Uzbekistan Committee Identifies Discrepancies at 127 Flour Milling Enterprises

Coconut shells often end up as the last element remaining after extracting water and flesh, and are usually discarded or burned. However, several startups in India approach such residues differently.

Agricultural waste, such as coconut shells and husks, rice husks, and ash from its burning, is being transformed into everything from kitchenware and gardening supplies to furniture panels and industrial materials. The main idea is to use farm waste as raw material for useful things instead of viewing it as trash.

Below are four Indian startups that are finding innovative ways to give agricultural waste a second life.

In Kerala, where coconuts are part of daily life, Maria Kuriyakose noticed the potential in what most people were simply throwing away. In 2019, she founded Thenga Coco as a small backyard experiment to turn discarded coconut shells into useful handicrafts.

Today, this women-led startup receives shells from local oil mills and temples, transforming them into bowls, spoons, soap dishes, teacups, salad bowls, smoothie bowls, plant pots, and candle holders. To maintain naturalness and suitability for daily use, the shells are polished with coconut oil instead of chemical lacquers.

Furthermore, behind these products is a story of providing livelihoods. Thenga Coco collaborates with local artisans, especially women in rural Kerala, many of whom can work flexibly from home. Thus, what starts as a discarded coconut shell can become a kitchen item, a home accessory, and a source of income.

Not only can coconut shells be utilized. After extracting fiber from the coconut husk, a fine material called coir filler or coconut sand remains. Instead of considering this residue waste, Global Green Coir from Chennai transforms it into products used by farmers and gardeners.

The company, founded by biotechnologist Aneesh Ahmed in 2014, recycles coconut husk into blocks, bricks, discs, growing bags, and pots made from coconut fiber. Coconut sand can serve as a soil-free growing medium and is used in greenhouses, hydroponics, nurseries, landscape design, and home gardening. The company has production facilities in the coconut-growing regions of Tamil Nadu and exports its products to global markets. Simply put, the material that once remained after processing coconuts can now help grow the next harvest.

What if agricultural waste didn't return to the soil but ended up in our homes? Indowud NFC uses agricultural waste, such as rice husks, to produce natural fiber composite panels that can serve as an alternative to traditional wood boards.

These panels are made from crushed agricultural husks, minerals, and polymer binders, without using wood fibers obtained through logging. They can be used for furniture, kitchen cabinets, wall cladding, doors, frames, flooring, and decorative screens. The material is designed to be waterproof, termite-resistant, and weather-resistant, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. It can also be cut, drilled, screwed, and processed on CNC machines using standard carpentry tools. Thus, instead of rice husks ending their journey as agricultural waste, they can become part of a cabinet, a wall, or a piece of furniture.

Even after rice husks are used as fuel, there can be value left. Brisil Technologies from Vadodara, founded by Tamnaim Pandya and Rashmi Pandya in 2016, works with rice husk ash—the residue formed during its burning. The startup has developed a process to extract high-purity silica from this ash. This material can then be used in various industries, including tires, rubber products, footwear, paints, and coatings.

Brisil claims that its process can recover up to 70% of the silica from rice husk ash. Its commercial units are also designed to process about 50 tons of biomass waste per day. One application is in tire manufacturing, where silica can improve tire performance and reduce rolling resistance. From coconut shells turning into bowls to rice husks becoming building panels, these startups demonstrate that agricultural waste does not necessarily have to be the final destination for a material; sometimes it can be the beginning of something entirely new.

Passengers planning flights from Mumbai should pay attention to the terminal from which their flight will depart. Mumbai Airport Terminal-1 (T1) will be closed for service starting from October 25, 2026, as it is planned for complete reconstruction. No flights will operate there during the renovation period. According to available information, the new terminal may be ready for operation in 2029–2030.

Due to this, flights previously operated through T1 may be redirected to another terminal or to Navi Mumbai Airport.

The removal of the old Terminal-1 and the construction of the new complex are part of a large-scale demolition and restoration project. This project is being implemented under the direction of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and is overseen by Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL). Initially, the project was planned to start in mid-2025, but at that time, there were not enough alternative options for redirecting flights. Now, after the opening of Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), the plan has been adjusted and advanced.

