As India’s newest development financing institution (DFI), the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) is targeting Rs.1.2 trillion in loan sanctions for this fiscal year. Samuel Joseph Jebaraj, Deputy Managing Director, tells INFRASTRUCTURE TODAY’s Manish Pant that while deepening its presence in renewables and roads, the DFI is also underwriting municipal bonds and...
Category: ECONOMY & POLICY
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From Code to Concrete: Why the Smart Infrastructure Boom Needs Bobs to Become Tech Builders
As modern infrastructure becomes as much about software as cement and steel, it demands professionals who blend deep technical expertise with a practical grasp of how capital projects operate across design, execution and long-term maintenance, writes Pete Olds. The infrastructure industry, long dominated by engineers, architects, and contractors, is now also a frontier for technologists,...
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Grid of Change: Odisha Model and Reimagining Power Sector Reforms Through PPPs
Odisha’s reform of its transmission and distribution infrastructure provides a homegrown template for ensuring a bright future for India’s rapidly transitioning power sector, writes Brajesh Singh. I still remember the evening in August 2017 when electricity arrived for the first time in a village in North Bihar. As the CEO of a leading utility at...
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Balancing industry outlook with fiscal prudence is key to growth
Among the select few C-level executives in Indian infrastructure, Kavita Shirvaikar, Managing Director of Patel Engineering Ltd., is widely admired for shattering the glass ceiling in a traditionally male-dominated field. In an exclusive conversation with INFRASTRUCTURE TODAY’s Manish Pant, she discusses her ambitious vision of steering the 76-year-old, Mumbai-headquartered infrastructure and construction company toward a...
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HAM: The Road Ahead
Recent policy recalibrations are reshaping the hybrid annuity model, a distinctly Indian innovation in public-private partnership for road infrastructure. These changes aim to ensure that financially sound and technically qualified developers take the lead, setting the stage for higher construction standards and a more balanced distribution of national highway projects, says Anand Kulkarni. National highways...
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Accelerating India’s High-Speed Future
Currently, 22 countries operate high-speed rail or bullet train networks, while another 16 are developing them at various stages of completion. India joined this global movement in 2017 with the launch of its first bullet train corridor on the commercially vital Mumbai-Ahmedabad route. The service was initially expected to begin in 2023, but land acquisition...
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Fast Forwarding Bharat: The Next Leap
As India’s first bullet train line between Mumbai and Ahmedabad approaches full commissioning by 2029, momentum is building to accelerate the rollout of additional high-speed corridors nationwide, writes Manish Pant. In June 2022, high humidity, frequent rainfall, and oppressive monsoon temperatures were matched by intense backroom politics in Maharashtra’s capital, Mumbai. Nearly 40 dissident lawmakers...
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Building for Safety: Future-Proofing Indian Infrastructure
Future-proofing Indian infrastructure means designing for resilience, adaptability and sustainability, ensuring that what we build today continues to safeguard society well into tomorrow, explains Ajay Gupta. India stands at a critical juncture in its infrastructure journey. The country is urbanising at an unprecedented pace, with highways, metros, bridges, airports, and residential clusters rapidly transforming the...
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Karnataka Partners with SIA-India to Launch India’s First State-Led Space Technology Centre
The centre of excellence in Bengaluru will incubate startups, drive R&D, and position Karnataka as a global space innovation hub. The Karnataka government has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the industry association SIA-India to establish India’s first state-level centre of excellence (CoE) in space technology. The initiative, led by the Karnataka Innovation and...
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IndiGo Expands UK Reach with More Flights to Manchester and London Heathrow
India’s largest airline boosts non-stop connectivity from Delhi and Mumbai using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. IndiGo, India’s largest airline by marketshare and fleet size, is set to expand its long-haul footprint to the UK this winter, increasing frequencies on its direct routes to Manchester and London Heathrow from Delhi and Mumbai. The move follows strong booking...