FSSAI Flags Nestlé Over ‘5 HMOs’ in Infant Formula

Nestlé India is facing three separate adjudication cases filed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over alleged violations in its infant nutrition products, specifically NAN Excella Pro Stage 1 and Lactogen Pro 1, reported several media outlets including CNBCTV18. The regulator flagged promotional claims such as “5 HMOs” and “easy-to-digest whey,” and also found a follow-up formula sample non-compliant with prescribed biotin levels.

The company is facing three cases because of the way it promoted its baby food products. Claims like “5 HMOs” and “easy‑to‑digest whey” on packs of NAN Excella Pro Stage 1 and Lactogen Pro 1 have been flagged. One of its follow‑up formulas was also found to have less biotin than required.

HMOs, or Human Milk Oligosaccharides, are special complex sugars found naturally in human breast milk. They are the third most abundant solid component after lactose and fat, and while babies cannot digest them directly, HMOs play a crucial role in building immunity, gut health, and overall development.

For Indian parents, HMOs are being marketed as a “closer-to-breast-milk” innovation in baby food. But regulators like FSSAI are cautious about how these claims are presented, since marketing cannot mislead families into thinking formula equals breast milk.

What FSSAI Found & Regulatory Action

• Products under scrutiny:
  NAN Excella Pro Stage 1 – flagged for claims about “5 HMOs” and “Whey Protein”.
  Lactogen Pro 1 – flagged for claim that its whey protein is “easy to digest”.
• Follow-up formula issue:
  A Nestlé infant formula was found sub-standard in biotin content during lab analysis, confirmed again by referral testing.
• Legal basis:
  Regulation 4(2), Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020 – restricts promotional claims intended to boost sales.
  Section 3, IMS Act, 1992 – prohibits advertising and promotion of infant milk substitutes and related products.

Nestlé India’s Response

• Products are fully compliant with applicable regulations.
• Labels were approved by FSSAI’s expert committee.
• Company submitted a detailed response citing scientific literature to support its claims.

What This Means

Issue	Details	Regulatory Concern
Promotional Claims	“5 HMOs” & “easy-to-digest whey”	Misleading marketing, contravenes infant food rules
Biotin Deficiency	Follow-up formula below prescribed biotin levels	Nutritional compliance failure
Legal Cases	3 adjudication cases filed	Could lead to penalties, stricter oversight
Corporate Response	Claims backed by scientific literature	Dispute over interpretation of regulations

Trade-offs

• Consumer Trust:
  Promotional claims may mislead parents, undermining confidence in infant nutrition products.
• Regulatory Precedent:
  This case could set stricter enforcement standards for baby food marketing in India.
• Market Impact:
  Nestlé’s shares already dipped following the announcement, reflecting investor concerns.

Editorial Takeaway

This action highlights India’s tightening scrutiny of infant nutrition marketing, especially around health-related claims. For parents, the key takeaway is that regulators are prioritizing transparency and compliance over promotional messaging. For Nestlé, the challenge lies in balancing scientific substantiation with regulatory restrictions that prohibit promotional claims in this sensitive category.

FSSAI is making sure baby food companies don’t mislead parents with fancy claims. Nestlé now has to prove its products are safe and its labels are correct.

India’s Chip Ambition Accelerates: 25 Deals Announced at SEMICON 2026 Day 2

India’s semiconductor ecosystem is rapidly transitioning from policy intent to commercial execution, with SEMICON India 2026 marking a watershed moment: 25 strategic collaborations, global participation from 52 countries, and five semiconductor projects already in commercial production. This positions India as a credible global hub for chip manufacturing, design, and supply chain resilience.

On the occasion, the Union Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, unveiled India’s first indigenous System‑on‑Module — IndieSemiC’s ISC VegaSOM — which combines C‑DAC’s Vega‑Thejas32 processor with IndieSemiC’s globally certified LoRa‑RF module.

Developed under C‑DAC’s Industry Support Centre initiative, this breakthrough marks a pivotal step in India’s semiconductor journey. It showcases how Indian design firms, empowered by the DLI program, are not only innovating but successfully delivering market‑ready products. With chips now integrated into final applications, India is steadily transforming into a true product nation.

