Indian Infrastructure

Over 1.4K accessibility complaints filed on govt app, 75% solved: Data

More than 1,400 complaints related to accessibility have been lodged through the government's flagship Sugamya Bharat mobile application since its launch in 2021, with approximately 75 per cent of those resolved, according to official data. The Sugamya Bharat app, designed to assist people with disabilities and the elderly, allows users to report accessibility issues in public infrastructure, transportation and buildings by uploading photos. Information revealed following a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by PTI showed that 1,441 complaints were received on the app between 2021 and 2024. Of these, 1,081 were addressed after being forwarded to the authorities concerned. The RTI response revealed that 647 complaints were received in the 2021-22 period, of which 567 were resolved. The following year, 530 complaints were lodged and 391 resolved. The app recorded 264 complaints in 2023-24 while 123 were addressed. To further improve the app's functionality, the government plans

Indian energy cos lag in R&D, innovation metrics compared to global peers

India's leading energy companies do not fare better than global firms on R&D intensity, proportion of employees with a PhD degree, and patents per billion dollar revenue, according to FAST India

Rs 971 crore Parliament building faces leaks due to heavy rains in Delhi

Congress has called for the setting up of a committee to investigate the structural integrity of the Parliament building, which was completed in May 2023 and had its inaugural session in September

Budget 2024: Govt keeps infra spend target unchanged at record Rs 11.11 trn

The government has doubled spending on infrastructure over the past three years as a way to boost the economy

Gujarat CM approves Rs 1740 cr for road infra in industrial & quarry areas

Constructing these roads will ease traffic in the cities, towns, and villages connected by them, providing well-suited roads for vehicular movement

Adani group to press the pedal on its retail play through super app

Group's B2C initiative aims to connect with 500 mn users by 2030

Sattva Group to invest Rs 12-14K cr in next 3 yrs to build infra projects

Realty firm Sattva Group will invest Rs 12,000-14,000 crore over the next three years to build housing, office and hotel projects and is in talks with PE major Blackstone to launch REIT for monetisation of commercial assets. Bengaluru-based Sattva Group is one of the leading real estate developers in India. It has completed 140 projects comprising 80 million square feet area in the last 30 years. Around 23 million square feet of area is under construction and 65 million square feet is in the pipeline. Addressing a press conference here, Sattva Group Managing Director Bijay Agarwal said, "We are very bullish on the real estate market. We will be investing Rs 12,000-14,000 crore over the next three years across residential, commercial and hospitality verticals." The investments will be funded through equity, debt and internal accruals, he said, adding that the company might raise equity funds at the project level if needed. Agarwal noted that the demand for the residential segment ha

458 infra projects hit by cost overrun of Rs 5.71 trillion in May: MoSPI

As many as 458 infrastructure projects, each entailing an investment of Rs 150 crore or above, were hit by a cost overrun of more than Rs 5.71 lakh crore in May this year, according to an official report. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), which monitors infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above, out of 1,817 projects, 458 reported cost overruns and 831 projects were delayed. The total original cost of implementation of 1,817 projects was Rs 27,58,567.23 crore, and their anticipated completion cost is likely to be Rs 33,29,647.99 crore, which reflects an overall cost overrun of over Rs 5,71,080.76 (20.70 per cent of original cost), the ministry's latest report for May 2024 showed. According to the report, the expenditure incurred on these projects till May 2024 is Rs 1,707,190.15 crore, which is 51.3 per cent of the anticipated cost of the projects. However, the number of delayed projects decreased to 554, provided the delay is

SBI to raise up to Rs 20,000 cr via long-term bonds to fund infra projects

The bonds to be issued in tranches depending on market conditions

NBCC gets Rs 70 cr contract from Grid-India for interior works in office

State-owned NBCC (India) Ltd has bagged a Rs 70 crore project from Grid Controller of India for executing interior works in new corporate office in the national capital. In a statement, NBCC said it has inked a memorandum of understanding with Grid Controller of India Ltd (Grid-India) for execution of interior, fit outs and other associated infrastructure works for their new corporate office at Ayurvigyan Nagar, New Delhi. "The tentative value of works to be executed under this MoU is approximately Rs 70 crore," it added. The MoU was signed by Alok Kumar, Senior General Manager, Grid-India and Mudit Bhatnagar, CGM (Engg), NBCC in the presence of S R Narasimhan, CMD, Grid-India; K P Mahadevaswamy, CMD, NBCC; B K Sokhey, Director (Finance), NBCC; Saleem Ahmad, Director (Projects), NBCC and other senior officials from both organizations. Earlier, Grid-India, which is responsible for National Load Dispatch, had purchased this new office of around 61,000 sq ft from NBCC at approximatel

