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NEW DELHI: India is exploring ways to safeguard airlines from spiralling jet fuel prices amid the widespread disruptions caused by the worsening conflict in West Asia. Through this, the government is also seeking to prevent any sharp rise in fares and adverse effect on domestic air travel demand.Over last few days, officials of civil aviation ministry led by secretary Samir Sinha have engaged with their counterparts in the petroleum ministry and oil marketing companies, with aim of ensuring that any rise in jet fuel price is not passed over immediately during the upcoming price revision on April 1.The jet fuel crack spread, which measures the difference between the price of a barrel of crude oil and the price of jet fuel refined from it, soared to nearly $100 before cooling. Jet fuel makes up around 26% of an airline's operating expenses on average, according to global airlines association IATA.Also Read: Iran attacks Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base that houses several US warplanesIndia's jet fuel pricing is linked to the 'Mean of Platts Arab Gulf (MOPAG)'-a widely used benchmark for pricing refined petroleum products in the Gulf. Oil marketing companies generally levy an extra cost, which is the expense of refining and carriage cost for them.Indian airlines have been advocating for the domestic pricing model based on crude oil prices plus fixed refining margin, delinked from international price swings.129595193"We are trying to devise a mechanism where the carriage cost of the oil marketing companies can be spread over a larger timeline rather than one single shot," said a senior government official.IATA in a recent analysis highlighted that when fuel prices remain elevated but stable, airlines can adjust pricing and operations gradually, and continue to operate profitably, although typically with thinner margins. Fuel price shocks push costs higher faster than revenues can adjust, posing a greater risk to margins and profits.LPG crisis: Sales of instant food options, frozen snacks surge 20 per centFor Indian airlines, jet fuel cost rises further as excise duty and value-added tax are levied as a percentage of the fuel price rather than as a fixed amount. Excise duty is 11%, while VAT in major aviation hubs such as Delhi is 25%. All Indian carriers IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa Air have imposed fuel surcharges, but executives said maintaining high ticket prices is difficult as it would dent demand. "The pricing is completely correlated to supply and demand," said an airline official. "Airlines can't increase ticket prices very high. They will have to absorb the increased cost."Costs have soared for airlines as they are being forced to take longer routes for overseas flights. Insurance companies have started raising premiums for hull war risk insurance coverage. There has been an increase of ?30-?40 lakh for a narrow-body flight and ?90 lakh-?1 crore for a wide-body flight on routes such as Delhi-Dubai-Delhi.Airlines have begun limited operations to West Asia, to evacuate thousands of Indian nationals stranded in the region. Airline executives lament that such flights are unviable due to the unreliability of operations at hub airports like Dubai, Doha, and Riyadh while the aircraft flies empty on its leg to West Asia.

New Delhi: Hindalco Industries on Sunday said that it has not halted operations of its aluminium extrusions business and emphasised that the customer communication -- issued after force majeure claims by some gas suppliers -- was just a routine business intimation regarding potential supply disruption.Amid evolving geopolitical developments affecting global trade and the economy, Hindalco Industries clarified that there is currently no impact on the company's overall operations or financial performance. "Any potential disruption is limited to a small portion of the Aluminium Extrusions business," it said in a statement.The statement comes in the wake of a report which said the company has halted aluminium product sales amid the West Asia crisis.Also Read: Packaged food companies slash production amid LPG crunch"Hindalco has not halted operations of its aluminium extrusions business," the company statement added."The communication issued to aluminium extrusions customers follows a force majeure declaration by certain gas suppliers and was a routine business intimation regarding a potential supply disruption in a segment of the extrusions business," the statement said.The aluminium extrusions segment constitutes a small portion of Hindalco's total production capacity, with the potential impact confined to under 0.1 per cent of the company's overall operations.All other downstream and upstream operations including primary aluminium, continue to operate normally, supported by captive power and alternate energy arrangements, the company said.Aluminium extrusions are widely used across industries for their lightweight, high-strength, and corrosion-resistant properties.Also Read: LPG shortage threatens Agra’s iconic petha industryMajor applications include architectural framing, transportation, automotive parts, heat sinks in electronics, and structural components for solar energy systems.Hindalco manufactures a wide range of customised aluminium extrusions from 100 per cent premium quality billets which are made inhouse.The company added that its core aluminium smelting operations continue to run normally, as these facilities are powered by coal-based captive power, ensuring operational stability. The situation is therefore confined to a limited downstream segment, and the overall effect on the company's production and performance remains minuscule.Hindalco operates across the value chain, from bauxite mining, alumina refining, coal mining, captive power plants and aluminium smelting to downstream rolling, extrusions, and foils.Along with its subsidiary Novelis, Hindalco is the global leader in flat rolled products and the world's largest recycler of aluminium.

