Business
All Amazon Fresh grocery stores in UK set to close
Amazon plans to close all 19 of its grocery shops across the UK, putting as many as 250 jobs at risk.
The firm will look to convert up to five of the Amazon Fresh shops, noted for their walk-in walk-out style with no checkouts, into Whole Foods stores.
Amazon said the move is part of a wider overhaul of its UK grocery operations, which will shift focus more towards its online business. Its bosses have said that the firm is still “deeply invested” in the UK.
The US-based company said on Tuesday that it had launched a consultation process proposing the closure of the Amazon Fresh UK stores.
It is consulting with employees at the sites, which employ around 250 staff. However, it said not all employees are set to be affected by the closures, and it plans to offer those who are new roles in other parts of the business.
Recently, the company pledged to invest £40bn in Britain across the next three years.
The Fresh brand was first launched in 2021, opening its first till-less store in Ealing, with technology that allowed customers to walk out with their shopping without having to use a checkout. Shoppers used an app to enter the store and were then billed to the platform when they left, with a range of cameras and other technology used to work out which products they purchased.
However, the group slowed down significant growth ambitions for the business as shopper demand waned at the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
As part of the proposals, five shops could transition to Amazon’s Whole Foods Market brand, which focuses on organic produce. It said the conversion plan, along with two further new sites, is expected to grow the Whole Foods business to 12 stores by the end of next year.
On Tuesday, Amazon also said it plans to double the number of Prime subscription members with access to at least three of the retailer’s grocery options, through its partners Morrisons, Iceland, Co-op and Gopuff.
It also said it will introduce fresh groceries including dairy, meat and seafood to its website from next year.
John Boumphrey, country manager for Amazon UK, said: “Since 2008, we’ve worked hard to innovate to help our customers save time and money when shopping for groceries and household essentials.
“We continue to invent and invest to bring more choice and convenience to UK customers, enabling them to shop for a wide range of everyday essentials and groceries with low prices and fast delivery through Amazon.co.uk, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market stores, alongside our third-party grocery partners, including Morrisons, Co-op, Iceland, and Gopuff.”
Amazon is estimated to employ more than 75,000 people in the UK, the majority across its warehouse and delivery operations.
In future up to 2,000 new jobs could be created at new warehouses in Hull and Northampton.
It has been reported that Amazon Fresh contributed $5bn (£3.7bn) in revenues during one quarter in 2024, but this is across all grocery sales online and in physical stores, as well as being global rather than just UK-focused.
Amazon paid £1bn in UK taxes on revenues of over £29bn last year.
Last week, Amazon announced it would offer employees a pay rise above inflation levels, increasing its minimum wage to £14.30 an hour.
Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) forwarded a summary to the federal government suggesting an increase of Rs4.39 per liter in petrol price for the next fortnight.
After approval from the federal government, one liter of petrol will be sold at Rs257.56 instead of Rs253.17 per liter.
The price of high-speed diesel (HSD) will be increased by Rs5.40 per liter.
After approval, the price of one liter of high-speed diesel will increase by Rs268.38 to Rs273.78.
The proposal to increase the price of kerosene by Rs4 per liter is also on the cards.
The OGRA also recommended increasing the price of one liter of light diesel by Rs6.55.
The new prices of petroleum products will be effective from February 16, 2026.
Due to tension between the USA and Iran, petroleum prices are likely to increase further.
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RBI releases draft to revise Kisan Credit Card Scheme, standardizing crop cycles, extending loan tenure to six years, and aligning credit limits with cultivation costs.
From Crop Cycles To Loan Tenure: 4 Key Changes In RBI’s KCC Proposal
Kisan Credit Card Scheme: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released draft directions to revise the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme, aiming to expand coverage, streamline operations, and align credit norms with evolving agricultural needs.
Standardized Crop Cycles And Extended Loan Tenure
As outlined in the draft, crop seasons have been standardized to introduce uniformity in loan sanctioning and repayment schedules. Short-duration crops will now be treated under a 12-month cycle, while long-duration crops will follow an 18-month cycle.
Example:
A farmer growing paddy or wheat (harvested in a few months) will follow a 12-month loan cycle.
A farmer growing sugarcane (which takes 12–18 months) will get an 18-month cycle.