Key Highlights from SEMICON India 2026

• 25 Strategic Announcements: Covering semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, logistics, chip design, power electronics, and workforce development.
• Global Participation: Over 600 exhibitors (300 international), 12,000+ visitors on Day 1, and delegations from Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Malaysia, and the U.S.
• Commercial Production: Five semiconductor projects already operational, exporting products globally.
• Policy Push – ISM 2.0: Backed by ₹1,000 crore allocation in Union Budget 2026–27, focusing on equipment manufacturing, advanced nodes (3nm, 2nm), and supply chain fortification.

Major Collaborations Announced

• Tata Electronics: Partnerships with INOX Air Products (high-purity gases), Sumitomo Chemical (wet chemicals), Kelington Engineering (fab readiness), and Enomoto (advanced packaging).
• L&T Semiconductor Technologies: Deals with Virtual Forest (power electronics), Newen Systems (SiC modules), Fimer India (IGBTs), and Tata Electronics (consumer-grade camera modules).
• C-MET & Hindalco: Scaling indigenous raw materials for supply chain resilience.
• India Deep Tech Alliance (IDTA): Reported $263 million investments across 56 deep-tech firms.
• NIELIT Collaborations: With Siemens EDA, Tata Electronics, Singapore Polytechnic, and SEMI University to strengthen chip design education and workforce development.

Strategic Significance

• Supply Chain Localization: India is reducing dependence on imports by localizing gases, chemicals, and packaging.
• Sustainability Focus: Water recycling in fabs and closed-loop cooling in data centres highlight India’s push for resource-efficient infrastructure.
• Global Confidence: ASML and other toolmakers showcased next-gen lithography and wafer inspection solutions tailored for Indian fabs.
• Talent Development: ISM 2.0 aims to train 100,000 semiconductor engineers in five years, with cleanroom centres in Bengaluru, Noida, and Hyderabad.

India’s Semiconductor Opportunity

• Market Growth: India’s semiconductor market projected to reach $100–110 billion by 2030.
• Global Capability Centres: India hosts 7% of GCCs in semiconductors and employs 20% of the global chip design workforce.
• Strategic Goal: By 2029, India aims to design and manufacture chips for 70–75% of domestic applications, moving toward global leadership by 2035.

SEMICON India 2026, underway at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi until September 19, brings together over 600 companies and is projected to draw nearly 50,000 visitors. The event hosts representatives from 52 nations, more than 400 senior executives, and over 150 speakers. Showcasing global collaboration, the exhibition features six Country Pavilions — Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Sweden — alongside 12 State booths, a Startup Pavilion, Innovation Showcase, Student Hackathon, and a dedicated Workforce Development Pavilion.

Biomoneta and Panasonic Introduce Avata Air: Smart Microbial Air Purifier on MirAIe Lifestyle

Bengaluru-based deep-tech company takes its healthcare-developed air-decontamination platform into the consumer market through Panasonic’s MirAIe Lifestyle platform

Biomoneta Research has announced the launch of Avata Air, an indoor air-purification and microbial decontamination device, in collaboration with Panasonic. The product is now available through Panasonic’s MirAIe Lifestyle platform, marking Biomoneta’s entry into the Indian consumer air-care market. Unlike conventional air purifiers that primarily focus on dust, smoke and particulate matter, Avata Air has been designed to address both common airborne pollutants and invisible biological contaminants present in indoor environments.

At the heart of the device is Biomoneta’s patented ZeBox technology, which uses a non-ionising electric field and a microbicidal surface to capture and inactivate airborne microorganisms. According to the company, the device eliminates more than 99.999 % of airborne microorganisms while removing 99.97 % of airborne particles and harmful gases.

“Avata Air represents an important milestone in Biomoneta’s journey,” said Arindam Ghatak, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Biomoneta Research. “For more than a decade, we have worked to understand how airborne microorganisms can be captured and eliminated safely in occupied spaces. Through this collaboration with Panasonic, we can now bring the same core technology developed for demanding healthcare environments into Indian homes.”

