Let us herald the New Year with some heartening news for Indian infrastructure.
FlashNews:
DGCA Fines IndiGo ₹222 Million, Warns Management Over December Flight Disruptions
CII Urges Infrastructure Push, Competitiveness and Digitisation in Union Budget
PM Modi Flags Off Vande Bharat Sleeper Train as Symbol of Viksit Bharat
Officials Gear Up for Full Operationalisation of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor
Transition to Bioenergy Requires Cohesive Effort Across Entire Value Chain: Naik
Air India, Singapore Airlines Ink Cooperation Framework to Deepen Partnership
Manohar Lal Flags Off Countdown to Global Bharat Electricity Summit 2026 in March
Project Kaundinya: India, Oman Must Collaborate on Green Shipping Corridor, Says Sonowal
Project Kaundinya: OneWeb Connectivity Powers Indian Navy’s Historic INSV Kaundinya Voyage
Project Kaundinya: INSV Kaundinya Voyage Revives India‑Oman 5,000-Year-Old Maritime Legacy
CII Suggests Mandates and Incentives to Drive India’s Green Hydrogen Economy
India’s Construction Equipment Demand Falls 9%, Exports Surge Amid Revival Prospects
Coal and the Grid: Why India Still Needs Baseload Power
RVNL to Build 200-Wagon POH Workshop in Odisha Under ₹2.01 Billion EPC Contract
NHAI Launches Internship Programme to Build Highway Talent Nationwide
Powerplay Rolls Out Procurement-Linked Credit to Unlock Contractor Cash Flows
IREDA Earns ‘Excellent’ MoU Rating for Fifth Year, Cementing Role in Clean Energy Financing
Inox Clean Energy Secures ₹31 Billion Equity at ₹500 Billion Valuation
Centre’s ₹2.35 Billion Port Push in Tamil Nadu, Sonowal Flags Maritime-Led Growth
Bumper to bummer
What our cities must get right before jumping to future transport options. “Why focus on urban transport?†asked a 2005 government presentation document, somewhat rhetorically.
The basic problem among cities is in understanding problems and deciding priorities
Urban transport solutions need urban bodies to have negotiating expertise, but most of our cities—especially non-metros—do not have PPP expertise.
Vox Pop: Should cities focus on bus transit systems?
As many of our cities grapple with more basic needs, they also need to also understand infrastructure needs, viabilities and economies of scale in their transport infrastructure.
Public agencies in cities should participate in low cost housing projects on PPP
How do you make projects in low cost housing, a social necessity, also viable and attractive to large private companies?
Open access regulations in power implemented
Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has implemented the regulations enabling power developers to obtain transmission corridors for open access in the medium-term.
Indian equipment for UMPPs
A committee headed by Planning Commission member Arun Maira, studying the proposal to make it mandatory for bidders of future ultra mega power projects (UMPPs) to buy only Indian equipment is likely to submit its report soon.
BSWH project to take off in Orissa
The Bundled Solar Water Heater (BSWH) project is likely to take off in Orissa soon.
RPower wants joint coal mining with NTPC
Jharkhand Integrated PowÂer, of Anil Ambani’s ReliaÂnce group, has proposed to join hands with NTPC in mining coal from mines in Jharkhand that have been given to the entities to fuel their upcoming power projects.
CIL to rope in private cos to develop gasification project
Coal India has decided to rope in private firms to develop underground coal gasification projects and set up at least one 50:50 joint venture to create marketing infrastructure and sell the gas.

