Under pressure from banks, who are refusing to lend, state utilities are poring over the new reports by Shunglu and BK Chaturvedi Committees. Is franchise the best way forward, though? At 31 percent, the national average on AT&C losses are unacceptably high. Quantified, this amounts to nearly Rs 70,000 crore of losses, and the Finance Commission fears that this amount will rise to Rs 1.16 lakh crore by 2014-15.
FlashNews:
IndiGo Revises Fuel Charges as ATF Costs Soar
Putting Turbulence Behind IndiGo Appoints Willie Walsh to Drive Future Global Growth
DFCCIL Completes Trial Run on Newly Electrified JNPA-Vaitarna Freight Corridor
Sourav Ganguly, Indian Cricket’s ‘Dada’, Named JAKSON Group’s First Brand Ambassador
RAHSTA Roundtable Sets Agenda for Smarter, Safer Highways
CTS Roundtable Charts Tech-Led Roadmap for Construction
Drone Startup BonV Aero Hails Rangeilunda’s Integrated Drone Testing
India Orders Boost in LPG Output to Safeguard Household Supply
“Entrepreneurial hunger, technology enablement to drive massive growth”
Tata Power Odisha Discoms Empower Women with ‘Nua Arambha’ Careers Initiative
Deepak Gupta Named CMD of GAIL, to Drive Energy Growth
India Is Advancing Growth While Preserving Heritage: Sonowal
ISA and IIT Delhi Partner to Build Global Solar Skills
Solar Service Searches Surge 43% Nationwide, Justdial Data Shows
Centre Clears ₹7.97 Billion Green Hydrogen Jetty at Paradip Port
ONGC Hosts 7th Para Games, Championing Inclusion in India Inc.
India’s Space Sector Secures Cyber Shield with CERT‑In, SIA‑India Guidelines
GAIL Breaks Ground on Sohna R&D Centre to Drive Clean Energy Innovation
Veolia Secures 2 Landmark Mumbai Water Projects to Boost Urban Sustainability
Bracing Up
Since we're in December, it's probably a good time to look back at the year. The 6.9 per cent quarterly growth figures for the previous quarter come in the year's sunset month, and the fiscal year's growth is now downgraded to about 7.3 per cent.
There will be visible improvement in port connectivity in 3-4 years
In his interview with Sudheer Vathiyath and Shashidhar Nanjundaiah, K Mohandas, Secretary, Union Ministry of Shipping, highlights some of the initiatives from the government in port connectivity, including ro-ro services, inland waterways on PPP, and more.
It's not a bridge – it's a gamechanger
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) recently issued Request for Quotation (RFQ) for the much-awaited trans-harbour link from Mumbai's Sewri and Nhava and Jawaharlal Nehru Ports, with further linkages to other ports.
On the foothills of an uncertain year
One of the key challenges in infrastructure is facilitating the flow of projected but large amounts of capital into infrastructure. Current trends indicate that there might be a funding shortfall of over $300 billion,
Vibrancy of infra sectors will continue: Montek
"Which is the most progressive state in infrastructure?" "Where are the problem areas?" "Is desalination feasible in states where power is a problem?" "What do you think will happen?"
Port connectivity: The efficiency linkages
Bankers say ports are one of the best sectors to finance to. With the frenetic growth envisaged in the 2020 Agenda, port connectivity is impatiently awaited as the government works on four-lane roads and rail lines linking the gateways to the hinterland.
Vizhinjam gears up external infra
As his port hopes to compete with Vallarpadam as a state-owned transshipment hub, Manoj Joshi, CEO, Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL), and Secretary (Ports), Kerala Government, responds to questions from Infrastructure Today.
Credit ratings: Need for a different rating mechanism
Conventional investment credit ratings-typically lower than desirable for infrastructure projects-constrain financing infrastructure investments in India, says Dhruba Purkayastha. So should the methodology be revisited?
Infrascape 2012 | Highways: EPC will gain momentum next year
Highways have been largely on an upswing. We have awaÂrded-or set to award upon opening bids-4,500 km, and will be awarding a minimum of 3,000 km by the end of this fiscal. The industry has been gung ho about the sector,

