developments that have taken place through the understanding that has been reached between the US and Iran and hopes to see a rapid return to peace and stability in the region," Misri said.

The foreign secretary said India always emphasised the importance of maintaining the freedom of navigation and unimpeded commerce through the international waterways in the region.

He said Modi specifically underlined the importance of the safety and security of seafarers.

"He noted how hundreds of thousands of Indian seafarers essentially provide a global public good by serving on maritime platforms that serve the global community and serve global maritime trade in a big way, and why therefore their safety and security should be a common concern of the global community," Misri said.

"This is something that he voiced not just in his intervention at the G7 summit outreach meetings but also in his bilateral meetings with several leaders," he added.

Misri said India expects that the peace deal between the US and Iran will lead to sustained peace and stability in West Asia.

"India has always advocated the path of dialogue and diplomacy to settle conflicts such as these. We have always also expressed our readiness to contribute in any manner that we can," he said.

"We have very strong relationships with all of the countries in the region," he said. PTI MPB ZH

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