Noida:The Noida International Airport (NIA) began freight operations with the arrival of the first cargo plane on Wednesday, two days after starting commercial passenger flights on June 15. The first cargo flight, a Boeing 737-800F operated by Afcom Holdings between Chennai and Noida, was welcomed with a water cannon salute at the airport's cargo hub. AISATS Multi Modal Cargo Hub (MMCH) at NIA handled the domestic freighter flight at its integrated cargo terminal, with the aircraft carrying nearly 20 tonnes of mixed cargo, including perishables, consolidation shipments, auto components and mobile devices. This marked a major step towards establishing NIA as a logistics gateway for northern India by integrating air cargo handling, warehousing and multimodal connectivity, officials said.

HP seeks hike in

electricity royalty

Shimla:Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has urged Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to increase the state's royalty of free electricity from hydropower projects operated by central public sector enterprises. At present, the state receives 12 per cent free electricity in royalties from such projects. Sukhu, during a meeting with Khattar in New Delhi on Tuesday, asked for increasing the royalty beyond 12 per cent, especially with respect to projects that have completed 12 years, according to an official statement issued here on Wednesday.

MSMEs, Meghalaya

Rural Bank sign MoU

Shillong:The Global Association of MSMEs (GAMSME) and the Meghalaya Rural Bank on Wednesday signed an MoU to help self-help groups, artisans and agricultural processors become bankable enterprises, officials said. The agreement aims to create a structured financial inclusion framework for expanding access to formal credit for unorganised micro-units and family-run businesses across Meghalaya, they said. Under the partnership, MRB's banking network will be integrated with GAMSME's grassroots outreach to facilitate easier access to institutional finance for rural entrepreneurs, reducing reliance on informal and high-interest sources of borrowing.

JSW Dulux aims

for top-2 position

New Delhi:JSW Dulux is aiming to be among the top-two players in the decorative paints and industrial paints business, backed by aggressive expansion, investments in brands and manufacturing capabilities, Chairman Parth Jindal has said in the company's latest annual report. At present, Asian Paints is the leading player in the sector with a substantial share in the decorative paints market. Addressing shareholders, Jindal said India remains one of the world's most attractive long-term growth markets, and the outlook for the paints and coatings industry is positive.

Hitesh appointed as CEO of GIC Re

New Delhi:General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) on Wednesday announced the appointment of Hitesh Rameshchandra Joshi as its Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD). He officially took over charges on June 16, according to a statement by the reinsurer. Before his full appointment, Joshi served as an Executive Director of the state-owned reinsurer and held the interim charge of CMD, effective October 1, 2025.