From healthcare environments to Indian homes

Biomoneta’s microbial air-decontamination technology has previously been deployed and evaluated in healthcare environments, including intensive care units, operating theatres, IVF facilities and neonatal care facilities. The company’s medical-grade product, Avata Rx, received clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration as a Class II medical device. Avata Air is a separate consumer product, but incorporates the same underlying ZeBox technology used in the US FDA-cleared Avata Rx platform.

“What began as a scientific effort to solve a serious infection-control problem has now evolved into a platform with applications across hospitals, homes and other shared spaces,” Ghatak said. “Our objective is not simply to introduce another air purifier. We want to make protection from airborne microorganisms practical, measurable and accessible to families.”

Biomoneta’s ZeBox platform has been evaluated by institutions and laboratories including the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, ARE Labs in the United States and Intertek. Testing has covered a range of airborne bacteria, fungi and viruses, including drug-resistant microorganisms, SARS-CoV-2 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Supporting the journey from laboratory to market

Biomoneta has been supported by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), one of India’s leading life-sciences innovation and entrepreneurship hubs. Commenting on the launch, Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed, Director and Chief Executive Officer of C-CAMP, said, “Biomoneta’s ZeBox represents cutting-edge, world-class technology—built on rigorous science, extensively validated and positioned among the best-in-class solutions for microbial air decontamination. Its journey from scientific research to a commercially available product demonstrates the ability of India’s deep-tech ecosystem to develop differentiated solutions for major public-health challenges. C-CAMP is proud to have backed Biomoneta and supported its journey towards bringing this indigenous innovation to people at scale.”

Moving beyond passive air filtration

Most household air purifiers rely on filters to capture particulate matter. While this can be effective against dust, smoke, pollen and allergens, captured microorganisms may remain viable on conventional filter surfaces. ZeBox takes a different approach. Airborne microorganisms are drawn towards an electrically active, three-dimensional surface, where they are captured and inactivated. The process does not use ultraviolet radiation, chemical sprays or intentionally generated ozone, allowing the system to operate continuously in occupied rooms.

Avata Air combines this microbial-control mechanism with particulate and gas filtration, enabling it to address dust, smoke, allergens, fine particulate matter and biological contaminants within a single device. The unit is designed for rooms of up to 250 square feet and has a stated Clean Air Delivery Rate of 200 CFM, making it suitable for bedrooms, home offices and smaller living areas. Its compact design and maximum stated noise level of 50 decibels are intended to support continuous use, including during sleep.

Panasonic collaboration supports consumer access

Avata Air emerged from Biomoneta’s engagement with the Panasonic Ignition programme, an initiative designed to connect promising startups with Panasonic’s innovation, technology and consumer ecosystem.

“Indoor air quality and wellness are becoming increasingly important considerations for Indian households,” said Manish Misra, Chief Innovation Officer, Panasonic Life Solutions India. “Through Panasonic Ignition, our focus is on identifying scalable technologies that address real consumer needs and creating pathways for meaningful commercial collaboration. Biomoneta’s microbial air-decontamination platform brings a differentiated scientific approach to the indoor air-quality category, and Avata Air is an example of how startup innovation and corporate capabilities can come together to make advanced solutions accessible to consumers.”

Misra added that the programme is intended to go beyond short-term acceleration and support startups in moving towards real-world deployment, business integration and scale.

The availability of Avata Air through MirAIe Lifestyle provides Biomoneta with access to a consumer-facing platform as it expands beyond its traditional institutional and healthcare markets.

Making invisible air easier to understand

A central feature of Avata Air is its Air Health Score, a consumer-facing version of Biomoneta's Quantitative Airborne Microbial Index, or qAMI, platform. qAMI was developed to interpret microbial and environmental signals through machine-learning models and estimate changes in airborne microbial load. In Avata Air, that capability is translated into a simple real-time score from zero to 100 that a household can understand and act on.

The score combines particulate matter, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, temperature, relative humidity and an estimated microbial-load indicator. It therefore offers a broader picture than a PM2.5 reading alone. The device indicates whether the overall air condition is good, moderate or poor, while the score helps users see how the room changes after cooking, cleaning, an increase in occupancy or operation of the device.

