Neha Arora

India's small steelmakers are struggling with weak demand, rising inventories and falling prices, highlighting a construction slowdown despite New Delhi introducing its biggest consumer tax cuts in eight years to boost growth and counter steep U.S. tariffs.

India was a net importer of finished steel in September, with shipments of 0.65 million metric tons, according to provisional government figures seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

China's SAIC Motor will slash its 49% stake in its Indian joint venture and halt further investment, five people said, the latest sign of how political tension between the Asian neighbours is spilling over into business.

India is holding off on plans to hike its export duty on low-grade iron ore and pellets as resistance from the domestic mining industry grows, a source familiar with the matter said.

India's steel industry will not see much direct impact from U.S. tariffs, but the European Union's carbon tax will affect steel exports, the country's steel secretary Sandeep Poundrik said at the FT Live Energy Transition Summit India on Wednesday.

Indian mining and metals conglomerate Vedanta Ltd will continue to rely on coal as its primary energy source for mining operations, while aiming to increase the share of renewable sources in its energy mix, a top executive said on Tuesday.

Indian mining and metals conglomerate Vedanta Ltd will continue to rely on coal as its primary energy source for mining operations, while aiming to increase the share of renewable sources in its energy mix, a top executive said on Tuesday.

India is working to obtain rare-earth samples from Myanmar with the assistance of a powerful rebel group, according to four people familiar with the matter, as it seeks alternative supplies of a strategic resource tightly controlled by China.

Indian steel producers have called on the government to sharply raise import quotas for low-ash metallurgical coke, seeking a near sevenfold increase to address what they say is a critical supply crunch, according to sources and a government document.

Hindustan Zinc , India's top refined zinc producer, will aim to expand into uranium mining if the government opens up the sector to private players, its chief executive Arun Misra told Reuters on Tuesday.