The Agency for Industrial Cooperation and State Procurement held a working meeting with representatives of the joint venture Sinoma Wind Power Blade Central Asia, which is implementing an investment project to produce wind turbine blades.
This project is being implemented in the free economic zone of Zaaminsky District, Jizzakh Region. During the discussion, the parties reviewed practical issues that arose during the implementation stage.
Company representatives reported problems related to the import of required raw materials, the application of customs benefits, clarification of commodity codes (FEACN), and the preparation of project documentation according to established regulations.
It was noted that the main part of the raw materials for production will be imported. At the same time, local raw materials must undergo laboratory testing and quality checks to meet technical requirements before use.
Participants emphasized that the imported raw materials are intended to support the initial stage of production, and a one-time supply of the full volume of materials needed to achieve the planned annual capacity of the enterprise is a difficult task in practice.
Representatives of the Agency advised the company to prepare the necessary package of documents and submit it to the state institute for improving the efficiency of projects and procurement. After the meeting, the parties agreed to maintain interaction on emerging issues regarding the implementation of the investment project and to provide necessary practical assistance within the agency's competence.
Gritt has successfully raised $26 million in investments that will be used to scale infrastructure automation using artificial intelligence. Obvious Ventures led the round, with participation from Union Square Ventures, Active Impact Investments, and existing investors, including First Round Capital, Climactic, Congruent Ventures, and VSC Ventures.
With this new injection of capital, Gritt's total funding has reached $32.4 million. The company plans to use the acquired capital to expand its operations and further develop an intelligent robotic platform designed for complex outdoor construction environments.
Founded by Punith Puri and Vishal Dugar, Gritt develops robotic systems to automate construction equipment. Its AI-based system can autonomously perform tasks such as material handling, assembly, placement, inspection, and project planning. Gritt's technology integrates with existing equipment on sites, allowing contractors to apply automation to their machinery and ensuring safe collaboration between robots and humans.
CEO Punith Puri noted that automating outdoor construction is more complex due to changing weather conditions, terrain specifics, and other unforeseen factors. He emphasized that their 'Physical AI' is specifically designed for such tasks, enabling the acceleration of construction for solar, bridge, and road projects, as well as large infrastructure projects like data centers, with robot support.
The company's platform continuously improves through learning from every completed project. Tasks that previously required months of system setup can now be adapted in just a few days, allowing robots to perform high-precision work on various construction sites. In addition to automation, Gritt collects real-time data from sites, including information on completed work, material movement, and changes in site conditions. This information helps project managers make faster decisions and optimize schedules.
The company has already implemented its systems in several large American construction firms involved in industrial-scale solar panel installation. According to Gritt, their robots have independently installed tens of thousands of solar panels without a single failure. Demand for automation is supported by industry challenges: it is expected that over 40% of the US construction workforce will retire by 2031, and the sector's overall productivity is declining, forcing companies to turn to AI and robotics to solve labor shortages.
Obvious Ventures stated that Gritt is creating a new category of physical AI by implementing intelligent automation in one of the most demanding industrial environments. Investors believe that the company's ability to learn after each deployment gives it a long-term competitive advantage. Gritt's long-term goal is to transform AI into a comprehensive object condition analysis platform that tracks resource usage, identifies potential workflow obstacles, and assists project managers in making real-time decisions. Ultimately, the startup aims to reduce manual labor for construction workers and allow contractors to accelerate the implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects, believing that intelligent robotics will become an integral part of modern construction.
Dissatisfied contractors have blocked access to the water supply depots of the eThekwini municipality due to a dispute with the administration itself. The municipality condemned these actions, noting that they impede the work of municipal employees and disrupt the delivery of vital water services to residents.
Previously, The Mercury reported that significant areas of the city were left without water after someone intentionally closed valves, which appeared to be an act of sabotage. At that time, it was suggested that this incident was related to contractor dissatisfaction with the change in the process for appointing plumbers in the city.
In a statement, City Manager Musa Mbele explained that the decision to revise the process for appointing contracted plumbers was based on findings by the Auditor-General, who determined that the previous contracting system was irregular. In line with the Auditor-General's recommendations, the city implemented a new procurement model through the Contracted Infrastructure Panel (CIP) to manage plumbing services.
Although some contractors challenged this process in court, temporary measures were introduced under the approved CIP management agreement to ensure the continuity of service provision. The statement noted that some former contractors expressed dissatisfaction, insisting on direct individual contracts with the city instead of working as subcontractors under an appointed managing contractor. Nevertheless, the implementation of the new system is progressing: the connection process has been completed in the Northern region, and work is underway, with deployment continuing in other regions.
Executive Director of Technical Services Ednik Msvele emphasized that the current conflict is mainly related to the transition to the new contract model. He also clarified that payment rates remain unchanged compared to the previous scheme, with subcontractors now working under managing contractors who receive a 15% management fee approved by the city's Bid Assessment Committee (BAC). To strengthen internal capacity and reduce dependence on external contractors, the municipal executive committee had previously approved the recruitment of 121 additional plumbers. To date, 44 hires have been completed, increasing the city's staff to approximately 56 plumbers. Recruitment for plumber assistants is also ongoing to further strengthen these teams.
Msvele confirmed that the city intends to resolve the current issues while ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of essential services to all communities.
Representatives of the regional aviation business, including Emirates President Tim Clark, stated on Tuesday that the Middle East aviation sector continues to operate while attempting to dispel concerns caused by the regional conflict.
At the Farnborough Airshow on Tuesday, Tim Clark told Reuters that Emirates is flying with a 90 percent load factor, and premium cabins are fully booked. He noted that while the situation, however bad it may be at the moment, remains manageable, the company's operations can continue.
Against this backdrop, the US struck targets in Iran for the tenth consecutive day, while Iran attacked US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan on Tuesday, undermining the fragile truce signed last month.
Last week, the European flight safety regulator extended the warning to avoid airspace in the region until July 29. Furthermore, Air France-KLM suspended flights to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Dubai until July 27 on Monday.
The traffic flow of Middle Eastern carriers has been declining since the war between Israel and the US against Iran began on February 28, and some airlines have reduced capacity to hedge against rising costs.
Nevertheless, at Farnborough, regional leaders emphasized that business in Middle Eastern aviation is developing successfully. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, stated: 'The closer you are to the center of operations in the Gulf, the more normal things seem to you.'
Aviation analyst John Strickland pointed out that the region has experienced many crises previously, but it is unlikely that airline profits will remain unaffected. He told Reuters: 'Of course, it will affect net profit, it is having an impact. They will want to close down as much as possible to avoid losses from costs in difficult times and return to profitability.'
Tim Clark also added that the carrier has no plans to postpone orders, and ambitions to open a new airport in the UAE in 2032 remain in effect. Griffiths confirmed that the new Dubai airport is still scheduled to open on time.
Mark Nichols, Partner and Co-Chairman of the Global Aviation Sector at DLA Piper, noted that many major regional carriers have already received significant aircraft orders in recent years. Therefore, their participation in the exhibition reflects strategic priorities and the maturity of their fleet planning, rather than any changes in confidence or growth ambitions.
