Pune, Sep 4: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said Pune is rapidly emerging as the country’s leading hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), with more than 130 centres currently operational and the number expected to cross 800 in the coming years.

He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to positioning Pune as the preferred destination for GCC investments in India. The Chief Minister was speaking at the inauguration of Magnum Ice Cream Company’s Global Business Solutions Centre.

Highlighting that Maharashtra has emerged as the preferred investment hub for Global Capability Centers in India, CM Fadnavis noted that the enthusiastic response from multinational corporations establishing global business centers in Pune is a testament to the city’s business-friendly environment and skilled talent pool.

The Chief Minister explained that Magnum’s Pune centre will generate more than 1,000 direct job opportunities alongside boosting indirect employment. To optimise the company’s global business operations, the facility will integrate artificial intelligence, automated technologies, logistics, and other advanced solutions to streamline manufacturing, distribution, and customer experience operations.

“When the government and the industry collaborate, it creates a robust ecosystem that accelerates investment, job creation, and overall economic growth. The state government remains committed to providing all necessary support and a conducive climate for businesses investing in Maharashtra,” he stated.

He further added that this Global Business Solutions Centre in Pune, operating alongside the regional headquarters in Mumbai, will chart a new direction for Magnum’s expansion in Maharashtra. Active measures are being taken to strengthen physical infrastructure across Pune’s industrial sectors — with a special focus on resolving IT infrastructure challenges in Hinjawadi — to make the region an even more attractive destination for GCCs.

Industry department principal secretary Dr P. Anbalagan noted that Global Capability Centres are not merely office spaces, but crucial engines driving the nation’s economic momentum. India has established itself as a global leader in the GCC space, with Maharashtra and Pune playing a pivotal role in this expansion. In Pune alone, demand for commercial office space by GCCs reached approximately 6 million square feet over the past 15 months, while 130 new or expanded GCC units were set up across the state over the last 18 months.

He added that the state government has set a target of hosting 400 GCC companies and over 700 units in the coming period. Currently, Pune hosts operations from companies representing over 30 countries across 20 sectors, employing nearly 10,000 professionals.

Investment and Policy Advisor to the CM, Kaustubh Dhavse, remarked that the relationship between Magnum Ice Cream Company and the Government of Maharashtra is built on trust, reliability, and mutual respect. He added that the Indian-origin executive leadership steering the company globally brings inspiring experience.

In his opening address, Abhijit Bhattacharya, CFO of Magnum Ice Cream Company, credited the state government’s rapid decision-making process for making the global business centre a reality in a short time frame.

He cited Maharashtra’s robust industrial ecosystem, superior connectivity, and proactive administration as key factors in selecting Pune.

Bhattacharya commended CM Fadnavis’s vision to make Maharashtra a premier hub for global business centres and expressed the company’s intent to collaborate with the state on sustainable dairy systems, while also bringing the global ice cream brand ‘Ben & Jerry’s’ to India.

Ahmedabad, Sep 4: Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) on Friday said it is launching a dedicated Empty Container Yard (ECY) with integrated warehousing at Mundra, offering end-to-end services across the empty container lifecycle, including storage, maintenance, inspection, and seamless movement to exporters and CFSs (container freight stations).

As part of its ‘Ambition 2031’ roadmap, APSEZ is making significant investments to expand capacity across its network, with Mundra at the forefront of this growth.

India’s largest integrated transport operator plans to add more than 6 million TEUs of container handling capacity over the next five years, said the Adani Group company.

“The dedicated Empty Container Yard at Mundra, to be operated by APSEZ and/or partners (including CFS and shipping lines), will enhance efficiency across the container ecosystem by enabling faster turnaround times, reducing unnecessary container movements, and optimising logistics costs,” said Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and Chief Executive Officer, APSEZ.

Strengthening trade-enabling infrastructure remains central to APSEZ’s commitment towards supporting India’s growth and the vision of Viksit Bharat, Gupta added.

Adani Ports commands a 45.5 per cent share of India’s container market as of FY26. Within this, Mundra Port alone handles nearly 35 per cent of the country’s container trade, making it India’s largest container-handling port.

The volume of empty containers handled at Mundra is estimated at around 1.6 million TEUs annually, underscoring its critical role in supporting India’s import-export supply chains, said the company.

Moreover, the initiative aligns with the government’s focus on developing efficient, technology-enabled logistics systems and improving ease of doing business.

Adani Ports operates a comprehensive ecosystem of 16 strategically located ports and terminals with a diversified marine fleet of 136 vessels and integrated logistics capabilities.

With a current cargo handling capacity of 653 million tonnes per annum, APSEZ commands approximately 27 per cent of India’s total port volumes, targeting 1 billion tonnes throughput by 2030.

Mumbai, Sep 4: The Indian equity markets posted notable gains early on Friday driven by gains in IT stocks and positive data on the domestic economy.

Sensex added 515 points, or 0.68 per cent, in early trade to reach 76,668 and Nifty gained 51 points, or 0.22 per cent to reach 23,925.

Main broad-cap indices performed in line with the benchmark indices, as the Nifty Midcap 100 added 0.03 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 0.49 per cent.

Sectoral indices on NSE traded mixed with Nifty consumer durables posting the highest losses, down 0.50 per cent. Nifty IT was the top gainer, up 0.65 per cent, followed by realty, up 0.50 per cent.

“Rising bond yields are negative for equity markets. The US 10-year yield continues to hover around 4.8 percent. In Japan the 10-year yield is at a 30-year high of 3 per cent. In the UK, the 30-year yield is at 6 per cent. In India, too, the 10-year yield is close to 7 per cent,” an analyst said.

“However, these negative factors are being countered by the positive news about the Indian economy. Particularly impressive are the ongoing high frequency data regarding GST collections, automobile sales and credit growth,” the market expert added.

Brent crude remains elevated near $96–97, keeping geopolitical risks around the US–Iran conflict a key factor for market sentiment.

“Global sentiment has improved as Wall Street closed higher and Asian markets are largely positive, while US Treasury yields have eased,” an analyst said.

The immediate support for Nifty is placed at 23,800–23,850 zone, while resistance is seen at 24,050–24,100.

Immediate support is placed at 57,000–57,200 for Bank Nifty, while resistance is seen at 57,800–58,000, a market participant said.

In Asian markets, China’s Shanghai index gained 0.35 per cent, and Shenzhen added 0.27 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei added 1.14 per cent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 2.09 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi added 1.31 per cent.

The US markets ended in green overnight as Nasdaq gained 1.4 per cent. The S&P 500 added 1.06 per cent, and the Dow Jones advanced 1.18 per cent.

On September 3, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net sold equities worth Rs 2,346 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought equities worth Rs 4,977 crore.