Avata Air is available on the MirAIe Lifestyle platform at an introductory price of Rs 16,999, compared with the regular price of Rs 19,999, exciting offers available and low-cost EMI options are also available on MirAIe Lifestyle.

The launch signals a possible shift in India’s air-purification market—from devices focused predominantly on visible pollution and particulate matter towards systems designed to address the wider physical, chemical and biological composition of indoor air.

About Biomoneta Research Private Limited:

Founded in 2014, by Dr. Arindam Ghatak, Dr. Janani Venkatraman, and Dr. Santanu Datta, Biomoneta received critical support from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Karnataka State Government, and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP). In 2020, the company raised seed funding led by Beyond Next Ventures (Japan) through the C-CAMP-BNV Innovation Hub, with investments from ArthaVida Ventures, Tranzmute Capital, and angel investors including Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, Narayan K. Seshadri, Manish Gandhi, Kaveri Das, and Arpit Ranka.

For more information, visit www.biomoneta.com

Reach out at info@biomoneta.com

L&T Semiconductor and Tata Electronics Forge Strategic Alliance to Boost Indigenous Chip Manufacturing for Global Markets

Collaboration enables industrialisation and domestic manufacturing of India-designed chips to enhance time-to-market, reliability and supply chain resilience

L&T Semiconductor Technologies Limited (LTSCT), a leading Indian fabless semiconductor company, and Tata Electronics, a pioneering leader in India’s electronics and semiconductor manufacturing sector, announced a strategic partnership to expand indigenous manufacturing of market-leading chip products in India to serve global customers. The alliance aims to build indigenous design and manufacturing capabilities to support next-generation products across automotive, industrial, communications, security and intelligent-edge sectors.

The partnership brings together L&T Semiconductor’s fabless design innovation with Tata Electronics’ semiconductor packaging and foundry capabilities to advance domestic chip manufacturing. Both the companies will jointly explore chip fabrication and packaging opportunities for L&T Semiconductor’s current and future products across Tata Electronics’ range of fab process technologies and packaging solutions. The collaboration will also include chip design to fabrication optimisations with a focus on ensuring efficient manufacturing at scale.

“Semiconductor leadership will increasingly be defined not just by design breakthroughs but by the ability to industrialise those designs through advanced packaging and manufacturing. At LTSCT, we see this as India’s opportunity to move up the value chain. Our engagement with Tata Electronics is a decisive step in building those capabilities, ensuring that the next generation of semiconductor products can be designed in India and delivered to global markets with speed, reliability and scale”, said Dr Sandeep Kumar, Chief Executive, L&T Semiconductor Technologies Limited.

“Tata Electronics is establishing world-class semiconductor manufacturing capabilities in India to provide trusted, high-quality solutions across the semiconductor value chain to our domestic and global customers. Our partnership with LTSCT is a significant step which will accelerate India’s vision of becoming a full-stack semiconductor nation, by combining L&T Semiconductor’s deep fabless design and engineering expertise with our capabilities across semiconductor manufacturing, packaging and testing”, said Dr Randhir Thakur, CEO & MD, Tata Electronics.

The partnership aligns with Government of India’s vision to “Manufacture in India – for India and for the World”, reflecting a long-term commitment to Semicon 2.0’s focus on domestic ecosystem development and value addition, to position India as a leader in the global semiconductor industry. Together, LTSCT and Tata Electronics aim to advance packaging technologies, manufacturing excellence and quality systems that reinforce India’s semiconductor mission.

About L&T Semiconductor Technologies Limited (LTSCT)

L&T Semiconductor Technologies Ltd (LTSCT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of L&T, is the first major semiconductor products company in India. As a fabless enterprise, LTSCT focusses on designing and delivering smart devices for global customers. The company provides semiconductor devices and technology partnerships, assisting customers in achieving energy-efficient, high-performance systems that capitalise on data, electrification and software-defined technology trends.

LTSCT aims to establish an India-based semiconductor portfolio of smart devices across:

• Power
• Compute
• Analog/Mixed Signal
• IoT modules
• RF products

Supporting automotive, industrial, energy, data center and telecommunications verticals. The company operates in four key regions: the US, Europe, Japan and India, with offices located in Austin, Munich, Tokyo, Bengaluru and Noida.

