LTTS unveils Engineering Design Center in Plano, Texas
As an ITAR-compliant facility, the center is equipped to design, develop, and test defense-related products and systems. The new design hub will also focus on advanced cybersecurity solutions, including a Security Operations Center (SoC), an enabler for Smart City technologies. Starting with a capacity to house 100 engineers, the center aims to create more than 350 high-skilled jobs in core business segments including Mobility and Tech.
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Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Grand inauguration of 'RISE Haat' at RISE Jhansi on Independence Day: 18 product-based startups set up permanent stalls
JHANSI: In order to boost young entrepreneurs towards innovative startups, the RISE Jhansi Incubation Centre, a project under Jhansi Smart City, launched 'RISE Haat' by setting up permanent stalls for eighteen selected product-based startups on Independence Day, blending patriotism and entrepreneurship. These selected ventures, which are among seventy registered startups with RISE Jhansi, will have their permanent stalls and sales counters at the multi-storied incubation centre situated in the Nagar Nigam campus. The launch was conducted by the Divisional Commissioner Bimal Kumar Dubey in the presence of City Mayor Bihari Lal Arya and Municipal Commissioner Sattya Prakash. According to the officials, some of the prominent startups having their stalls include Organic Care India, TARA, Karnika Organics, Chatkara, Happy Pot, Rachnatmak Arts, Manupra Foods, Khula Dibba, Nirhari Handicrafts, Dhanush Digital, Bekar ko Aakar, Occult House, and Anjan Appliances. They will be displaying their products for sale. Commissioner Dubey said, "Recently, RISE Incubation Centre received official recognition from the state govt under the StartInUP initiative. Under this, several RISE startups achieved remarkable success and also received grants. In order to promote women entrepreneurs, a special SHE RISE is also being launched under the WEDC (Women Entrepreneurship Development Cell), which will provide a strong business foundation for women entrepreneurs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Health and comfort: the comfiest slip-on shoes of the year Ultra-Comfortable Shoes Undo " According to him, two startups, 'Hostel Near Me' and 'Rachnatmak Arts', received Rs 40 lakh each, while 'Bekar ko Aakar' received Rs 30 lakh as govt grants. Other startups have also applied for funding and are expected to get the sanction in the coming time under the StartInUP scheme. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
E20 rollout sparks consumer concerns: Mileage dip, engine woes reported — what car owners say about use of ethanol-blended petrol
Ethanol-blended petrol worries consumers (AI-image) The nationwide rollout of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20) has triggered a wave of questions and concerns from vehicle owners, with many claiming declining fuel efficiency, sluggish performance and higher maintenance costs. Service centres say non-E20-compliant vehicles — which still account for a majority on Indian roads — are facing engine wear and gasket failures, forcing consumers to recalibrate or replace parts. Car owners were quoted by Economic Times an their experience and opinion on government's Ethanol-based fuel. Mileage and performance hit? Rahul Vaidya, who owns a 2019 Volkswagen Vento, saw his car's mileage fall from 11–12 kmpl to 7–8 kmpl. 'The ride felt heavier, and the response wasn't as crisp,' he said, before a service centre confirmed his car wasn't E20-compliant. After replacing critical components and recalibrating the engine, performance was restored. Mahesh Nair, who drives a 2021 Suzuki Brezza, reported a similar drop of over 20 per cent in mileage, along with jerky drives and poor pick-up. His vehicle required ECU tuning and E20-compatible parts to resolve the issues. 'I had no idea my car wasn't ready for E20 in the first place,' he said. Industry executives estimate non-E20 vehicles may see fuel efficiency fall by around 7 per cent, while official studies, including those by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the Petroleum Ministry, peg the drop at 1–6 per cent. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why this MBA won't break the bank SRM Online Learn More Undo ARAI director Reji Mathai said field trials had shown 'no abnormalities,' though some plastics and elastomers did degrade under testing. Policy push vs consumer awareness The ethanol-blending programme is central to India's energy strategy. From April 2023, all new vehicles were required to be E20-compliant, with stricter enforcement beginning April 2025. Yet, nine out of ten cars currently on the road are only E10-ready, designed to handle a maximum of 10 per cent ethanol. Consumers, however, appear largely unaware. 'There's a glaring gap in awareness. OEMs must educate car buyers. Consumers are stakeholders too,' said Naveen Soni, former president of Lexus India. Two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp has issued advisories warning older vehicles may need modifications to run smoothly on E20. Some automakers have also hinted warranties may not hold for vehicles running on higher ethanol blends. Oil companies maintain additives are being introduced to limit corrosion. Brazil's decades-long experience with flex-fuel technology is often cited as a model, though experts note India's consumer transition is proving more abrupt. For the government, the programme has saved over Rs 1.44 lakh crore in foreign exchange since 2014, substituted 245 lakh metric tonnes of crude, and cut CO₂ emissions by the equivalent of planting 30 crore trees. Ethanol demand has also boosted sugarcane farmers' incomes, with payments this year alone expected to touch Rs 40,000 crore. But for vehicle owners, the immediate impact is higher fuel bills and repairs. 'E20 has a lower heat content than pure petrol, so a marginal drop in fuel efficiency is inevitable,' said IV Rao, Distinguished Fellow at TERI. 'The extent will vary by manufacturer and model, but consumers must not be left in the dark.' Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays , public holidays , current gold rate and silver price .
