Union Government Approves 5,000 Houses for Displaced People in Manipur India: The Government of India has approved the construction of 5,000 houses for internally displaced persons in Manipur under the framework of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) for FY 2025–26, following a proposal by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh. The initiative comes after ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities that began on May 3, 2023, which resulted in more than 260

Australia’s Total Construction Work Falls 0.7% Despite Growth in Building Activity Australia: Construction activity in Australia showed mixed performance in the September quarter, according to official data. Total construction work done fell 0.7% to USD 52.85 billion, while building work increased 4.0% to USD 28.84 billion and engineering work declined 5.8% to USD 24.01 billion. Meanwhile, the trend estimate for total construction work rose 0.7% to USD 52.12 billion during th

Centre approves construction of 2.88 lakh houses in urban areas under PMAY 2.0 India: The Government of India has approved the construction of around 2.88 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) 2.0, according to an official statement. With the latest approval of 2,87,618 houses, the total number of sanctioned homes under PMAY-U 2.0 has crossed 13.61 lakh units. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee, chair

Potential Rollbacks to Inflation Reduction Act May Impact Heat Pump Demand USA: Recent federal energy policy changes are introducing fresh uncertainty for HVACR contractors planning projects around electrification and efficiency incentives. The United States House of Representatives voted 210–199 to pass the Homeowner Energy Freedom Act, a bill that would repeal $5.7 billion in programs under the Inflation Reduction Act supporting home electrification rebates, contractor trai

United Kingdom UNITED KINGDOM: Councillors have approved a balanced budget featuring a record US$ 1.89 billion (£1.6 billion) investment to tackle Edinburgh’s housing emergency and reduce poverty over the next five years. The funding will deliver thousands of affordable homes, including 2,500 for temporary accommodation and over 3,000 settled homes. The budget prioritises homelessness prevention, early family support, education and social care, while committing US$ 101.48 mil

Grohe INDIA: GROHE has launched its Matte Black Ceramics collection in India, extending the finish across its full bathroom portfolio, including GROHE and GROHE SPA ranges. The move responds to growing demand among Indian consumers for more personalized, design-led interiors beyond traditional white ceramics. The brand says the introduction of matte black reflects a broader shift toward understated luxury, cohesive aesthetics, and timeless colour choices. By offering coordina

IIT Delhi INDIA: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi are developing a high-efficiency hybrid air conditioning system designed to cut electricity consumption significantly as demand for cooling rises in India. Early tests of the laboratory-scale prototype suggest it could reduce energy use by around one-third compared with conventional room ACs. The innovative design combines traditional vapour compression with a compact add-on module that directly removes

Home Depot and Lowe’s Earnings Calls Show Retail Trends and Strategic Focus USA: The latest Home Depot & Lowe’s, with more color analysis outlines key insights from the two largest U.S. home‑improvement retailers’ recent earnings discussions. Home Depot reported modest increases in comparable‑store sales and reflected on stable underlying demand, while Lowe’s highlighted solid sales performance and broader merchandise momentum. Both companies addressed macroeconomic pressures

2026 Outlook for the Residential Remodelling and Construction Sector USA: The article highlights expectations for the residential remodelling and construction sector in 2026, noting that economic uncertainty and declining consumer financial confidence are influencing homeowner decisions. Many households are choosing to remain in their current homes and invest in renovation rather than purchasing or constructing new properties, partly due to rising home values. As a result, la

France Construction sector FRANCE: According to the latest report from the Tendances récentes du bâtiment – Janvier 2026 (FFBâtiment), the French building industry shows signs of recovery in new construction, despite ongoing challenges. Between September and November 2025, both housing starts and planning permissions rose by over 20%, driven by increases in individual and collective housing projects. Non-residential construction also grew, with a near 13% rise in new surface

Duravit’s Aurena Collection Wins GOOD DESIGN Award in Bath & Accessories Category U.S.: Duravit announced that its Aurena Collection, designed by award-winning architect and designer Antonio Citterio, has received the prestigious GOOD DESIGN Award in the Bath & Accessories category from The Chicago Athenaeum. The luxury bathroom series was recognized for its precise design language, premium materials, and forward-thinking innovation inspired by the Golden Ratio, delivering ba

US–Indonesia Trade Deal Cuts Tariffs to 19% and Secures Palm Oil Exemption Indonesia: Indonesia and the United States finalized a trade deal on Thursday reducing US levies on Indonesian goods to 19% from 32%, with exemptions for palm oil accounting for about 9% of Indonesia’s exports as well as coffee, cocoa, rubber and spices. The agreement was signed in Washington by Airlangga Hartarto and Jamieson Greer after months of negotiations. The 19% rate aligns with US deals with M

