Ezine Archive
April Issue 2019
April Issue 2019
Month: April 2019
Ports & Shipping
Changing Hands: Government sells 73 per cent stake in DCI
The government of India finally completed the divestment of its 73.47 per cent stake in the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) in March 2019, selling its share to four major ports. The process of disinvestment […]
Construction
New Possibilities: Using waste material for road construction
The Indian road sector has witnessed a major turnaround in activity during the past four to five years. The length of the projects awarded and constructed increased at a compound annual growth rate of over […]
Geosynthetics in Infrastructure
Ripe for Growth: Geosynthetics market to gain from infrastructure and regulatory push
In the past, when dealing with difficult sites for construction purposes, the conventional practice has been limited to either replacing unsuitable soils with other more suitable materials, or bypassing these soils with costly deep foundations. […]
Sector Focus
On the Right Track: Trends and developments in the railway sector
The railway sector has received a lot of attention in the past couple of years. There has been a surge in activity in terms of the launch of big-ticket programmes and schemes, introduction of a […]
Roads & Bridges
Reality Check: Greenfield ports progressing at snail’s pace
The past few years have seen increasing competition between the major and non-major ports as the port sector has been gradually moving away from a monopolistic market model to a competitive one. Of the total […]
Special Section
Gaining Ground: Increasing use of geosynthetics across infrastructure sectors
The application of geosynthetics in infrastructure is steadily gaining ground. Largely manufactured from polymeric materials, these technical textile products are becoming more popular in various infrastructure sectors and are being used to construct retaining walls […]
Sector Focus
Promising Future: Opportunities galore in the railway sector
The railway sector is poised to become one of the major drivers for economic growth in the country, given the huge Rs 10 trillion investment planned for the next four-five years. This investment will go […]
Special Section
Product Classification: Different products of geosynthetics and their applications
Geosynthetics are man-made polymers that are used to improve soil quality and achieve better performance in geotechnical engineering projects. They are easy to produce and transport and can be used to create more environmentally sustainable […]
Sector Focus
Fresh Options: IR exploring new sources of financing
Indian Railways (IR) has large-scale financing requirements due to the capital-intensive nature of the works it is implementing. The funds are primarily needed for the creation of rail infrastructure such as new lines, railway stations […]
Sector Focus
Need to Revitalise PPPs: IR’s initiatives for improving performance
In the past few years, the railway sector has undoubtedly attracted considerable government attention. Several noteworthy initiatives and policies have been introduced to transform the sector. Steps such as track modernisation, 100 per cent railway […]
Sector Focus
Recent Initiatives: Transforming railways for improved passenger service and safety
In the past few years, Indian Railways (IR) has focused on providing world-class facilities to its passengers by offering improved basic amenities on trains and at platforms, ensuring safety and security, and introducing digital initiatives, […]
Sector Focus
Network Expansion: Snapshot of tracks and bridges in the railway sector
Over the years, Indian Railways (IR) has made significant progress in strengthening its track and bridge network. While the pace of implementation has been sluggish, the plans on paper are vast, especially with respect to […]
Sector Focus
Accident-free Routes: Modernising S&T systems on railway networks to improve safety
Indian Railways (IR) has seen significant growth in demand for signalling and telecommunication (S&T) technologies in recent years. Rising expenditure on safety and enhancing line capacity, and the mounting need for improving efficiencies of train […]
Sector Focus
Capacity Augmentation: IR’s rolling stock and upcoming manufacturing facilities
The year 2018-19 has been a significant one for the rolling stock segment. It saw the introduction of the first indigenously developed and manufactured semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express, the roll-out of IR’s first smart […]
Sector Focus
Station Makeover: Update on IR’s station redevelopment programme
Given its increased focus on enhancing passenger convenience and comfort, the Ministry of Railways (MoR) announced plans to redevelop 400 Category A and A1 stations across the country. To this end, it launched the Station […]
Sector Focus
Picking up Speed?: Snapshot of the HSR segment
In the past few years, the development of high speed rail (HSR) projects has been a key focus area of Indian Railways (IR). Several HSR corridors – the Diamond Quadrilateral network; Mumbai-Ahmedabad; Delhi-Amritsar and Chennai-Mysore […]
Loans
IFC offers $43.3 million in debt funding to Hero Future Energies
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) plans to provide debt financing of up to $43.3 million (Rs 3 billion) to Hero Future Energies Global Limited for the construction of a solar power plant. The money will […]
Sector Focus
Still Awaited: DFCs to enhance IR’s freight traffic and earnings
The eastern and western dedicated freight corridors (DFCs) are the much-needed and long-awaited additions to Indian Railways’ (IR) freight carrying capacity. The ambitious project was launched in 2006. Almost 13 years into its inception the […]
Sector Focus
Enhancing Regional Mobility: Update on RRTS for Delhi NCR
The demographics of the National Capital Region (NCR) present a strong case for the development of a rail-based high speed regional rapid transit system (RRTS). The NCR area collectively generates around 7.5 per cent of […]