New Delhi: The All India LPG Distributors Federation has appealed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on LPG Suraksha Hoses (LPG pipes) from 18 per cent to 5 per cent. In the run up to the two-day GST Council meeting that started today, the Federation had written to the Union minister

In the letter, the Federation had stressed that the LPG Suraksha Hose is not a luxury product but a mandatory safety component essential for transporting gas safely from cylinders to stoves. “As LPG is already under essential commodities and distributed under subsidy schemes to millions of families, imposing such a high GST on a safety accessory is contradictory to the government’s vision of “Ujjwala se Suraksha”,” the letter read.

Since August 2015, every household using LPG is required to replace these hoses periodically as per Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) guidelines. Currently, the 18 per cent GST rate makes these safety hoses costly for many families, especially economically weaker households, rural consumers, and beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), they argued.

According to the Federation’s President Chandra Prakash, lowering the GST to 5 per cent would not reduce tax revenue instead, it could increase it, as more consumers would purchase authorized BIS-approved hoses rather than cheaper, unsafe alternatives from the open market.

“We assured you that total GST on Suraksha hose will also increase because now a days majority consumers purchasing substandard LPG pipe-Suraksha Hose from open unauthorized market hence loss of GST revenue. We assured yourself that LPG user will buy from oil companies authorized channels partners if GST reduces to 5 per cent instead of 18 per cent,” the letter read.

“This small fiscal step will have a large social impact by strengthening household safety and supporting the government’s vision of Har Ghar Surakshit LPG,” Prakash said in the letter. The two-day meeting, being held on September 3 and 4, is expected to bring significant changes to India’s indirect tax structure, with discussions centred around rationalising and reducing the number of GST slabs.

In the Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced upcoming next-gen GST reforms before Diwali so as to benefit consumers, small industries and MSMEs.

Last Updated:September 03, 2025, 14:38 IST

PM Modi says the global chip market is expected to grow from the current $600 billion to over $1 trillion in the coming years, and India would capture a significant share of it.

Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
attends the SemiconIndia Exhibition 2025 at Yashobhoomi, Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attended the second day of the SEMICON India 2025 event at Yashobhoomi (India International Convention and Expo Centre), Delhi. PM Modi also examined a nanochip at the event.

PM Modi inaugurated the event on Tuesday, where he said the global semiconductor market is expected to grow from its current value of $600 billion to over $1 trillion in the coming years, and expressed confidence that India would capture a significant share of this growth.

He described chips as the “digital diamonds” of the 21st century, in contrast to the “black gold” of oil that shaped the previous one. He highlighted the rapid progress since the launch of the Semicon India program in 2021, with 10 semiconductor projects now underway with a total investment exceeding $18 billion.

PM Modi emphasised that the government is focused on speed, stating, “the shorter the time from file to factory, and the lesser the paperwork, the sooner wafer work can begin.” To achieve this, the National Single Window System has been put in place to streamline approvals.

He also noted that semiconductor parks are being developed across the country under a plug-and-play infrastructure model to offer essential facilities like land and power. These efforts, combined with incentives, are designed to attract more investment and talent.

He said the world trusts India and is ready to build the semiconductor future with the country.

PM Modi remarked that when such infrastructure is combined with incentives, industrial growth is inevitable. Whether through PLI incentives or Design Linked Grants, India is offering end-to-end capabilities. This is why investment continues to flow in, he emphasised.

On Tuesday, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also presented the Vikram 32-bit processor, developed by Isro’s Semiconductor Lab, along with test chips from four approved projects.

Vaishnaw said, “This is a year, 2025, in which many dreams are coming true. On September 2, the Prime Minister was presented with the first made-in-India chip made by CG SEMI. Three more pilot lines are almost on the verge of completion in the next few months. Our design and talent building capabilities have come up very well. On September 2, we presented the 20 chips designed by students and manufactured at our SCL Mohali facility. On September 2, the flagship event witnessed the convergence of all critical stakeholders of the semiconductor ecosystem including Equipment manufacturers, chemical manufacturers, gas manufacturers, and material manufacturer and that that shows the scale at which we are growing and the confidence the world has on India’s semiconductor journey.”

