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:
Steeling Energy Security: SAPL Redefines India’s Gas Economy
GCCs Propel India’s Office Market to Record Absorption in 2025
ABB Dispatches First India-Made Wind Converter After Gamesa Acquisition
Discoms Spark Turnaround: Power Utilities Post First Profit in Several Years
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
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,

