Data & Statistics
Year: 2019
Urban Mass Transit
Innovative Financing: Urban rail projects tapping new funding sources
Urban rail projects have been mainly funded by the central and state governments (and in some instances, urban local bodies [ULBs]) along with debt financing from various multilateral funding agencies. The major source of income […]
Water & Waste
Implementation Challenges: Polavaram irrigation project witnesses slow progress due to contractual and funding issues
The state of Andhra Pradesh has large tracts of agricultural land that requires substantial supply of irrigation water. However, the upland areas of East Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Krishna districts have no source of water supply […]
Technology Focus
Digital Edge: Bentley announces new technology solutions for better asset and network performance
Amongst the several options that have emerged to cater to the dynamic needs of infrastructure companies and utilities, a promising and multifaceted solution is Bentley Systems’ infrastructure “digital twins” technology software. The use of advanced […]
International Railway Equipment Exhibition 2019
Keeping Pace: Focus on network expansion and modernising systems
In India, rail infrastructure forms the backbone of the country’s transportation system. Contributing to about 3 per cent of the total GDP, Indian Railways (IR) has been consistently working towards capacity expansion, efficiency enhancement, technological […]
People
Ashwini Bhide
Ashwini Bhide, managing director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), is an IAS officer of the 1995 batch, Maharashtra cadre. She has held several positions at the district level for both administrative and regulatory […]
Urban Mass Transit
Limited Impact: PPPs leave a sour taste for metro rail developers
The experience with the public-private partnership (PPP) model in the metro rail segment has not been very good. Sweeteners such as land parcels at prime locations failed to elicit an encouraging response. The key reason […]
Water & Waste
International Railway Equipment Exhibition 2019
Unlocking Potential: Increasing indigenous production with Make in India initiative
Indian Railways (IR) has become a key driver of the government’s Make in India programme, enabling the country to become a manufacturing base for railway equipment. The initiative has helped the railways in attaining the […]
Urban Mass Transit
Ticketing Redefined: AFC moving from single tokens to all-purpose interoperable smart cards
Over the years, automatic fare collection (AFC) systems have transformed significantly. Ticketing technologies and systems have evolved from paper-based tickets to closed-loop contactless smart cards, from catering only to metro tickets to more advanced interoperable […]
Roads & Bridges
Views of R.K. Pandey: NHAI is exploring alternative materials and pavement designs in road construction
The road sector has witnessed a sea change over the past decade. The launch of the Bharatmala programme has further heightened activity levels in the sector, both in terms of award as well as execution […]
Power
Taking a Hit: Mounting discom losses impact state finances
UDAY’s term is over and the power distribution segment continues to be affected by the chronic debt problem. As per recent data shared by the Ministry of Power (as of September 2019), the cumulative book […]
Ports & Shipping
Performance Review: Major ports register marginal upswing during the first half of 2019
The first six months (April-September) of the current fiscal year (2019-20) have been moderate for the port sector. The major ports handled 348.45 million tonnes (mt) of cargo traffic during April-September 2019, compared to 343.38 […]
People
Sujoy Bose
Sujoy Bose brings to the table over two decades of experience in emerging markets, private equity and debt investments with IFC, where he has been responsible for several major emerging markets transactions, covering both debt […]
Water & Waste
International Railway Equipment Exhibition 2019
Technology Perspective: Views of select players in the rail equipment segment
Rising investments in network expansion and decongestion in the railway sector have resulted in high growth in the railway equipment market. The entry of new manufacturers has widened the choice for project developers/contractors. Further, the […]
People
Rakesh Mohan Agarwal: Chairman and Managing Director, ITI Limited
Rakesh Mohan Agarwal, chairman and managing director (CMD), ITI Limited, began his career with the exciting job of installing telephone exchanges in remote areas to relieve people of the tedium of booking STD calls and […]
People
Minesh Dave: President, Transmission and Distribution, Tata Power
Minesh Dave is a Tata Power veteran, having joined the company in 1982 as a postgraduate engineer trainee. During his 37-year-long journey with the company, he has progressed through various functions including operations, engineering, project development, […]
Infrastructure Finance
High on Returns: Airport industry makes a strong business case for private investments
The airport business is complex in nature. It requires capex at periodic intervals for expansion of existing infrastructure and has a high level of fixed costs with variable costs being rather low. Meanwhile, the aeronautical […]
Construction
Boring Through: Unique construction techniques being tested in tunnelling projects
Tunnel development in the country has picked up pace in the past few years on account of an increased uptake of projects involving longer tunnel lengths. The growth of tunnelling activity is driven by the […]