MAM
Coca Cola claims clean chit from MP government
|
MUMBAI: There’s some good news for Coca Cola vis-?-vis the ongoing pesticide controversy. A press release issued by the cola company claims that the Madhya Pradesh Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared all the soft drinks samples of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited. The FDA, says the release, collected the samples at random, all of which conformed to the requirements under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act rules.  |
|
The release says that the FDA collected more than three dozen samples of brands like Coke, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Thums Up and Kinley Soda from different parts of the state, for various tests. The public analysts at the State Food Laboratory, FDA, Bhopal, who conducted these tests, declared them to be in conformity with the PFA rules. The beverage conglomerate also issued a statement saying that Madhya Pradesh has joined other states which had already confirmed the safety and quality of its products. “Coca-Cola is committed to standards that are in the best interests of our customers in India. We will work closely with government in both, the development of appropriate standards as well as the national sampling and testing protocols, to ensure they are being followed,” the statement says. |
Brands
Trump announces $300bn Texas oil refinery with Reliance, calls it the biggest in US history
First new US refinery in 50 years planned at Brownsville port with Reliance
WASHINGTON: The United States may soon see the first brand-new oil refinery built on its soil in half a century.
Donald Trump announced a proposed $300 billion refinery project in Texas, calling it a landmark moment for American energy production and jobs.
Posting on Truth Social on 10 March, Trump said the facility would be built at the Port of Brownsville and developed by a company called America First Refining, with major investment from India’s Reliance Industries.
The announcement frames the project as a centrepiece of the administration’s push for “energy dominance”, with Trump claiming it would deliver thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity to South Texas.
If realised, the plant would mark the first all-new major refinery constructed in the United States since the 1970s. In recent decades, oil companies have largely chosen to expand existing facilities rather than build new ones, citing high costs, regulatory hurdles and environmental scrutiny.
Trump described the proposed investment as the “biggest in US history”, positioning it as proof that policy changes such as streamlined permits and lower taxes are drawing large-scale energy investments back into the country.
The refinery is planned for the Port of Brownsville, a strategic Gulf Coast location that provides easy access to shipping routes and export markets.
A key partner in the project is Reliance Industries, controlled by billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani. The company already runs the world’s largest refining complex in Jamnagar, India, making it one of the most experienced operators in large-scale petroleum processing.
The Texas venture would mark a significant step for the group into America’s domestic refining sector, potentially strengthening industrial ties between the US and India.
The proposed refinery is being promoted as a next-generation facility capable of processing American shale oil while maintaining high environmental standards. Trump said it would be “the cleanest refinery in the world”, although the specific technologies behind that claim have not yet been detailed.
Industry observers also note that the $300 billion figure is unusually large for a refinery project, and analysts are waiting for more clarity on whether the number reflects total construction costs, long-term infrastructure investment, or broader economic impact estimates.
As of 11 March, Reliance Industries had not publicly confirmed the investment size or the structure of its involvement.
For now, the announcement has sparked equal parts excitement and curiosity in energy markets. If the plan moves from promise to pouring concrete, the refinery could reshape the Gulf Coast energy landscape, and reopen a chapter in American refining that has been quiet for nearly fifty years.
