Industry & Infrastructure (Indian Economy).
Syllabus: UPSC Pre GS1: Economic & Social Development; Mains GS3
Indian Ports Act 2025 for UPSC: why colonial maritime laws were replaced, Maritime State Development Council, Carriage of Goods by Sea Act,…
Semiconductors for UPSC: what a chip is, design-fab-packaging chain, Taiwan, India Semiconductor Mission, Dholera, Sanand, Jewar plants.
PLI scheme for UPSC: why it was launched, 14 sectors and outlay, how incentives work, mobile phone success, value-addition criticism and ways…
Renewable energy for UPSC: solar, wind, hydro and bioenergy potential, the 500 GW target, PM-KUSUM, PM Surya Ghar, solar parks, storage, grid…
MSMEs for UPSC: 2020 and 2025 definitions, share in GDP, jobs and exports, Udyam, CGTMSE, TReDS, PM Vishwakarma and the 45-day payment…
Green hydrogen for UPSC: grey, blue and green hydrogen, electrolysers, National Green Hydrogen Mission and SIGHT, India's standard, uses, costs and PYQs.
The Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) completes ten years on 21 October 2026. A PIB backgrounder says it has operationalised 687 routes and 95 aerodromes and carried 1.72 crore passengers. Its next phase, launched on 4 July 2026, runs from 2026-27 to 2035-36 with Rs 28,840 crore for 100 airports, 200 helipads and airline support.
UPSC angle: Prelims: UDAN dates, outlays, airport numbers. · Mains GS-III: regional connectivity and VGF design.
21 Oct 2026
The Index of Core Industries (ICI), base year 2022-23, grew 7.9% year-on-year in September 2026, up from a revised 5.9% in August, the Commerce Ministry said on 21 October 2026. Iron ore (18.4%), electricity (11.4%) and coal (10.7%) led, while fertilizers, natural gas and crude oil shrank. Growth for April–September 2026 was 5.1%, double the 2.5% of a year earlier.
UPSC angle: Prelims: ICI vs IIP, compiling agencies, base year. · Mains GS-III: industrial growth and energy security.
21 Oct 2026
MNRE Secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi said on 19 October 2026 that the Centre is planning a central sector scheme to help States adopt agrivoltaics, either standalone or within PM-KUSUM 2.0. He expects capacity to cross 5 GW in three to four years if States notify feed-in tariffs. India hosts the 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference in New Delhi from 21 to 23 October.
UPSC angle: Prelims: agrivoltaics, PM-KUSUM components, feed-in tariffs. · Mains GS-III: energy transition and food security.
20 Oct 2026
A PIB backgrounder of 19 October 2026 explains how pumped storage projects (PSPs) will store solar and wind power for India’s grid. India runs 7.43 GW of pumped storage today, is building 15.87 GW more and has an assessed potential of 345.38 GW. A roadmap aims to add about 100 GW between 2025-26 and 2035-36.
UPSC angle: Prelims: PSP types, CEA, ISTS waiver, IRENA ranking. · Mains GS-III: storage and the clean energy transition.
19 Oct 2026
On 19 October 2026 China’s Commerce Ministry announced export controls on tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and related items from 18 November, calling them clearly dual-use. India imports TBMs for metro, rail and border tunnels and has faced customs delays on Chinese machines since 2024. China also announced controls on some drones.
UPSC angle: Prelims: export control regimes, SCOMET, Wassenaar, MTCR. · Mains GS-II/III: China dependence and supply-chain resilience.
19 Oct 2026
The oil marketing companies have kept sugar out of India’s ethanol programme for the coming year. The tender issued on 16 October 2026 seeks about 11 billion litres of ethanol for the 2026-27 supply year, but asks for none made from sugarcane juice, sugar syrup or B-heavy molasses, because the Government wants sugar diversion for ethanol cut to zero. Grain must now carry the load, and even the maize incentive has been cut. Read this as a live example of the food-versus-fuel trade-off.
UPSC angle: Prelims: E20, NPB 2018, molasses grades, feedstocks. · Mains GS-III: energy security vs food security; farm incomes.
18 Oct 2026