For more: https://www.ltsct.com/about-us/

About Tata Electronics Private Limited

Tata Electronics Private Limited is a prominent global player in the electronics manufacturing industry, with strong capabilities in:

• Electronics Manufacturing Services
• Semiconductor Assembly & Test
• Semiconductor Foundry
• Design Services

Established in 2020 as a greenfield venture of the Tata Group, the company aims to serve global customers through integrated offerings across a trusted electronics and semiconductor value chain. With a rapidly growing workforce, the company has significant operations in India in Gujarat, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, in addition to overseas offices in US, Taiwan and Singapore.

Tata Electronics is committed to creating a socio-economic footprint by employing many women in its workforce and actively supporting local communities through environmental, education, healthcare, sports and livelihood initiatives.

For more: www.tataelectronics.com

Another Big Development for Andhra: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) to Develop Greenfield Shipyard at Dugarajapatnam

• ₹15,000 crore investment over 5–7 years; project to generate around 45,000 jobs. 
• CM Chandrababu Naidu: Andhra Pradesh will be at the forefront of India’s ambition to become one of the world’s top five shipbuilding nations by 2047

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), a Navratna Defence PSU under the Ministry of Defence, has signed an MoU with National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park-AP (NSHIP-AP) to develop a modern greenfield shipyard at Dugarajapatnam.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu by Capt. Jagmohan (Retd.), Chairman & Managing Director, MDL, and Shri Praveen Adhithya C.V., IAS, Managing Director, NSHIP-AP.

Speaking on the development, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said Andhra Pradesh is committed to being at the forefront of India’s ambition to become one of the world’s top five shipbuilding nations by 2047. He said the State will leverage its long coastline, strategic location and industrial ecosystem to drive growth in the maritime sector.

“India has set an ambitious vision of becoming one of the world’s top five shipbuilding nations by 2047. Andhra Pradesh is committed to being at the forefront of this journey by leveraging its long coastline, strategic location and industrial ecosystem,” the Chief Minister said.

CM Naidu said the Dugarajapatnam shipbuilding cluster, with MDL as the Anchor Shipyard, will position Andhra Pradesh as a major shipbuilding hub and attract investments and ancillary industries to the State.

He said the project will also create large-scale employment and new opportunities in shipbuilding, marine engineering, manufacturing, logistics and other allied sectors.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh is envisaging the development of a greenfield Shipbuilding-cum-Port Cluster at Dugarajapatnam. The Techno-Economic Feasibility Report estimates the Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Yard at approximately ₹29,254 crore and the Port at ₹9,513 crore. The Port is proposed to be developed by the Government of India.

Under the MoU, MDL envisages an investment of around ₹15,000 crore over the next five to seven years, subject to the required approvals and clearances. The project is expected to generate direct and indirect employment for around 45,000 people in Andhra Pradesh.

The proposed shipyard will have a design capacity of 1.2 million Gross Tonnage per annum, with scope for further expansion based on market requirements. It will build commercial vessels including tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, LNG carriers and other large, specialised vessels.

The shipbuilding cluster is being developed under the Government of India’s Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS). NSHIP-AP, a Special Purpose Vehicle jointly formed by the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board and Visakhapatnam Port Authority, has identified MDL as the Anchor Shipyard.

Capt. Jagmohan (Retd.), Chairman & Managing Director, MDL, said Dugarajapatnam has the scale and maritime potential to develop a globally competitive shipyard. He said MDL aims to create a modern facility serving both domestic and international markets.

Mr Jasmeet Singh Bindra, Chairperson, Visakhapatnam Port Authority, said VPA, as a 50% shareholder in NSHIP-AP, is committed to the development of the shipbuilding cluster and will support coordination with the Government of India and other Central Government agencies.

Mr Kona Sasidhar, IAS, Secretary, Infrastructure & Investment, Government of Andhra Pradesh, said the selection of MDL as the Anchor Shipyard is an important milestone in the State’s maritime development. He said the project has the potential to create a major shipbuilding and ancillary ecosystem at Dugarajapatnam.

The Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board will facilitate land, infrastructure and statutory clearances required for the timely development of the project.