Mohammad Haris

Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h…Read More

Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h… Read More

Read More

Last Updated:September 03, 2025, 13:36 IST

Vikran Engineering IPO Listing: The stock lists at a premium of around 2% at Rs 99 apiece on the NSE, compared with the IPO issue price of Rs 97.

Vikran Engineering IPO Listing.

Vikran Engineering IPO Listing: Vikran Engineering Ltd made a muted stock market debut on September 3. The stock was listed at a premium of around 2% at Rs 99 apiece on the NSE, compared with the IPO issue price of Rs 97. However, the stock declined into the red and traded down by 2.32% at Rs 94.7 apiece as against the issue price.

The stock had risen in the morning immediately after the listing and hit the day’s high of Rs 101.77 apiece on the NSE, which was 4.5% higher than the IPO price, before plunging into the red.

On the BSE, the stock opened at Rs 99.7 apiece, which is 2.78% higher than the issue price. The stock is currently trading in red, down by over 2.5%.

The company’s market capitalisation (mcap) stood at nearly Rs 2,600 crore.

The initial public offering (IPO) of Vikran Engineering Ltd was open between August 26 and August 29. It received a strong overall subscription of 24.87 times.

Vikran Engineering IPO Listing: Should You Buy, Sell Or Hold?

“Vikran Engineering Ltd made a modest debut on the stock market with a listing gain of about 2.7% over its issue price of Rs 97, opening at around Rs 99.70. The company operates as a leading EPC player in power transmission, water infrastructure, and railway electrification projects with an asset-light model and a strong execution track record,” said Shivani Nyati, Head of Wealth at Swastika Investmart Ltd.

It enjoys robust growth visibility backed by a Rs 2,442 crore order book, supported by government infrastructure spending, she added.

“Investors are recommended to hold their holdings with a stop-loss near Rs 89 to safeguard against volatility, as execution of the strong order pipeline could drive medium-term upside,” Nyati said.

Brokerage firm Master Capital Services in its note said the Vikran Engineering IPO had a debut with a muted listing performance. The stock opened at Rs 99.70, offering a slight premium of 2.7% over its issue price of Rs 97. The IPO saw solid demand, with an overall subscription of 24.87 times, led by exceptional non-institutional buyer interest (61.77x).

Vikran has a good growth opportunity in the infrastructure space, is in demand with a healthy order book and a good execution model with a diversified order book of Rs 24,424 crore as of June 30, 2025, and has a pan-India presence in 16 states. It also has good advantages from government initiatives like the Jal Jeevan Mission and the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), it added.

“While the current valuation appears to be stretched and cash flow issues remain a concern, the solid running history of execution and a good order book provide a positive long-term outlook on patience for investors,” Master Capital Services said.

The IPO is a mix of fresh issue of shares of about Rs 721 crore and an offer-for-sale portion worth Rs 51 crore by the promoter.

The Mumbai-based company intends to utilise proceeds from the fresh issue to the tune of Rs 541 crore for funding working capital requirements and the rest for general corporate purposes.

Vikran Engineering provides end-to-end services from conceptualisation, design, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning on a turnkey basis.

As of June 30, 2025, the company completed 45 projects across 14 states with a total executed contract value of Rs 1,920 crore. It has 44 ongoing projects across 16 states, aggregating orders worth Rs 5,120 crore.

Vikran Engineering’s revenue from operations increased 16.53 per cent to Rs 916 crore in FY25 from Rs 786 crore in the previous financial year, and profit after tax rose 4 per cent to Rs 78 crore in FY25 from Rs 75 crore in FY24.

Mohammad Haris

Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h…Read More

Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h… Read More

Read More