Economic Times
a day ago
- Economic Times
India's ethanol transition: A new blend, but a bumpy ride
Synopsis India's rapid shift to E20 fuel, containing 20% ethanol, is causing unforeseen issues for car owners. Many vehicles, designed for E10 fuel, experience reduced mileage and engine problems due to E20's corrosive properties. While the government touts economic and environmental benefits, consumers face unexpected maintenance costs and a lack of clear information about fuel compatibility. ANI The govt says that performance issues can be addressed via routine servicing and minor part upgrades. But for owners, it's about not being left in the dark. When Rahul Vaidya noticed his 2019 Volkswagen Vento's mileage drop from a steady 11-12 kmpl to just 7-8 kmpl, he initially blamed it on traffic. Or maybe it was the age of the car, he time, he figured that the response to a dab on the accelerator wasn't as crisp as it used to be. The ride felt heavier, and the fuel gauge continued to hover near E faster than ever. After months of living with these issues, he finally took his car to the service centre. The diagnosis was swift - his car wasn't E20-compliant. In case you have been living under a cave, the petrol now being sold across India contains 20% ethanol - a formulation Vaidya's Vento wasn't designed to handle. Unless reinforced, ethanol-sensitive components like rubber seals, fuel lines and gaskets degrade and the engine, uncalibrated for this new fuel mix, underperforms. The fix: replace critical parts and recalibrate the engine. "These changes restored the performance," Vaidya said. "But I had no idea my car wasn't ready for E20 in the first place."He's not Nair, who owns a 2021 Suzuki Brezza, saw his mileage drop by more than a fifth. Jerky drives, poor pick-up, and sluggish acceleration became the norm. After much back-and-forth with mechanics, he too learned the cause - and car, though newer, needed ECU tuning and E20-compatible components to handle the new fuel. Once fixed, the issues Vaidya and Nair's experience points to a larger ethanol transition is outpacing consumer awareness. And that is creating major issues for India's automobile owners, oil cos, automakers and lawmakers who are blaming each other. Simply put, one of the biggest transitions in fuel standards ever in India missed taking people along. As part of an ambitious ethanol-blending programme, the Indian government mandated E20 fuel availability across the country from nearly two and half years back. From April 2023, all new vehicles were required to be E20-compliant, with stricter enforcement from April nine out of 10 cars currently on Indian roads are only E10-ready, meaning they're built to handle a maximum of 10% ethanol in petrol. Mixing higher concentrations can affect their fuel efficiency, engine health and long-term with consumer experience playing out over a period of time, that is creating discontent among car owners. Many consumers don't even know what E20 is - or whether their vehicle can handle it. "There's a glaring gap in awareness," said Naveen Soni, former president of Lexus India. "OEMs must educate car buyers. Consumers are stakeholders too. They deserve transparency."Service centres report increasing cases of rough idling, knocking engines, worn gaskets, and fuel pump failures. The fixes are usually straightforward - replacing rubber hoses and recalibrating engines - and can often be done during regular servicing. But not all technicians know what to look for, and there's no escalation protocol in place the issues consumers are facing lagging the rolling out of the fuel by a few months at the very least, attribution of the problem to the fuel is creating simmering discontent the average driver, the shift to E20 feels subtle - until it isn' no standardised labeling at fuel pumps to indicate what blend is being dispensed. Car owners unknowingly fill up with E20, assuming it's the same petrol they've always used. But behind the scenes, the ethanol's corrosive and hygroscopic nature - it absorbs water from the air - wreaks havoc if the vehicle sits idle for fuel itself doesn't help. Ethanol has around 34% less