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BatX Energies, Rocklink to set up India's 1st rare earth magnet recycling ecosystem

BatX Energies, Rocklink to set up India's 1st rare earth magnet recycling ecosystem

Time of India18-07-2025
BatX Energies has partnered with Rocklink GmbH to establish India's first integrated rare earth magnet recycling and refining ecosystem. This collaboration, driven by the EU-India Trade and Technology Council, aims to create sustainable critical mineral value chains. The partnership will develop advanced solvent extraction technologies and establish a domestic rare earth supply chain in India.
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Battery recycling firm BatX Energies on Friday said it has tied up with Germany's Rocklink GmbH to set up the country's first integrated rare earth magnet recycling and refining ecosystem.The partnership is a direct outcome of increasing alignment under the EU-India Trade and Technology Council and represents a significant milestone in fostering sustainable and secure critical mineral value chains between Europe and India, the company said in a statement.A major milestone will be the commissioning of India's first fully integrated rare earth refining facility, designed to meet zero-liquid-discharge (ZLD) standards and export compliance benchmarks, it added.The partnership will jointly develop and commercialise advanced solvent extraction (SX) technologies to efficiently separate and purify high-value rare earth elements, it added.The two companies will co-develop and file patents for the technologies in both India and Europe, creating a joint intellectual property portfolio, it said.Ultimately, the collaboration aims to enable a domestic rare earth supply chain in India while simultaneously strengthening Europe's access to sustainable and circular sources of critical materials, aligning with the strategic priorities of both economies under the EU-India Trade and Technology Council, it added."This partnership marks a defining moment in India's journey toward rare earth self-reliance," Utkarsh Singh, CEO of BatX Energies, said.Leonard Ansorge, Director at Rocklink GmbH, said: "Our alliance with BatX brings together our materials and refining expertise with BatX's innovative and practical approaches on refining to deliver tangible results in short development cycles."
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Europe Made Travel Easier: Schengen Visa To Go Fully Digital, What It Means For Indians
Europe Made Travel Easier: Schengen Visa To Go Fully Digital, What It Means For Indians

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Europe Made Travel Easier: Schengen Visa To Go Fully Digital, What It Means For Indians

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In 2023 alone, Indians filed over 600,000 applications for Schengen visas, with the highest number going to countries like France and Germany. What's Changing? Under the new rules approved by the European Council and set to be implemented by 2026, the Schengen visa process will become completely digital. That means no more physical visa stickers in your passport and no more long queues at consulates just to submit paper forms. The only exception will be first-time applicants or those with expired biometric data (more than five years old). They will still need to visit a consulate or visa application centre to submit fingerprints and get their photo taken. For repeat travellers, the entire process could become 100% virtual. Why Is The EU Going Digital? There are several reasons behind this major shift: Efficiency: The new system will drastically cut down processing times and reduce errors caused by manual handling. Security: A digital system helps prevent fraud and misuse of visa stickers, which can be forged or altered. Convenience: Travellers can apply from anywhere, eliminating the need to visit embassies or third-party visa centres for every trip. Cost Savings: Governments and applicants alike will benefit from streamlined operations and fewer administrative bottlenecks. How Will The New Digital Schengen Visa Work? Once the platform is live, Indian applicants will go through the following steps: Create an Account on the EU Visa Portal: Enter personal details, travel history, and upload necessary documents (passport, itinerary, proof of accommodation, insurance, etc.) Select The Destination Country: If you are visiting multiple Schengen countries, you must apply to the one where you'll spend the most time. Pay the Visa Fee Online: Currently, the Schengen visa fee is €80 for adults and €40 for minors. The amount remains unchanged for now. Submit Biometric Data (If Required): First-timers must still visit the visa application centre for fingerprints and a photograph. Once submitted, the biometrics remain valid for five years. What This Means For Indian Travellers For Indian citizens — especially frequent flyers, business professionals, and holidaymakers — this is welcome news. Last year, nearly 3 crore Indian nationals went to foreign countries, an 8% increase from 2023 that saw a 29% year-on-year jump to 2.79 crore, crossing the pre-pandemic peak of 2.69 crore that was achieved in 2019, as per Ministry of Tourism data. In the first two months of 2025, 50.9 lakh Indians travelled abroad, up 6% from the corresponding period last year, tourism ministry data showed. Europe continues to be the top travel destination for Indians, with Switzerland, France, Austria, Germany leading the pack, and Eastern European countries like Czech Republic, Hungary, and Croatia gaining popularity, the report said. 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Her More tags : Europe Indian Passport Schengen Visa view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 01, 2025, 12:32 IST News zip Europe Made Travel Easier: Schengen Visa To Go Fully Digital, What It Means For Indians Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Swiss Luxury Faces Skyrocketing Prices As Trump's 39% Tariffs Kick In
Swiss Luxury Faces Skyrocketing Prices As Trump's 39% Tariffs Kick In

