HYDERABAD l wednesday l January 28, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Adani Group, Embraer to set up aircraft-making facility in India Adani Group and Brazilian major Embraer on Tuesday announced a strategic tie-up to set up a regional aircraft manufacturing facility in India on the road to manufacturing hub Embraer makes commercial jets with up to 150 seats. Details about the investments and the location of the proposed facility were not disclosed. Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the collaboration is not just about assembling a regional aircraft but also about technology transfer, skilling, supply chain and making India a manufacturing hub | P10 ■ 50 India will need 500 aircraft in 20 years The Indian market is expected to require at least 500 aircraft in the 80 to 146 seat range over the next 20 years, Embraer said on Tuesday The venture with the Adani Group will be a major fillip for the Brazilian major in India’s civil aviation space. Adani Defence & Aerospace President & CEO Ashish Rajvanshi called it a “watershed” ■ aircraft from Embraer’s stable in service currently in india CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Textile sector European Cars Mobility pact Carbon tax Indo-pacific Big boost for exporters to take on competition Cheaper imported cars but conditions apply Indian professionals, students to benefit No EU relief on carbon tax as CBAM stays Mega defence and security pact inked The textile sector could be the biggest winner as the FTA will correct the tariff disadvantage faced by exporters against Bangladesh, Pakistan & Turkey in the 27-nation bloc | P10 Prices of imported cars are likely to come down after India agreed to cut duty to 10% for 2.5 lakh vehicles a year. However, no price cut for brands that already have plants in India | P10 The mobility pact will open up opportunities for students and professionals in EU by streamlining migration, skilling, and easing movement of skilled workers | P10 The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism—a key sticking point during talks—has been kept out of the FTA. India has secured a forward-looking most-favourednation assurance from EU | P10 India and EU on Tuesday sealed a defence pact that will provide for counter-terror cooperation, deeper engagement in the IndoPacific, and joint development of military hardware | P7 No G RAM G Act rollback: Oppn demand rejected P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi WE DID IT! Prime Minister Narendra Modi with European Council President Antonio Costa (left) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen | PTI SC for attaching assets of acid attack convicts s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a n t y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Tuesday sought “extraordinary” punitive measures for convicts in acid attack cases, asked the Centre to consider amending the law to strictly deal with them on the lines of dowry death matters where the onus of proving innocence lies on the accused. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices R Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi, while hearing a PIL filed by acid attack survivor Shaheen Malik, from Haryana, seeking recognition and statutory protection for victims, asked states and Union Territories to provide information about the number of acid attack cases in which charge sheets were filed in trial courts. “Why assets of acid attack accused persons should not be attached? If a person is found guilty of acid attack, why all his immoveable assets be not acquired and used to compensate victim? You have to take some extraordinary punitive measures. Unless action is so painful, deterrent theory must be followed here,” the bench observed. In this particular case, the survivor’s lawyer submitted that all the accused in the survivor’s case have been acquitted and she was forced to file a criminal appeal. The top court also asked all states and Union territories to provide a slew of information, including the year-wise details of the number of acid attack cases, their status in courts, besides the rehabilitation measures to support the victims. The bench asked high courts to consider expediting and concluding matters concerning acid attacks in a time-bound manner on an out-of-turn basis. “All State Legal Services Authorities are to submit schemes, implemented for compensation or medical aid to the victims of acid attacks,” the bench said. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen Minister Piyush Goyal described the pact as balanced and equitable. “By leaving sensitive issues aside, we have arrived at a fair and win-win free trade agreement for industries in both India and the EU. It opens up a plethora of opportunities for investment and access to complementary markets,” he said. Among the biggest beneficiaries is the textile sector. Goyal estimated that India’s textile dhoni begins preparations for ipl in ranchi With a few SS bats delivered to him as per his liking, ex-India and CSK captain started net sessions at the JSCA Sports Complex ahead of the 2026 edition | P11 4% 10% 26% 6.50% 12% Up to 12.8% municipal elections on Feb 11, results on feb 13 Gems & jewellery S B a c h a n J e e t S i n g h @ Hyderabad Base