Indian Infrastructure

India, Germany sign agreement on setting up quality infrastructure

India, Germany sign agreement on setting up quality infrastructure

India's improved 1.7% spend on logistics to set stage for $5 trn economy

India will spend a whopping 1.7 per cent of its GDP on transport infrastructure this year -- around twice the level in America and most European countries -- a feat that has been noticed even by The Economist which called it 'eye-watering' upgrade that will set stage to achieve a USD 5 trillion economy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has hiked capital outlay on infrastructure to USD 122 billion for the fiscal year starting April as it looks to provide a strong impetus to job creation and boost economic activity amid a global slowdown. According to official data, the Modi government has allocated Rs 2.4 lakh crore for railways capital expenditure, nine times higher than the amount in the financial year 2013-14. The funds will mostly be spent on building tracks, new coaches, electrification, and developing facilities at stations. Allocation for roads has jumped 36 per cent to Rs 2.7 lakh crore for 2023-24. There is also the focus on reviving 50 additional airports, heliport

Important to build infrastructure that is futuristic, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that well-planned cities will determine the fate of the country, asserting that India's position in the world would have been completely different if 75 planned cities had been developed since Independence. Addressing a post-Budget webinar on 'Urban Planning, Development and Sanitation', he noted that only one or two planned cities have been developed in the country in 75 years of India's Independence The prime minister said with India urbanising rapidly, it is important to build infrastructure that is futuristic. "Urban planning will determine the fate of our cities in 'Amrit Kaal' and it is only well-planned cities that will determine the fate of India. When planning is better, our cities will become climate resilient and water secure," the prime minister said. He urged the participants of the webinar to focus on three main questions about how to strengthen the urban planning ecosystem in the states, how to properly use the expertise

Another 90-km stretch doubled, electrified in South Central Railway zone

The South Central Railway (SCR) zone has completed the doubling and electrification works of 90-km stretch between Gooty and Dharmavaram at a cost of Rs 636 crore, resulting in decongesting and enhancing the connectivity to South Indian states. Following the doubling and electrification of railway tracks between Chigicherla and Dharmavaram section, the zone achieved this milestone. "The GootyDharmavaram doubling project is a vital rail link in Andhra Pradesh state and acts as a gateway to South India states. This line serves as one of the important routes connecting both the Telugu states with Bengaluru and beyond," an official was quoted as saying in a press note late on Thursday. The project was executed by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) and was totally funded by the Railways. According to the release, the newly doubled and electrified stretch will ease congestion on a saturated but vital section, enabling running of more passenger and freight trains towards ..

343 infrastructure projects show cost overruns of Rs 4.5 lakh crore

As many as 343 infrastructure projects, each entailing an investment of Rs 150 crore or more, have been hit by cost overruns of more than Rs 4.5 lakh crore, as per an official report. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, which monitors infrastructure projects of Rs 150 crore and above, out of 1,438 projects, 343 reported cost overruns and as many as 835 projects were delayed. "Total original cost of implementation of the 1438 projects was Rs 20,35,794.75 crore and their anticipated completion cost is likely to be Rs 24,86,069.52 crore, which reflects overall cost overruns of Rs 4,50,274.77 crore (22.12% of original cost)," the ministry's latest report for December 2022 said. According to the report, expenditure incurred on these projects till December 2022 was Rs 13,45,794.16 crore, or 54.13 per cent of the anticipated cost of the projects. However, the number of delayed projects decreases to 673 if delay is calculated on the basis of the latest ...

NIIF to make investment of Rs 631 crore in GMR Group's Mopa airport in Goa

The investment will be made via compulsory convertible debentures in GMR Goa International Airport, the special purpose vehicle (SPV), which will operate the new airport in Goa

UP acquires 95% of land for 595-km Ganga Expressway mega project

The mega project is estimated to be commissioned in November 2025

Rated Indian infrastructure firms most exposed to currency risk: S&P

Much of corporate portfolio has dollar-linked revenue and is not exposed to rupee depreciation

NaBFID likely to make first fund commitment this financial year, says MD

It is looking at projects in transmission, energy, solar power and roads; is also eyeing a retail bond issuance

IRB set to reap benefits from govt's infrastructure push, says report

IRB Infrastructure is well poised to leverage the government's push on creating highway infrastructure due to its strong balance sheet and its association with the Spain-based Cintra

India at 75: How strong infrastructure holds the key to unlock bight future

Ambitious plans like the bullet train, 5G telecom network, and several more will be instrumental in shaping a better future, covering a major portion of the population

Govt plans infrastructure status for SEZs; move to ease financing norms

This will be done by giving them infrastructure status, at par with sectors to improve access to finance and enable long-term borrowing from lenders at easier terms

IFS: Getting set to make an impact

As the IFS will still function as an extended arm of the DEA, what then was the need to set up a new body? Six reasons suggest themselves

Centre's capital expenditure outlay in Q1 could be close to Rs 1.5 trillion

It is in the July-September quarter (Q2) of FY23 that capex is expected to pick up, when a bulk of the long-term capex loans to states are expected to be expended

Bank of Baroda to raise Rs 5,000 crore via long-term infrastructure bonds

Public sector lender Bank of Baroda on Monday said it will raise Rs 5,000 crore by issuing long-term infrastructure bonds. The board of directors in its meeting held on Monday approved the proposal of issuing long-term bonds for financing infrastructure projects and affordable housing worth to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore, the bank said in a regulatory filing. The money will be raised in single or multiple tranches during financial year year 2022-23. These bonds shall be senior, unsecured and will not form part of capital of the bank, it said. Bank of Baroda stock closed flat at Rs 99.95 apiece on BSE on Monday.

Modi govt's infrastructure push fuels bond sales by highway builders

The average yield on top-rated three-year corporate bonds rose to 6.02% on Monday, the highest level in a month.

A quick report card of govt's infra asset monetisation initiative

While govt has earned about 16% road and power transmission assets against an expected run rate of Rs 88,190 cr in FY22, progress in most other areas has been slow

Nearly 0.7% of GDP spent on R&D, strengthening of S&T infra from 2014-19

Nearly 0.7 per cent of the GDP was spent every year on research and development, including strengthening of science and technology infrastructure, during 2014-15 to 2018-19, Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday. In a written response to a question in Rajya Sabha, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said the Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) has been consistently following an increasing trend and during the last 10 years, the GERD of India in gross terms has increased by three times. However, the investments by the private sector to R&D have been inadequate. Unlike other advanced countries where more than 70 per cent contribution of GERD comes from the private sector, in India the private sector contribution to GERD is less than 40 per cent, he said. "As per the latest available R&D statistics, nearly 0.7 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product) is spent every year on R&D, including strengthening Science and Technology infrastructure during ...

NCGTC issues guidelines for Rs 50,000-cr scheme for medical infra

The National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd on Friday issued operational guidelines for the Rs 50,000-crore credit guarantee scheme

KKR drives into transportation, acquires GIP's highway portfolio

GIP is an infrastructure investment fund making equity and selected debt investments