energy content than petrol, meaning it naturally delivers fewer kilometers per executives estimate a 7% efficiency drop in non-E20 vehicles, though official studies, like those from ARAI and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), claim it's only 1-6%.Reji Mathai, director, ARAI says in the run up to the implementation of E20, ARAI, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Indian Oil, under the directive of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) had undertaken a joint study where they picked up new and old E10 compatible vehicle mix of two and four wheelers (BS VI & BS IV) and evaluated them on E20."The vehicles performed satisfactorily and there was a minor increase of 2 to 6% in fuel consumption. The accelerated lab tests for material compatibility showed some degradation of certain plastics & elastomers that come in contact with the fuel. However, field trials showed no abnormalities."Car and two-wheeler manufacturers are walking a tightrope. Many unofficially admit that warranties may not hold if E10-designed cars use E20 companies, including market leader Hero MotoCorp, have issued advisories to customers on the potential impact of the E20 fuel ."Older vehicles, manufactured prior to April 2023, may require modifications in the engine-fuel system for it to be tuned to run efficiently on E20 fuel," it said on its website. "We didn't ask for ethanol blending," said a senior executive at a major carmaker, speaking anonymously. "So why should we foot the repair bill? Rubber and plastic parts corrode, especially when the car isn't driven regularly. It's a known issue." Oil companies are adding necessary additives to address any fuel related corrosion issues, Mathai the world's second-largest ethanol producer, took decades to arrive at its current "flex-fuel" success model. Ricardo de Oliveira Lima, former VP of Brazil's automotive dealers' federation, suggests India consult companies like Magneti Marelli and Bosch - pioneers in corrosion-resistant flex-fuel Brazil, ethanol is viable when priced at 70% of gasoline - an equation that makes environmental and economic sense. But India isn't there the government's perspective, the ethanol blending programme is a strategic win. According to MoPNG, from 2014 to 2025, ethanol blending has helped India save over ₹1.44 lakh crore in foreign exchange, substitute 245 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil, and reduce CO₂ emissions by 736 lakh metric tonnes - equivalent to planting 30 crore the economic alignment with agriculture and energy security - including benefits to sugarcane farmers and lower crude oil dependency - has left average consumers playing catch-up."Earlier, sugar prices were down and farmers struggled," said Deepak Ballani, Director General of the Indian Sugar & Bio Energy Manufacturers Association. "Today, sugar prices are up 11%, and with ethanol in demand, farmers finally get better prices."MoPNG also claims that payments to farmers from ethanol alone this year will touch ₹40,000 crore, with forex savings of ₹43,000 for existing owners, dropping mileage and rising maintenance costs are adding up."E20 has a lower heat content than pure petrol, so a marginal drop in fuel efficiency is inevitable," said IV Rao, Distinguished Fellow at TERI (The Energy and Resource Institute). "The extent will vary by manufacturer and model, depending on how the engine is tuned, and actual mileage will still be influenced by driving style and road conditions." The ministry maintains that performance issues can be addressed via routine servicing and minor part upgrades. But for owners, it's about not being left in the Auto has shared a simple solution to keep BS3 and older motorcycles running smoothly on E20 petrol, despite ethanol's tendency to absorb moisture and cause damage to engine components. By adding 40 mL of fuel system cleaner per full tank, riders can prevent gum formation and protect parts like gaskets and butterfly walls. This cleaner is easily available at fuel stations for around ₹80-100. It's about the right to know what's going into their tanks - and what it is doing to their vehicles.