NDTV

time4 hours ago

  • NDTV

Swiss Luxury Faces Skyrocketing Prices As Trump's 39% Tariffs Kick In

Prices for the eponymous Swiss watches, Swiss chocolate and Swiss cheese could skyrocket in a week as a result of US President Donald Trump's trade war. Switzerland, home to some of the world's most recognizable luxury brands, now faces an upcoming 39% tariff from the US. Industry groups on Friday warned that both Swiss companies and American consumers could pay the price. Trump signed an executive order Thursday placing tariffs on many US trade partners - the next step in his trade agenda that will test the global economy and alliances - that's set to take effect next Thursday. The order applies to 66 countries, the European Union, Taiwan and the Falkland Islands. In Switzerland, officials failed to reach a final agreement with the US after Trump initially threatened a 31% tariff in April. Swiss companies will now have one of the steepest export duties - only Laos, Myanmar and Syria had higher figures, at 40-41%. The 27-member EU bloc and Britain, meanwhile, negotiated 15% and 10% tariffs, respectively. The Swiss government spent Friday, the country's National Day, reeling from the news. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter said that the 39% figure was a surprise, because negotiators had hashed out a deal last month with the Trump administration that apparently wasn't approved by the American leader himself. "We will now analyze the situation and try to find a solution," Keller-Sutter told reporters. "I can't say what the outcome will be, but it will certainly damage the economy." The US goods trade deficit with Switzerland was $38.5 billion last year, a 56.9% increase over 2023, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Keller-Sutter said that she believes Trump ultimately chose the 39% tariff because the figure rounded up from the $38.5 billion goods trade deficit. "It was clear that the president was focused on the trade deficit and only this issue," she said. For Swiss watch companies, whose products already come with price tags in the tens of thousands - if not the hundreds of thousands - of euros, a timepiece for an arm could cost a leg, too, come next week. The 39% figure was especially galling to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, because Switzerland in 2024 got rid of import tariffs on all industrial goods. "As Switzerland has eliminated all custom duties on imported industrial products, there is no problem with reciprocity between Switzerland and the US," the federation said in a statement. "The tariffs constitute a severe problem for our bilateral relations." Swiss watch exports were already facing a prolonged slowdown, with significant declines in the United States, Japan and Hong Kong, according to the federation's June figures, the most recent available. Swatch and Rolex declined to comment Friday. Representatives for Patek Philippe, IWC and Breitling didn't respond to requests for comment. Nestle and Lindt & Sprungli said they have production lines in the US for American customers. But small- and medium-sized Swiss companies are predicted to suffer under the tariffs. Roger Wehrli, chief executive of the Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers, also known as Chocosuisse, said Switzerland exports 7% of its chocolate production to the US It's not just the 39% tariff that's the issue. Once the manufacturers factor in the exchange rate between US dollars and Swiss francs ($1 to 1.23 francs on Friday), Wehrli said, it's close to a 50% increase in costs for the Swiss companies. And that's a big number to pass on to American consumers, if the already-slim margins aren't further reduced. "I expect that our industry will lose customers in the United States, and that sales volumes will decrease heavily," he told The Associated Press. Wehrli said that he wants Swiss chocolatiers to sell to other markets around the globe to make up the difference. 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