Firms show interest in units at Kerala Rubber Ltd; 19 acres to be allotted

Firms show interest in units at Kerala Rubber Ltd; 19 acres to be allotted


A view of the rubber plantations belonging to the Plantation Corporation of Kerala
| Photo Credit:
UNKNOWN

As many as 19 firms have shown interest in establishing manufacturing units at Kerala Rubber Ltd in Velloor, set up by the Kerala government to promote natural rubber–based ancillary industries. Out of these, six firms have completed the required documentation and will be allotted a total of 19 acres to begin operations.

The largest among them is Cochin Rubber Products, which has been allotted 10 acres to manufacture solid tyres and two-wheeler tyres. All units are expected to become operational within a year of receiving the land.

The official land allotment letters will be handed over on February 25 by State Industries Minister P. Rajeeve, who will also inaugurate the new administrative building of Kerala Rubber Ltd.

Once fully operational, the project is expected to generate around 3,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect employment opportunities, while also improving price realisation and value addition for natural rubber growers in Kerala.

The project has been set up by the state government for the construction of R&D centre, training centre, tyre testing centre, tyre powdering unit, sterilising centre and so on. The facilities are proposed to operate in PPP mode.

The Minister will also lay the foundation stone for capacity expansion and product diversification project of Kerala Paper Products Ltd in the same premises aimed at catering to the growing demand for specialty paper grades, high quality packaging paper, and writing, printing and copier papers.

The surge in demand is being driven by the rapid expansion of e-commerce, retail, food delivery services and the education sector, along with the continued ban on single use plastics. The project also seeks to reduce the State’s current dependence on costly paper imports from other States, said official sources.

Published on February 23, 2026



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Mamaearth bets on Bollywood’s ‘Badman’ Gulshan Grover to push natural lip balm

Mamaearth bets on Bollywood’s ‘Badman’ Gulshan Grover to push natural lip balm


Mamaearth, the personal care brand under Honasa Consumer Limited, has launched a 70-second digital campaign featuring veteran Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover to promote its 100 per cent Natural Lip Balm. The campaign was released on February 23, 2026, and is being rolled out across digital and social platforms.

The film, created by agency Kimaya, places Grover’s well-known “Badman” screen persona in a mundane situation, chapped lips on a movie set.

The narrative hinges on the contrast between his villainous on-screen image and the everyday discomfort of dry lips, ending with the actor transitioning from “Badman” to “Goodman” after using the product.

The lip balm contains Shea Butter and Vitamin E and claims 12-hour moisturisation with a toxin-free formula.

Snigdha Anand, SVP and Brand Head of Marketing at Mamaearth, described the casting as a deliberate creative choice to make the product feel relatable through humour and nostalgia.

Honasa Consumer Limited, Mamaearth’s parent company, closed at ₹306.70 on the NSE on February 23, 2026, up 1.96 per cent from its previous close of ₹300.80, touching an intraday high of ₹312.90. The company, founded by Ghazal and Varun Alagh, operates eight brands and distributes across 40,000-plus retail points and major e-commerce platforms nationwide.

Published on February 23, 2026



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Hindustan Zinc, Tripura Group ink pact to operationalise Rajasthan manufacturing unit

Hindustan Zinc, Tripura Group ink pact to operationalise Rajasthan manufacturing unit


(representative image)
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

Hindustan Zinc Ltd, an integrated zinc producer, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tripura Group to operationalise a manufacturing unit within the company’s Zinc Park at Khankhala in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan.

Under the agreement, Hindustan Zinc will provide assured raw material linkage to Tripura Group’s proposed unit at the Zinc Industrial Park, supported by a committed long-term off take arrangement. A media statement said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to building a robust downstream zinc ecosystem, with investment and production plans aligned to drive scale, efficiency, and sustainable industrial growth in the region.

The Zinc Park proposal, first announced by the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal Sharma, alongside Vedanta Group Chairman, Anil Agarwal, at the Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit in December 2024, is planned near Hindustan Zinc’s mining and smelting operations at Chanderiya, Dariba, and Debari in Rajasthan.

Strategic initiative

This initiative by Hindustan Zinc, in collaboration with the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation, is poised to become India’s first integrated hub dedicated to downstream zinc-based industries, it said.

Quoting Arun Misra, Chief Executive Officer, Hindustan Zinc, the statement said: “Zinc Park is a strategic initiative that translates our long-term vision for a resilient and competitive metal value chain into concrete action. Our partnership with Tripura Group demonstrates how targeted collaboration can unlock downstream value and accelerate Make-in-India manufacturing. The assured supply arrangements, coupled with performance-linked incentives and renewable energy commitments, will provide investors with the confidence to scale. We are determined to build an ecosystem that supports MSME growth, creates local jobs, and drives technological improvements across the zinc value chain.”

