We are turning 25!
Join us as we scroll through our archives and revisit the past.
To mark our 25th Anniversary, we are bringing out a special commemorative issue around the theme, “Trends, Transition, Transformation”. It will have many special features, mixing memories with analyses and hopes with projections. It will showcase the successes, examine the failures and highlight the changes over the past 25 years. It will also attempt to identify the biggest challenges, the best strategies and the most promising technologies for the next 25 years. All this, through the voices of the sector, representing all stakeholders, and making it a very special issue.
In the run-up to this issue, we will bring you a mix of “old” stories, interviews and features in our special “India Infrastructure Rewind” section. It will retrace the journey of India’s infrastructure sector, its moods and memorable moments.
We hope you enjoy browsing this special section. Watch this space for more…
Interview with L. Mansingh: “We are entering the natural gas era”
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) played a pivotal role in reforming and shaping the oil and gas regulatory landscape. Bringing in change was, of course, no mean task. As late L. Mansingh, the first chairman of PNGRB, said, “The first regulator always has a difficult time.” In this interview published a year after PNGRB completed its first year in 2008, Mansingh, talked about the priorities and challenges for PNGRB…
Interview with G.K. Vasan: “There is no place for complacency in our effort to boost investor confidence”
Back in 2013, when the Indian maritime sector was struggling amidst the global economic slowdown, the shipping ministry took several critical steps to revive the sector and investor interest. In this interview from our archives, G.K. Vasan, then union minister of shipping, spoke about the key initiatives and the policy roadmap to steer the industry forward…
Turbulent Take-Off: Bangalore international airport starts operations
The IT capital of India got a new international airport in March 2008, following the closure of commercial operations by HAL. The surge in traffic demand led to the development of one of the most modern airport facilities in India at the time. The story of what went into building Bengaluru’s world-class airport, the planning, the costs, the commissioning and, of course, the many challenges associated with it…
Interview with Dr Kirit Parikh: “Full price competition may take some time”
Dr Kirit Parikh has been instrumental in transforming India’s energy policy landscape. Most recently, he chaired an expert committee that came out with recommendations for overhauling the gas pricing mechanism, considered one of the biggest reforms in the sector so far. How has the oil and gas sector evolved over the years? In an interview with Indian Infrastructure in August 2006, Dr Parikh, then member, Planning Commission, talked about the energy priorities and strategies to bridge the demand-supply gap…
Rangarajan Committee Report: Sets the ground, but implementation is a challenge
The pricing of petroleum products has always been a sensitive issue. In 2005, the government set up the C. Rangarajan Committee to review the key issues relating to the prices of petroleum products such as petrol and diesel. This story from our archives provided a critical insight into the recommendations made by the committee and their expected impact…
Putting Delhi on Track: But the fate of the metro depends on the numbers that take to it
The introduction of metro rail systems transformed the urban transportation landscape and marked a paradigm shift in the way people commuted. Delhi Metro set the pace for this change with its efficient network, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and commitment to innovation. This story from our archives talked about the strides taken by Delhi Metro, its financial viability and completion targets…
Indian Initiatives: Experiments in water and sanitation
Two decades back, urban infrastructure projects were typically undertaken by the public sector, with limited or no participation by private players. The scenario has changed considerably since then with private sector companies also throwing their hat into the ring. In a guest article published in Indian Infrastructure (September 1998), V. Suresh, then chairman and managing director, HUDCO, discussed potential models for private participation, some of which have found success over the years…
Poor Policies Cause Slowdown: Inadequate Infrastructure Chokes Growth
25 years ago, when our first edition rolled off the press, the state of infrastructure in the country was abysmal. Development was sluggish across sectors, choking economic growth. What was wrong? A number of things, but a large part of the problem was the underdeveloped policy landscape. Our inaugural cover story from 1998 highlighted the key issues at the time and the policy deficit that was stalling infrastructure development…