NEW DELHI: Ultra Gas & Energy Ltd (UGEL), a new-age clean-tech venture of the Essar group, plans to invest Rs 900 crore to expand its LNG (liquefied natural gas) retail network for freight carriers to 100 outlets across India, the company said on Monday.It has already commissioned six refuelling stations along major freight corridors. These are located in Bhilwara (Rajasthan), Anand (Gujarat), Chakan-Pune (Maharashtra), Jalna (Maharashtra), Toranagallu (Karnataka), and Vallam (Tamil Nadu), making the clean-burning fuel accessible to freight carriers serving key industrial and logistics hubs.Each outlet is future-ready with integrated infrastructure to support EV (electric vehicle) charging as part of the company’s long-term vision of creating a bouquet of multi-fuel, low-emission mobility solutions. work on building outlets in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Karnataka, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand are in progress. Each UGEL station has a scalable capacity of 50 tonnes, capable of refuelling up to 600 LNG trucks per month. Each station can reduce up to 66,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, collectively reducing 1 million tonnes of CO₂.To ensure uninterrupted operations, UGEL has partnered with IOCL, GAIL, HPCL and other leading LNG suppliers with access to all major LNG terminals of India, ensuring consistent fuel supply and enabling smooth scalability.Strategically placed to serve high-density logistics zones, these stations are accelerating the shift from diesel to LNG – a cleaner and more efficient fuel for long-haul trucking.“Our retail outlets are catalysts for a cleaner, smarter logistics future. Backed by robust infrastructure and intelligent energy solutions, we are proud to lead India’s transition toward greener fuels and sustainable mobility. UGEL vision is firmly rooted in innovation, efficiency, and environmental responsibility,” a company statement quoted CEO Maqsood Shaikh as saying.By enabling commercial fleet to shift away from high-emission fuels to cleaner alternatives such as LNG and electric power, UGEL is delivering both environmental and economic value to its customers, the company said.

Last Updated:September 22, 2025, 20:34 IST

The exchange announced that the pre-opening session will take place from 1:30 pm to 1.45 pm

The market will remain closed for regular trading on Diwali, but a special trading window will be open for one hour.

Stock exchanges NSE and BSE will conduct a special Muhurat trading session on Tuesday, October 21, to mark the festival of Diwali, the bourses announced on Monday.

The symbolic trading session will be held between 1:45 pm and 2:45 pm, the stock exchanges said in separate circulars.

Last year, the special Muhurat trading session was held from 6 pm to 7 pm.

The new session also marks the beginning of a new Samvat (Vikram Samvat 2082) — the Hindu calendar year that starts on Diwali — and it is believed that trading during the ‘Muhurat’ or auspicious hour brings prosperity and financial growth for the stakeholders.

The market will remain closed for regular trading on Diwali, but a special trading window will be open for one hour.

The exchange announced that the pre-opening session will take place from 1:30 pm to 1.45 pm.

Market analysts noted that Diwali is considered an auspicious occasion to begin new ventures, and many investors believe participating in the Muhurat trading session brings prosperity throughout the year.

However, with the trading window limited to just an hour, the markets often witness heightened volatility. Analysts added that the significance of the session lies more in its symbolic value than in immediate profitability.

Trading would take place across various segments like equity, commodity derivatives, currency derivatives, equity futures & options, and securities lending & borrowing (SLB) in the same time slot, according to separate circulars issued by the bourses. PTI SP SHW

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)

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New Delhi: Gold prices in India climbed to unprecedented levels on Monday, with futures trading touching Rs 1,11,750 per 10 grams — a fresh all-time high. The December delivery contract on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) rose by Rs 799 (about 0.72 percent) to reach this peak, as investors reacted to global cues including expected US inflation data and remarks from Federal Reserve officials. 

Silver followed suit, with brisk gains across delivery contracts. The March silver futures, for example, surged by Rs 2,446 (nearly 1.86 percent ) to settle at Rs 1,33,582 per kilogram. The December silver contract also breached previous highs, jumping by Rs 2,473 (almost 1.9 percent) to hit Rs 1,32,311/kg. 

Analysts believe several factors are pushing precious metal prices upward:

A weaker Indian rupee, which makes imports costlier. 

Geopolitical tension and global macroeconomic uncertainty, leading investors to seek safe-haven assets like gold. 

Inflation expectations in the US, along with signals from the Fed about possible future rate cuts. 

Industrial demand boosting silver — especially for applications in solar panels, electronics, EVs and other green technologies. 

Some experts are now forecasting that silver might push toward Rs 1,40,000–Rs 1,50,000 per kg in the near term, depending on supply trends and ongoing demand. 

For now, the current price levels mark a new benchmark in the bullion market — signalling both investor caution and eagerness, as global and domestic forces combine to reshape what was already a strong run upward.