Lesser allocation of mines to steel, cement and captive power plants in the coal blocks auction may increase their dependence on costlier imported fuel, says rating agency ICRA.

The continuous fall in crude oil prices have come as a major relief for the Indian economy. Oil cartel OPEC´s decision to not cut production despite the dip in oil prices coupled with a slowdown in a few major economies have meant that crude will continue to come under pressure in the first half of 2015.

Agro-Tourism Rural Economic Devlopment Programme under PPP Mode-Development of Highway Amenities Centre across State Highway near petrol pump.

According to ICRA estimates, India´s coal import is set to go up significantly in the next financial year.

The average all-India loss levels of power transmission in FY13 were in the range of 27 per cent, according to a recent report by ICRA.

Inland water transport is an idea whose time has come. For too long it has been the step-child of planners and policy makers in the transport field.With the current government leaving the ghost of UPA II behind, the recent decision to implement ´Jal Marg Vikas´ by 2020 would enable movement of large cruise vessels through the year up to Allahabad.

Rating agency ICRA reported a subdued outlook for oil refiners in the near term due to global capacity additions outstripping demand growth. The agency expects oil marketing companies to close the current fiscal year with high gross under-recoveries on account of high crude prices and a weakness in the rupee against dollar in the earlier part of FY14.

In India's major ports the cargo throughput grew 2.59 per cent to 277 million tonne (mt) in first half of the present financial thanks to the growth at Ennore, Paradip and New Mangalore, said the agency Icra on December 11. Coal imports, petroleum oil and lubricants (POL), and fertilisers drove the volume growth, while iron ore and container volume dragged the overall growth, Icra said.

Fixing water pricing is not just a matter of introducing some user charges here and raising a few taxes there. It is the need of the hour to tackle the concurrent issues, improve the service levels and implement a cost recovery policy.