Published on February 23, 2026



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Clean Max IPO subscribed 34% so far on day 1, led by QIBs demand

Clean Max IPO subscribed 34% so far on day 1, led by QIBs demand


The initial public offering of Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions was subscribed 0.34 times, or 34 per cent, as of 4,03 pm on the first day of bidding on February 23, 2026, with institutional investors leading the demand while retail participation remained muted.

The qualified institutional buyers (QIB) portion was subscribed 1.03 times, reflecting strong early interest from institutional investors. In contrast, the non-institutional investor (NII) category saw 0.20 times subscription, while the retail individual investor segment and employee quota were subscribed 0.02 times each.

IPO details, price band, anchor portion

The ₹3,100 crore IPO, which opened on February 23 and will close on February 25, comprises a fresh issue of shares worth up to ₹1,200 crore and an offer-for-sale (OFS) aggregating ₹1,900 crore by promoters and existing shareholders. The price band has been fixed at ₹1,000-1,053 per share, valuing the company at ₹12,325 crore at the upper end.

Proceeds from the fresh issue, to the extent of ₹1,125 crore, will be used for debt repayment, with the remainder earmarked for general corporate purposes. Prior to the IPO, the company had raised ₹1,500 crore in a pre-IPO round. The shares are scheduled to list on March 2.

Ahead of the public issue opening, the company mobilised ₹921 crore from anchor investors. Domestic institutional investors accounted for 68 per cent of the anchor book, while foreign institutional investors contributed the remaining 32 per cent.

Prominent participants in the anchor round included Temasek Holdings, Nomura Asset Management, Eastspring, SBI Life, Tata Investment Corp, HDFC Mutual Fund, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund, SBI General Insurance, Premji Invest and 360 One Mutual Fund.

Clean Max, India’s largest commercial and industrial renewable energy service provider with an estimated 8 per cent market share, focuses on supplying green power solutions to corporate clients under long-term power purchase agreements. Brokerages have largely recommended subscribing to the issue with a long-term perspective, though they have flagged valuation concerns.
SBI Securities said Clean Max benefits from a capital-efficient model and one of the lowest net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratios in the industry at around 4.8 times, compared with more than 6 times for peers. It highlighted that green energy sourcing by corporates, currently at about 7.5 per cent, is expected to rise to 20 per cent by FY30, providing scalability. At the upper price band of Rs 1,053, the issue is valued at FY25 and annualised first-half FY26 EV/EBITDA multiples of 21.7 times and 16.3 times, respectively, on a post-issue basis.

Gaurav Garg, Research Analyst at Lemonn Markets Desk, noted that the company has a strong capacity pipeline, premium tariffs and long-tenure power purchase agreements of around 23 years, along with high repeat clientele and robust project-level return on equity of about 35 per cent. However, he pointed out that valuations appear stretched at around 16 times EV/EBITDA, particularly given elevated leverage with net debt-to-equity of about 2.5 times. The brokerage has recommended subscribing for long-term investors, citing structural demand drivers such as data centres and AI-led power consumption.

Anand Rathi said Clean Max’s integrated operating model, disciplined capital allocation and diversified portfolio support cash-flow stability and long-term growth. At the upper price band, it estimates the company is valued at an EV/EBITDA multiple of 21.5 times FY25 earnings, with a post-issue market capitalisation of Rs 12,325 crore. The brokerage has assigned a “subscribe – long term” rating, though it considers the IPO fully priced at current valuations.

With institutional interest providing early support and retail participation yet to pick up, market participants will closely watch subscription trends over the remaining two days of bidding and the company’s debut on the exchanges.

Published on February 23, 2026



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RBI holds 621st central board meeting in presence of FM Sitharaman

RBI holds 621st central board meeting in presence of FM Sitharaman


The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) held its 621st meeting of Central Board of Directors today at New Delhi, under the Chairmanship of Sanjay Malhotra, Governor. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also attended the meeting.

“Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, addressed and interacted with the Directors of the Central Board, after the Board meeting. The Hon’ble Union Minister of Finance articulated the strategic vision of the Union Budget 2026-27, which was inspired by the three Kartavyas, and delineated expectations from the financial sector toward achieving its goal of Viksit Bharat. The Directors expressed their appreciation for the Budget and shared their perspectives,” the RBI said in a statement.

Sitharaman was accompanied by Pankaj Chaudhary, Minister of State for Finance, Secretaries from DFS, DIPAM, Expenditure and Revenue departments and V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser.

