Feature Mar 01, 2013 Indian companies need to invest more in R&D To stay competitive, companies have to be on their toes to cope up with integration of new technologies and sustain it in the long run, says Amit Gupta, CEO, Essar Projects (Hydrocarbons),
Feature Mar 01, 2013 Need for innovation The oil & gas industry's ever-increasing need for innovation will compel companies to invest in technology development, and the pace of innovation will differentiate companies from each other.
Feature Feb 01, 2013 Will privatisation work? Lack of institutional capacity for developing coal blocks, limited availability of sound contract miners, and procedural challenges faced by the captive coal block owners are major issues haunting the coal mining in India. Dealing with these challenges is important for improving sector supplies, rather than privatisation, writes Dilip Kumar Jena.
Feature Feb 01, 2013 Coal is the major concern for thermal power projects The implementation of reforms at the state power utility (SPU) level as well as of those initiated to mitigate fuel shortages remains key to power sector turnaround, says KVB Reddy, Executive Director, Essar Power, in an interview with Sumantra Das.
Feature Feb 01, 2013 A powerful need A strong domestic coal production and delivery system is important to achieve energy sufficiency and long-term energy security. Also, an independent coal regulator is required to create confidence of private investors, writes A Shivkamal.India is the seventh largest country in the world with a total land area of over 3,287,260 sq km and with a growing population of 1.22 billion that has put severe strain on the Indian infrastructure.
Feature Dec 01, 2012 Are our Port Trusts relevant? Private sector participation in development and operations of ports has increased considerably over the last few years resulting in a radical change in the organisational model of ports. The change has permeated to some extent into the Indian ports sector in the last decade. But not so when it comes to ports managed by the Port Trust system, writes Janaki Krishnamoorthi. The Government of India which administers the major ports has realised the port restructuring is essential to attract large
Feature Nov 01, 2012 Need for a better waste management system Our cities will need a combination of centralised and decentralised wastewater treatment systems especially in urban pockets and smaller towns where formal sewerage system and treatment will be too expensive, write B Rajesh and Neerad Swaroop. Nearly 590 million people are expected to live in Indian cities by the year 2030. As per the 2011 census, decadal growth of urban population was 31 per cent,
Feature Nov 01, 2012 PPP and water management still don't jell Private players have been shying away from PPP in water management due to lack of transparency in the system, longer gestation of return on investment and above all RoI is much lower compared to other infrastructure projects. With upsurge in economic activities and rapid growth in urbanisation, proper water management system has to be in place. According to a recent PwC report, almost 590 million people are expected to live in Indian cities by the year 2030.
Feature Nov 01, 2012 Integrated planning for water & sewerage system Techno-economical methods for dilution and tertiary treatment of sewage are an inevitability to achieve the new and more stringent quality norms, writes PK Jain. In India, increasing water consumption is only complicated by the high level of unaccounted-for water (UFW). Keeping this in mind, the government has taken several initiatives. The most ambitious plan for abatement of pollution of water was launched on 14 June 1985 by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