metal This is the tale of two giants... who choose partnership in a true win-win fashion, a strong message that cooperation is the best answer to global challenges Current Tariff Plastics / Rubber Prime Minister Narendra Modi Marine products This agreement will facilitate easier access for our farmers and small enterprises to European markets, create new opportunities in manufacturing, and strengthen cooperation across services sectors exports to the EU could surge from $7 billion to $35 billion, generating 7 million new jobs. Meanwhile, India will liberalise 92.1% of its tariff lines, covering 97.5% of EU exports by value. India will sharply cut some of its highest import duties, bringing car tariffs down from as much as 110% to as low as 10%, halving levies on European wines from 150% and eventually reducing it to 20%, and eliminating duties of up to 44% on machinery . The two sides also announced a security and defence partnership and a broader strategic agenda, as Europe looks to reduce its reliance on the US and China. The partnership aims to deepen cooperation and improve defence interoperability . “Today, the world’s two largest democracies launched a Security and Defence Partnership—a platform for stronger cooperation on strategic issues that matter most, from defence industry to maritime security,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Chemicals INDIA and the European Union (EU) on Tuesday announced the landmark free trade agreement (FTA), paving the way for duty-free access for 99% of Indian exports to the lucrative 27-nation European market. In return, India has offered significant market access to EU goods. The FTA is expected to provide relief to India’s labourintensive sectors that have been under pressure due to US tariffs. With negotiations concluded, the agreement is likely to be signed later this year, the commerce ministry said. Calling it India’s largest FTA to date, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the pact would deliver substantial benefits for the country’s 1.4 billion people. “The historic agreement will make access to European markets easier for our farmers and small industries, create new opportunities in manufacturing, and further strengthen cooperation between our services sectors,” Modi said. India will gain preferential access to the European market across 97% of tariff lines, covering 99.5% of trade value. Key labour-intensive sectors—textiles, apparel, marine products, leather, footwear, chemicals, plastics & rubber, sports goods, toys, and gems & jewellery— accounting for $33 billion in exports will see import duties ranging between 4% and 26% eliminated from the date the agreement comes into force. The government has clarified that safeguards have been built in to protect sensitive sectors such as dairy, cereals, poultry, soymeal, and certain fruits and vegetables. According to the European Commission, the pact will phase out high tariffs on select EU agri-food exports such as olive oil, processed foods, sheep meat, beverages and fruits, while India’s sensitive agricultural sectors remain protected. EU sanitary and food safety standards will remain intact, with no exemptions for Indian exports. Commerce and Industry Textiles & apparel P U S H P ITA D EY @ New Delhi Leather & footwear India and European union announce landmark free trade agreement; 99% of India’s exports to get duty-free access to 27 european nations Up to 17% Indian exports that will have zero duty The government on Tuesday rejected the Opposition’s demand for discussions on the VB-G RAM G Act in the Budget session of Parliament beginning Wednesday, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju saying that there will be “no reversing the gear once the law is before the country”. The minister also ruled out discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, asserting that both the issues had already been debated by both Houses. Rijiju made these remarks after an all-party meeting convened by the government. During the meeting, Opposition members, including the Congress’ Jairam Ramesh and John Brittas of the CPI(M), also objected to the non-circulation of government business for the session, which the minister said would be done in due course. The Opposition demanded structured discussion on a range of issues, including the restoration of the UPA-era MGNREGA, the ongoing SIR, India’s foreign policy, and the controversy over new UGC Source: Ministry of Commerce Lower duty for imports from EU Duty to drop from 110% to 10% Premium wines From 150% to 20% Spirits From 150% to 40% Duty reduces from Beer 110% to 50% Olive oil From 45% to 0% Pharmaceuticals From 11% to 0% Aircraft and From 11% to 0% spacecraft Cars Source: European Commission The Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) on Tuesday announced elections to seven municipal corporations and 116 municipalities, including the newly formed urban local bodies (ULBs), across Telangana. Polling for 2,996 wards -- including 2,582 wards spread over 116 municipalities and 414 wards in seven municipal corporations -- will be held on February 11 between 7 am and 5 pm and the results will be declared on February 13. A total of 52.43 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has been excluded from the election process as its term will expire on February 10, 2026. As per the election schedule announced by TSEC Commissioner I Rani Kumudini, along with CDMA Commissioner T K Sreedevi and Additional DGP (L&O) Mahesh Bhagwat and others, nominations will be accepted from January 28 to January 30, and scrutiny of nominations will be held on January 31. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is February 3, and the final list of contesting candidates will be published on the same day after 3 pm. The counting of votes will begin at 8 am on February 13, and the results will be declared soon after.  CONTINUED ON P4 Dog mauls girl, leaves deep gash on cheek Express News Service @ Hyderabad A kindergarten student sustained serious injuries after being attacked by a stray dog at Srinivasa Nagar, behind the Khairatabad Bada Ganesh temple, on Tuesday The five-year. old girl, identified as P Sharvi, suffered a deep wound on her cheek in the attack. The incident occurred when Sharvi was crossing the road near her residence in Khairatabad. As a motorcyclist passed through the lane, the stray dog fled the spot. The biker immediately stopped his vehicle and rushed to the child’s rescue. Hearing her screams, family members ran to the scene and admitted her to Rainbow Hos- pital in Banjara Hills for specialised treatment. The doctors treating her said she is currently under close observation. The entire episode was captured on CCTV cameras in the area. The incident has triggered concern among local residents over the increasing menace of stray dogs in the locality . Moving on Not Rihaa, but Arijit retires from playback singing H a r s h B H @ Mumbai National award-winning singer Arijit Singh on Tuesday shocked fans the world over by announcing his retirement from playback singing in a series of posts on social media. Thanking his fans for giving him love for 15 years, Arijit wrote, “I am happy to announce that I am not gonna be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey There are several rea. sons behind this. I have been trying to do this for a long time, but finally got the right courage. I got bored. I need to do some other music to live.” The renowned singer, however, did clarify that he will continue to be active as a musician. “Just to be clear, I won’t stop making music. God has been really kind to me. I am a fan of good music and in future will be learning more and doing more on my own as a small little artist. guidelines. The government, however, maintained that the primary focus of the Budget session would be the Budget itself, and said members could raise other issues during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. On the Opposition’s contentions on the VB-G RAM G bill, which was passed by Parliament during the Winter Session, the minister said, “Once a law is before the nation, we have to follow it.” While the government suggested that members can discuss the issues during the Motion of Thanks, Brittas objected, insisting on structured discussions that would allow replies from concerned ministers. He argued that discussions during the Motion of Thanks are limited and do not meet the demand for detailed debate. Several Opposition MPs from the DMK, Trinamool Congress, and Left parties demanded a detailed discussion on the SIR, particularly in pollbound states. Rijiju, however, ruled out another debate on the issue, saying it had already been discussed extensively . Thanks again for all your support,” he stated. Music lovers and the industry continue to speculate on the reasons behind this drastic and one-of-a-kind step from Arijit, who has been one of the most active and prolific playback singers in the industry. According to sources, he had been having some conflicts with music labels over several issues, including royalty and copyright. Arijit was one of the few film artists who were vocal on several issues. The singer famously had a fallout with Salman Khan after he remarked on the actor’s hosting at an award show. For many years, Arijit did not give playback vocals for Salman, breaking the streak only with Tiger 3 in 2023. Arijit has constantly found himself in the Top 10 list of top global artists on popular music streaming platforms, and it is expected that his independent music career might finally give the Indian indie music scene a much-needed fillip. Stray dog deaths row puts police in a dilemma C h i t h a lu r i R eva n t h @ Hyderabad With inflated numbers of stray dog deaths being reported by a section of the media and resistance from irate locals to investigations into complaints of animal cruelty, the police find themselves caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. The problem came into sharp focus recently in Yacharam village of Rangareddy district. Acting on reports of nearly 100 canine deaths, the police exhumed two burial sites and found the remains of 37 dogs. A case was registered on January 20, and post-mortem examinations were conducted thereafter. However, when officers arrived to carry out the investigation, they faced the wrath of locals. Residents confronted the police, asking pointedly where they had been when the same stray dogs were attacking cattle and chickens, resulting in the deaths of livestock. CONTINUED ON P3