All four RBI deputy governors including Poonam Gupta, Swaminathan J, Shirish Chandra Murmu and T Rabi Sankar attended the meeting.

Published on February 23, 2026



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फिर रीबाउंड के रास्ते देश का FMCG सेक्टर, Q3 में 7.5 परसेंट के ग्रोथ ने चौंकाया

फिर रीबाउंड के रास्ते देश का FMCG सेक्टर, Q3 में 7.5 परसेंट के ग्रोथ ने चौंकाया


India FMCG Sector Growth: देश का FMCG (इंडियन फास्ट-मूविंग कंज्यूमर गुड्स) अभी रिकवरी मोड पर है. सेंट्रम ब्रोकिंग के कंज्यूमर स्टेपल्स कवरेज यूनिवर्स ने बताया कि कारोबारी साल 2025-26 की दूसरी तिमाही में इसमें पिछले साल की समान तिमाही के मुकाबले 2 परसेंट और तीसरी तिमाही में सालाना आधार पर 7.5 परसेंट की ग्रोथ देखी जा रही है.

यह ग्रोथ काफी हद तक बिक्री के हिसाब से वॉल्यूम में हुई तेज बढ़ोतरी से हुई, जिसमें ITC को शामिल नहीं किया गया. इससे पता चलता है कि ग्रोथ और मार्जिन की चुनौतियों का सामना करते हुए लंबे समय बाद FMCG सेक्टर में रौनक धीरे-धीरे लौट रही है. रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, महंगाई में आई कमी, अच्छी मानसून के साथ बेहतर फसल की उम्मीद और GST में हुए बदलाव और इनकम टैक्स कटौती जैसे सरकारी पहलों से डिमांड बढ़ने के संकेत मिल रहे हैं, जिससे धीरे-धीरे देश का FMCG सेक्टर संवर रहा है.

दूसरी तिमाही में क्या आईं दिक्कतें? 

अक्टूबर-दिसंबर तिमाही में GST के लेकर कुछ दिक्कतें आईं जैसे कि GST 2.0 के लागू होने से सप्लाई चेन में थोड़ी रूकावट आई क्योंकि कई डिस्ट्रीब्यूटर्स और रिटेलर्स को सामानों के नए रेट्स का इंतजार था. ऐसे में स्टॉक कम कर दिए गए. इससे कंपनियों की बिक्री पर 1-4.5 परसेंट का असर दिखा.

हालांकि, इस दौरान कंपनियों में एग्जिट ग्रोथ अच्छी रही, जिससे Q4 का आउटलुक और भी अच्छा हुआ है. रिपोर्ट में बताया गया है कि इस सेक्टर को मोमेंटम में बदलाव से फायदा हो रहा है. Q3 में रीस्टॉकिंग का कुछ फायदा हुआ और साथ ही ग्रामेज बढ़ने की वजह से वॉल्यूम में भी बढ़ोतरी हुई है.” सेंट्रम का मानना ​​है कि कवरेज कंपनियों को टॉप लाइन और वॉल्यूम के मामले में लगातार बढ़ोतरी देखने को मिलेगी.

किन सेगमेंट्स में दिखी रिकवरी?

इंडस्ट्री के जानकारों का कहना है कि ग्रामीण मार्केट अब शहरी मार्केट से आगे बढ़ रहे हैं. यह क्विक कॉमर्स ग्रोथ में सबसे आगे बना हुआ है. खासकर नेस्ले और ब्रिटानिया के परफॉर्मेंस का हवाला देते हुए एक्सपर्ट्स ने कहा कि फूड कैटेगरी में वॉल्यूम मोमेंटम में साफ बढ़ोतरी देखी गई है. होम एंड पर्सनल केयर (HPC) सेगमेंट में, हेयर ऑयल कैटेगरी में भी अच्छी रिकवरी देखी गई है.

यह पॉजिटिव ट्रेंड फाइनेंशियल ईयर के आखिरी क्वार्टर तक जारी रहने की उम्मीद है. रिपोर्ट में उम्मीद जताई गई है कि Q4 में गर्मियों की लोडिंग और कंजम्प्शन में बढ़ोतरी का फायदा देखने को मिलेगा, जिसे स्टेबल रॉ मटेरियल बास्केट का सपोर्ट मिला है. बांग्लादेश जैसे इंटरनेशनल इलाकों में छोटी-मोटी दिक्कतों के बावजूद इंडस्ट्री के ठहराव के दौर से वॉल्यूम-लेड ग्रोथ की ओर बढ़ने के साथ ओवरऑल सेंटीमेंट पॉजिटिव बना हुआ है.

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