Current Affairs 16 September 2026

Tata Steel Commissions India’s First Coke Oven Gas Injection Project.

• Tata Steel commissioned India’s first coke oven gas injection project at its Meramandali plant, Odisha.
• Innovation: Coke oven gas is injected into a blast furnace, reducing dependence on external fossil fuels.
• Technology Partners: Paul Wurth-SMS and Kobelco.
• Mechanism: Hydrogen- and hydrocarbon-rich gas acts as a reductant in the blast furnace.
• Climate Goal: Supports Tata Steel’s target of achieving Net Zero by 2045.
• The plant has also tested coal-bed methane, hydrogen and biochar injection technologies.

Chhattisgarh Approves ₹500 Crore for Startup Promotion and NIPUN Mission.

• ₹500 crore allocated for the Startup & NIPUN Mission over 5 years.
• 33 Entrepreneurship Development Centres and 100 emerging technology labs to be established.
• Focus on skill development, entrepreneurship and youth employment.
• Export Promotion Policy 2026–30 aims to make Chhattisgarh a national export hub.
• Focus on value-added agricultural and industrial exports.

India’s Data Centre Capacity Expected to Reach 8 GW by 2030.

• India’s data-centre capacity rose from 375 MW (2020) to 1.57 GW (August 2026).
• Capacity is projected to reach 8 GW by 2030.
• Data-centre electricity demand may reach 17 GW by 2031–32.
• Around $70 billion in investments are underway, with $90 billion in announced projects.
• PLI 2.0 for IT Hardware aims to boost domestic server manufacturing.
• The Semicon India Programme Phase 2 has an outlay of ₹1.275 lakh crore.

Bank of Baroda Launches bob World 2.0 with Voice-Enabled Banking.

• Bank of Baroda launched bob World 2.0, an AI-powered mobile banking app.
• Voice Banking: Enables users to make payments and perform transactions using voice commands.
• Personalised Services: Tailored features for senior citizens, women, NRIs and millennials.
• Financial Management: Includes a Personal Finance Management (PFM) module.
• Security: Uses a multi-layered security framework for real-time transaction protection.
• Launched at Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai.

Odisha to Receive ₹3,406-Crore Silicon Carbide Semiconductor Project.

• Project: ₹3,406.25-crore silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor facility approved for Odisha.
• Location: IDCO Infovalley-II, Khordha district, spread over 21.889 acres.
• Developer: SiCSem Pvt. Ltd.
• Funding: ₹700 crore Central subsidy, ₹350 crore Odisha subsidy and ₹1,956.25 crore promoter contribution.
• Capacity: 4.8 million SiC diodes and 91.2 million SiC MOSFETs annually.
• Exports: Expected export turnover of ₹7,043 crore over five years.