To better align loan tenure with these crop cycles, especially for longer-duration crops, the overall tenure of the KCC facility has been extended to six years. The move is expected to provide farmers with greater flexibility in repayment and reduce rollover pressures.
Example:
If a farmer growing sugarcane faces a bad monsoon in Year 2, he doesn’t have to rush repayment immediately. The 6-year window gives more breathing space and reduces pressure to take fresh loans to repay old ones.
The draft directions apply to Commercial Banks, Small Finance Banks, Regional Rural Banks, and Rural Co-operative Banks, indicating a system-wide implementation once finalized.
Drawing Limits Linked To Cost Of Cultivation
The RBI has proposed aligning drawing limits under the KCC scheme with the scale of finance for each crop season . This adjustment aims to ensure that farmers receive credit in line with the actual cost of cultivation, addressing concerns around under-financing.
Example:
If growing cotton in a district costs Rs 60,000 per acre (as per agriculture department data), banks will align KCC limits accordingly — instead of giving a lower, outdated amount like Rs 40,000.
In addition, the draft expands eligible components under the KCC framework. Expenses related to technological interventions—such as soil testing, real-time weather forecasts, and certification for organic or good agricultural practices—have been included within the existing 20% additional component earmarked for repairs and maintenance of farm assets .
Example:
If a farmer wants to:
- Test soil before sowing
- Subscribe to real-time weather alerts
- Get organic farming certification
These costs can now be covered under KCC instead of paying from pocket.
What Is Kisan Credit Card Scheme?
The Kisan Credit Card scheme aims at providing adequate and timely credit support from the banking system under a single window with flexible and simplified procedures to the farmers for their cultivation and other needs.
The KCC scheme was introduced in 1998 for the issue of Kisan Credit Cards to farmers on the basis of their holdings for uniform adoption by the banks so that farmers may use them to readily purchase agriculture inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides etc. and draw cash for their production needs.
KCC covers post-harvest expenses, produce marketing loan, consumption requirements of farmer households, working capital for maintenance of farm assets and activities allied to agriculture, investment credit requirement for agriculture and allied activities.
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February 14, 2026, 12:49 IST
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Four ports under construction in Andhra Pradesh, Centre tells Lok Sabha – The Times of India
The Centre is pushing port-led infrastructure expansion in Andhra Pradesh, with four ports currently under construction, even as it steps up nationwide port modernisation and efficiency measures.As per information shared on Friday in Parliament, the ports under construction in Andhra Pradesh are Mulapeta Port (formerly Bhavanapadu Port) in Srikakulam district, Machilipatnam Port in Krishna district, Ramayapatnam Port in SPSR Nellore district, and Kakinada SEZ Port in Kakinada district.The government said it is undertaking measures such as mechanisation of berths and terminals, digitalisation and logistics integration, new berth construction, capital dredging for larger vessels, and connectivity upgrades across road, rail and waterways.It has also rolled out initiatives including elimination of manual forms, direct port delivery and entry, container scanners, e-delivery of documents and payments, RFID-based gate automation and Maritime Single Window platform SagarSetu 2.0 to cut vessel turnaround time.Two new ports — Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra and Galathea Bay Port in Andaman and Nicobar Islands — have been notified as major ports. At present, 12 major ports operate under the central government, while 68 other-than-major ports are under state governments.Under the Sagarmala scheme, financial assistance is provided across five pillars including port modernisation, connectivity, port-led industrialisation, coastal community development and inland water transport.The government has also launched HaritSagar green port guidelines, the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP), and the Cruise Bharat Mission to promote sustainability and cruise tourism.The information was given by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.At present, 12 major ports operate under the administrative control of the central government, while 68 operational other-than-major ports are under state governments.The government said it has launched multiple national programmes for port development, expansion and upgradation. Under the Sagarmala scheme, financial assistance is provided under five pillars — port modernisation, port connectivity, port-led industrialisation, coastal community development, and coastal shipping and inland water transport.Green and sustainability-linked initiatives have also been introduced. The government has launched HaritSagar green port guidelines to promote environment-friendly port ecosystems and initiated the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP) to shift harbour tugs towards greener fuel alternatives.Further, the Cruise Bharat Mission has been launched to prioritise cruise tourism development across the country.
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