448 infra projects hit by cost overrun of over Rs 5.55 trn in April

As many as 448 infrastructure projects, each entailing an investment of Rs 150 crore or above, were hit by a cost overrun of more than Rs 5.55 lakh crore in April 2024, according to an official report. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), which monitors infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above, out of 1,838 projects, 448 reported cost overruns and 792 projects were delayed. The total original cost of implementation of the 1,838 projects was Rs 27,64,246.50 crore, and their anticipated completion cost is likely to be Rs 33,19,601.84 crore, which reflects an overall cost overrun of over Rs 5,55,355.34 (20.09 per cent of original cost), the ministry's latest report for April 2024 showed. According to the report, the expenditure incurred on these projects till April 2024 is Rs 1,692,997.5 crore crore, which is 51 per cent of the anticipated cost of the projects. However, the number of delayed projects decreased to 514 if the delay is

Govt focus on infra to nurture sustained revival in investment: RBI report

The government's focus on infrastructure development, coupled with buoyant business optimism, could nurture a sustained revival in the investment cycle, according to a Reserve Bank report. According to the RBI's Monetary Policy Report- April 2024, domestic economic activity, backed by strong fundamentals, remained robust in the first half of 2023-24, weathering challenges from muted global demand. The report further said that while the fixed investment and the lower drag from net external demand propelled real GDP growth, private consumption received support from steady urban demand. On the supply side, it added, manufacturing activity strengthened further, benefiting from lower input costs and the improvement in global supply chains. Construction activity remained firm on the back of buoyant housing demand and the government's thrust on infrastructure. "Going ahead, private consumption will get support from improved prospects for rural demand and rising consumer confidence. "The

India a significant player in shaping global 6G standards: Ericsson exec

She says that fixed wireless access is paving the way for new revenue streams and monetisation in 5G for communication service partners in India

Business Standard Manthan: India's luxury landscape brimming with potential

It takes time to establish a brand in this space. It needs support in the form of infrastructure and services. Is India keeping pace with its demands?

PM Modi unveils development projects worth Rs 17,000 crore in Rajasthan

Ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, PM Modi shares development plans for projects spanning roads, railways, solar energy, and more aimed at transforming Rajasthan's infrastructure

Budget 2024: PM GatiShakti to be utilised for 3 major railway corridors

PM GatiShakti aims boost multimodal connectivity while moving towards logistics efficiency and reducing carbon footprint in rail movement

Budget focus on infra, connectivity to help real estate growth: Experts

The Interim Union Budget 2024-25 also focused on women's empowerment through housing facilities under the PM Awas Yojna scheme

Relaxation in development rules can't be allowed public safety is affected

Relaxation of development rules cannot be permitted if it adversely affects public safety, the Bombay High Court has said while ordering the removal of seven mechanised cantilever car parking spaces (stack parking) constructed in a residential building here. A division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Kamal Khata noted that the stack parking system in the premises of the housing society in Borivali completely undermined the fire safety and public safety not only of members of the society but also of children, senior citizens, and perhaps even passersby. The order dated January 18 was made available on Tuesday. The bench noted that no fire tender or ambulance can go past the stack parking in case of emergencies in the society. The court passed the order in a petition filed by Rahul Jain, an ophthalmologist, challenging the decision to set up seven mechanised cantilever (stack) car parking spaces at his housing society in the western suburb of Borivali, as it was blocking the entra

Ram temple event: Ayodhya gripped by religious fervor, festive atmosphere

Invitees to the "Pran Pratishtha" consecration ceremony at the Ram temple started arriving Sunday in Ayodhya -- once a sleepy town now resplendent with new infrastructure and gripped by heightened religious fervour on the eve of a seminal event in India's political and religious history. The town, about 140 km west of Lucknow, was bedecked with multi-coloured flowers as recordings of 'Ram dhun' played from loudspeakers and townsfolk dressed as Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman paraded down the streets followed by delirious devotees, and news camera crews. "Ayodhya Ram maye ho gayi hai (Ayodhya is immersed in devotion of Lord Ram)," said Shailendra Gupta, who runs a fabric store on Ram Path, the main street of the town that runs past the Ram temple. "And tomorrow is a day when Hindus across the world will rejoice." Skittish policemen kept order, urging cars to stay mobile. But they could only honk repeatedly to part the sea of pilgrims on Ram Path, many with "Jai Shri Ram" painted

PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate infra boost at Cochin Shipyard on Wednesday

New dry dock and International Ship Repair Facility for CSL