Mumbai: Aviation safety watchdog DGCA has provided temporary relaxations in flight duty norms for Air India's long-haul flights as the airline is taking longer routes due to the airspace curbs amid the Middle East conflict, sources said on Sunday.With Iranian and Iraqi airspace restrictions, Air India is taking the Egypt route for European and North American flights, which means longer flying hours.Against this backdrop, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given certain relaxations in pilot Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms till April 30, the sources told PTI.Also Read: Air India finds large-scale misuse of its leisure travel policy for staff, initiates corrective actionsThere were no comments from Air India and DGCA on the FDTL norm relaxations. Providing the relaxations for the long-haul flights operated with two pilots, the sources said, adding that DGCA has extended the Flight Time (FT) by 1.30 hours to 11.30 hours and the Flight Duty Period (FDP) by 1.45 hours to 11.45 hours.Sources say that Air India has been violating the relaxation by planning its Jeddah flight, which has an FDP of 11.45 hours."While flight duty period (FDP) has been extended by 1.45 hours, Air India is forcing its pilots to operate Jeddah flight, which has an FDP of 11.55 hours, thus exceeding the allowed relaxations by 10-minutes," a source said.Exemption has also been provided with respect to the 30-minute roster planning buffer requirement, they added.For a single landing, the maximum FT and FDP are 10 hours and 13 hours, respectively.Also Read: India-Gulf flights slowly resume amid turbulenceFT is the total time from the moment an aeroplane first moves for the purpose of taking off until the moment it finally comes to rest at the end of the flight.FDP starts when a flight crew member is required to report for duty and finishes at engine(s) off at the end of the last flight on which he/she is a flight crew member.It could not be immediately ascertained whether IndiGo has received similar exemptions for its long-haul services. The escalating conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran that started on February 28 and the resultant airspace curbs in the Middle East region have significantly impacted flight operations.Many airlines have reduced their services. Air India's flights are taking the route through Oman, the southern part of Saudi Arabia and Egypt for European and North American destinations. For some of the ultra-long-haul services, there are technical stops at Rome.

New Delhi: By 2030, Gen Z will comprise 27 per cent of India's population and will command USD 1.3 trillion in consumption, reshaping consumer markets with a focus on experiences, sustainability and digital convenience, according to a report by Redseer Strategy Consultants. The report, titled "Gen Z: Defining Trends, Influencing Spends," analyses how this demographic, born between 1997 and 2012, is prioritising value-driven choices. "Gen Z will occupy a greater share of the population, and command USD 1.3 trillion in consumption by 2030. This generation shuns labels, valuing inclusivity, self-expression and authenticity. Through this phase of self-discovery, they prioritise aesthetics and new experiences -- all of which reflect in their behaviour as consumers," the report noted.Also Read: ET Snapchat Genz Index: Young India chooses steady money over risky trends Gen Z's emphasis on aesthetics is evident in their engagement with the beauty and personal care (BPC) sector. By 2030, this group is projected to account for nearly USD 19 billion share of India's BPC market. One in two Gen Z women allocates more than 20 per cent of their disposable income to BPC products. The average number of products used by this demographic has doubled, with separate routines for skin, hair, and body care. Their product choices prioritise solutions over specific ingredients, leading to reduced brand loyalty as they experiment with products tailored that better suit their needs. Beauty trends among Gen Z have become genderless, with increasing numbers of young men adopting makeup and personal care regimes. Interest in men's skincare has surged, as searches for "men's skincare routine" rose 850 per cent over the past five years. Men's cosmetology and makeup is an emerging space, as more Gen Z men enhance their appearance through acne concealment, fillers, hair removal, and brow work. Furthermore, Gen Z will drive half of the fashion (apparel, footwear and accessories) industry by 2030. Fast fashion items priced below Rs 1,000 remain the preferred choice. Although Gen Z has become the biggest user group on major fashion e-commerce sites in India, their average spend per purchase is roughly half that of the older cohort (millennials). Fitness is another item on Gen Z's priority list, with one-third of the cohort spending at least 20 per cent of their income on fitness and sports. Athleisure sales have doubled year-on-year. Affordable sportswear on online marketplaces supports this trend, with six out of ten top-selling sports footwear brands priced between Rs 500 and 1,000.Also Read: From logos to loyalty: How Gen Z is rewriting India’s brand playbook Healthy eating trends fuel demand for alternative proteins, with 40 per cent of regularly exercising Gen Z preferring these sources. Protein supplement listings on quick commerce platforms grew 230 per cent between 2024 and 2025, reflecting strong demand in balanced nutrition."By 2030, Gen Z will drive USD 40 billion in fitness and sports consumption," Redseer stated.

Jerusalem: Israel has approved an $827-million emergency budget allocation for military purchases, Israeli media reported Sunday, as the war with Iran entered its third week.The 2.6-billion-shekel package was approved over the weekend by cabinet ministers during a telephone meeting, the daily Haaretz reported.It will be used for "security purchases" and to address "urgent needs", it said, without providing further details.Click here for live updates on the US-Israel Iran warThe government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet officially commented on the measure nor specified what purchases the funds will cover.Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, meanwhile, dismissed reports over the weekend saying that Israel had informed the United States that it was running short of missile interceptors.When asked by journalists to comment, Saar, who was visiting a site recently struck by an Iranian missile, said: "The answer is no."A finance ministry document circulated to all ministers and reported by several media outlets, including Channel 12, said that "given the intensity of the fighting" the additional budget allocation was necessary."An urgent and immediate need has arisen to provide an operational response, including the acquisition of munitions, the procurement of advanced weapons systems and the replenishment of critical combat stocks," the document said.The document added that the move constituted "an exceptional emergency decision intended solely to address needs arising from the conduct of the fighting".The funds will be drawn from the state budget, totalling $222 billion and approved by the government on March 12, and expected to be adopted by the Knesset by March 31, according to the reports.Also Read: Hindalco halts production of extruded aluminium products due to Iran war, notice saysSince the Israeli-US bombardments against Iran that began on February 28, Israel has been targeted daily by Iranian ballistic missile fire, which the military has mostly intercepted using its missile defence systems.According to Haaretz, citing security officials, 250 ballistic missiles had been fired by Iran at Israel as of March 13.Twelve people have been killed in Israel by missiles or falling debris since the start of the war, according to an AFP tally of figures given by Israeli authorities and first responders.