Page 14 - Banking Finance August 2025

ROUNDUP

actively pursuing international acquisi- India's First Private Cargo Terminal Inaugurated in
tions of critical mineral blocks to
strengthen India's role in the global Gujarat
clean energy value chain. Chairman The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFCCIL) has inau-
and Managing Director Amitava gurated the country's first private Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal
Mukherjee stated that the company is (GCT) near Surat, Gujarat. Built by Sawariya Shakti Group, the New Sanjali
evaluating opportunities across Africa, Terminal spans 120 acres and is located strategically between the New
Australia, and South America to secure Sanjali freight corridor station and Panoli station of Indian Railways.
access to key minerals such as lithium,
Speaking at the inauguration, DFCCIL Managing Director Praveen Kumar
cobalt, antimony, and copper.
highlighted the terminal as a key step toward promoting a modal shift from
These minerals are essential for clean road to rail, enhancing cost efficiency and sustainability in India's logistics
energy technologies, including electric network.
vehicles, energy storage systems, solar
panels, and wind turbines. The initia- Developed on private land under Schedule-1 of the GCT policy, the terminal
tive aligns with India's National Critical offers seamless connectivity to major industrial zones including Panoli GIDC,
Ankleshwar, and Jhagadia, as well as key ports such as Dahej, Hazira, and
Mineral Mission (NCMM), which aims
JNPT. DFCCIL said the terminal represents a significant milestone in expand-
to secure long-term availability and ing India's freight capacity through public-private partnerships, aligned with
domestic processing capabilities for the national logistics strategy.
strategic resources.
Mukherjee noted that NMDC is cur-
17,874 crore from Rs. 16,632 crore in to operate the Gen1 low-earth orbit
rently assessing ten strategic mineral
assets globally as part of its mineral the same period last year. (LEO) constellation comprising 4,408
diversification strategy. The company's The data reflects pressures on corpo- satellites. These satellites will operate
global push comes amid a worldwide rate profitability and tax collections at altitudes between 540-570 km and
race to control critical mineral supply despite continued economic activity. are capable of delivering up to 600
chains, seen as vital for energy secu- Experts suggest that rising input costs Gbps of data throughput over India.
rity and green transition. and subdued earnings in some sectors The IN-SPACe approval is valid for five
may be impacting corporate tax con- years or until the operational life of the
Net Direct Tax Revenue tributions, while elevated refunds are Gen1 constellation ends. Starlink will
weighing on overall net tax growth. now begin work on setting up ground
Falls 1.3%, Corporate Tax infrastructure, though rollout remains
Drops 3.7% Starlink Secures Final subject to additional regulatory ap-
India's net direct tax collections fell by Regulatory Clearance to provals and spectrum allocation by the
1.3% year-on-year to Rs. 5.63 trillion government. The approval is expected
as of July 10, according to the Income Launch Services in India to accelerate India's ambitions in sat-
Tax Department. The decline was pri- Elon Musk's satellite venture Starlink ellite-based internet services.
marily driven by a 3.7% contraction in has cleared its final regulatory hurdle
corporate tax receipts. Non-corporate in India with the Indian National Space
taxes also saw a marginal dip of 0.04%. Promotion and Authorization Centre Join
(IN-SPACe) granting satellite authoriza-
Gross tax receipts before refunds rose Online Certificate Course on
tion. This comes after the Department
by 3.17% to Rs. 6.65 trillion. However,
with refunds rising sharply by 38% to of Telecommunications (DoT) issued Artificial Intelligence
Starlink a licence on June 5, 2025, to
nearly Rs. 1.02 trillion, the net tax rev-
provide satellite communication ser- in Insurance
enue contracted. The only category
vices in the country.
that posted growth during this period For details please visit
was the Securities Transaction Tax IN-SPACe has approved Starlink Satellite www.smartonlinecourse.co.in
(STT), which increased by 7.46% to Rs. Communications Private Limited (SSCPL)

BANKING FINANCE | AUGUST | 2025 | 13