Victorian Plumbing CEO to Step Down as Company Acquires Sovereign Transport Services UK: Victorian Plumbing has announced that its founder and CEO, Mark Radcliffe, will step down from his role with effect from 31 March and will remain on the board as a non-executive founder director. Stephnie Judge, currently the group’s managing director, will succeed him as chief executive from 1 April. The company stated that the two “will continue to work closely together to ensure a smoo

Zehnder Revenue Jumps in 2025; Steady Recovery Expected in 2026 SWITZERLAND: Zehnder Group reported strong growth in its ventilation segment in 2025, with total sales rising 18% (organically +15%) to US$542 million (EUR 501.7 million). The acquisition of Spain-based Siber contributed around 5% to growth, while second-half organic sales increased 14%. The segment accounted for 66% of total group sales, up from 60% a year earlier. Sales revenue in the EMEA region climbed 23% to

Green Finance Facility boosts renewable energy adoption for SMEs NORTH MACEDONIA: A UN-backed Green Finance Facility (GFF) is demonstrating how targeted financial support can accelerate North Macedonia’s green transition while delivering measurable climate and public health benefits. Funded by the UN Joint SDG Fund and led by UNDP North Macedonia, with participation from IOM and support from EBRD and UNECE, the initiative provides affordable green financing to small and mediu

Electronics Demand Set to Surge as India Crosses US$3,000 Per Capita GDP: Voltas MD INDIA: Voltas is sharpening its positioning as a full-spectrum electronics brand as India approaches a US$3,000 per capita GDP milestone, a level Managing Director Mukundan Menon says historically triggers a decade of strong consumption growth. The company currently holds around 18% share in air conditioners and is targeting 20% by 2030, with annual gains of about 1%. India sells nearly 15 mil

PPE 3 Energy Plan France: France has adopted its third multi-year programme PPE 3 energy plan, presented by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on February 12, 2026, during a visit to Jura, outlining a roadmap to produce more French energy that is decarbonised and competitive to strengthen national sovereignty and prepare for the future. The plan details projected electricity consumption, production methods, and planned investments, while addressing France’s continued reliance o

Acquires Stake in Advantek Air Systems India: Fabtech Technologies Cleanrooms is strengthening its air handling and controlled-environment solutions by acquiring additional shares in Advantek Air Systems, a manufacturer of AHU and HVAC equipment for the commercial and pharmaceutical industries. At a board meeting held on 12 February, Fabtech approved the purchase of 38,673 additional shares in Advantek for approximately Rs. 2.55 crore, (USD 310,000) increasing its existing s

Reshaping Home Heating Market US: Nearly half of all U.S. households rely on gas or propane furnaces, but under a new federal mandate from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), all non-weatherized gas furnaces must achieve a 95% Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating by late 2028, reshaping home heating market. The DOE estimates the transition will save consumers approximately USD 24.8 billion in utility costs over 30 years and avoid 332 million metric tons of carbon

Completes Acquisition of Stellar Energy Ireland: Trane Technologies announced on February 18, 2026, that it has completed the acquisition of Stellar Energy Americas, Inc., a leading provider of turnkey data center cooling solutions, following the initial announcement made on December 2, 2025. The acquisition enhances Trane Technologies’ leadership in data center thermal management while accelerating growth, innovation and scale for Stellar Energy. By combining Stellar Energy’

Data Centre Cooling Market India: Voltas Limited and Blue Star Limited are intensifying their focus on India’s fast-growing data centre (DC) segment as the country’s installed capacity is projected to exceed 2 GW by 2026, up from over 1 GW currently, with analysts forecasting a five-fold expansion to over 8 GW by 2030. Blue Star, the second-largest homegrown player in India’s room air conditioning market, is developing chillers and liquid cooling systems, including Cooling Di

Data Center Liquid Cooling Portfolio US: Johnson Controls has signed an agreement to acquire Alloy Enterprises, a Boston-based innovator specializing in a next-generation thermal management platform for high-performance data centers and mission-critical industrial applications. Founded in 2020, Alloy has developed a proprietary platform featuring advanced direct liquid cooling components capable of delivering up to a 35% improvement in thermal management efficiency, enabling

Residential Energy Code Requiring Heat Pumps in New Homes US: Oregon’s Building Code Division Residential and Manufactured Structures Board (RMSB) has approved updates to the state’s residential energy code requiring new homes to be built with energy-efficient heat pumps instead of ducted air conditioning under the 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code. An analysis by the Building Code Division estimates the changes will save residents an average of USD 125 per month and ove

Biomass Heating Italy: A January 2026 survey conducted by Nomisma for Progetto Fuoco reveals that about 1 in 4 Italian households now use woody biomass heating systems in their first and/or second homes, confirming the technology’s established presence in the domestic energy landscape. Conducted on a representative sample of 800 respondents, the study highlights strong awareness levels, with more than half of households familiar with biomass heating and over 4 in 10 reporting