Mumbai International Airport Limited has informed stakeholders that T1 will cease accepting flights from October 25, 2026, and reconstruction work is scheduled to begin in early January 2027. Airlines that used T1 will have three options: they can transfer their flights to Mumbai Airport Terminal-2 (T2), begin operations from Navi Mumbai International Airport, or temporarily suspend their activities.

It is expected that some domestic flights may be transferred to T2. Furthermore, to free up space in T2, some international flights that operated there may be moved to Navi Mumbai Airport. The airline Akasa Air has already begun the process of relocating its flights, and negotiations with other airlines are ongoing. However, full information on which specific airline and which flight will be served from which terminal or airport has not yet been disclosed.

After T1 closes to passengers, the most important task will be the thorough inspection of the terminal and the airport where their flight is directed. Since there is a distance between Mumbai Airport T2 and Navi Mumbai Airport, choosing the wrong destination could cause problems. Therefore, it is crucial to study the airline's announcements, the information provided on the ticket, and the current flight status before traveling. If your flight terminal changes, you must obtain confirmation from the airline. Plans for transferring all airlines are currently expected to be published.

In total, both terminals of Mumbai Airport serve approximately 950 flights daily. With the closure of T1, redirecting flights to other locations will not be a simple process. Airlines will have to structure logistics considering available slots, flight schedules, and passenger flow. In the fiscal year 2025–26, T1 handled about 1.5 million passengers, while T2 served approximately 4 million people. This data indicates that after T1 closes, the load on the remaining terminals and Navi Mumbai Airport may increase.

MIAL stated that after the launch of the new terminal, the rights to existing airlines' slots will be respected. Slots refer to the established time allowed for an airline to arrive or depart a flight. This issue is significant given that the number of flights at Mumbai Airport is already quite high. While T1 remains closed, airlines will have to change their operational schemes. Additionally, it will be important to determine how the existing slot system will be implemented upon the opening of the new terminal.

The existing T1 complex is estimated to be 84 years old. The possibility of its complete reconstruction has been discussed for a long time. The goal of the restoration is to create more comfortable conditions for passengers and increase the terminal's capacity. This work is also part of the plan to strengthen the two-airport model in Mumbai. The opening of Navi Mumbai International Airport has provided an additional option for handling growing air traffic in the Mumbai region. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also begun providing incentives to stimulate new international flights from Navi Mumbai Airport.

China has announced the opening of an investigation into a chemical compound imported from the European Union. This decision was made shortly before the planned visit of the European Trade Commissioner to the Chinese capital, Marosa Sefkovic.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated in its announcement that this investigation resulted from a request submitted by local companies in September. The compound, known as p-nitrotoluene (also 4-nitrotoluene), is used in the production of p-toluidine, DSD acid, p-aminobenzoic acid, and other derivatives applied in industries such as dyes, pigments, pesticides, and medicine.

The anti-dumping type of investigation aims to determine whether the product is being exported at prices below normal value and whether this is causing damage to the importing country's industry. The analysis will focus on imports originating from the EU, covering the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The assessment of damage to Chinese industry covers the period from January 1, 2022, to June 30, 2026.

The Ministry of Commerce indicated that the investigation began today and should generally conclude by October 3, 2027, although it may be extended by six months under 'special circumstances.' A ministry representative stated that preliminary evidence presented by the applicants indicates that imports from the EU remained high between 2022 and 2025, with prices decreasing by a total of 60%, which, according to the statement, 'has caused damage' to the Chinese industry.

The Ministry added that it will analyze the case in accordance with Chinese law and World Trade Organization (WTO) norms, while also ensuring the rights of interested parties, promising an 'objective and impartial' decision. Beijing also emphasized that it maintains a 'cautious and restrained' stance on trade protection issues, but accused the EU of launching over 28 trade investigations against Chinese goods since 2025, about half of which concern chemical products.

The Ministry specifically mentioned three recent investigations from Brussels concerning PVC and other Chinese chemical products, urging the EU to 'resolve its own economic problems' and settle disputes through dialogue. The start of these investigations coincides with the upcoming meeting between Sefkovic and China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao in Beijing on October 8 and 9 as part of the consultation mechanism that Brussels uses to restore bilateral trade relations.