Sector Focus Archives - Page 50 of 55

Easing Norms: ECBs expected to play a greater role

December 3, 2016

As foreign loans are cheaper than raising funds domestically, external commercial borrowings (ECBs) are an attractive option for infrastructure players looking to finance projects. In a recent policy amendment, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) […]

Sustained Support: Multilateral agencies help meet financing needs

December 3, 2016

In a scenario where the government has accorded first and foremost priority to infrastructure development, along with the present inadequacy of funds for infrastructure projects, the role of banks and public financial institutions needs to […]

Lending Constraints: Bank credit stymied by stressed assets

December 3, 2016

Banks, the predominant providers of infrastructure finance, are reeling under unprecedented stress levels leading to reduced credit availability to the sector. Currently, the banking sector’s exposure to infrastructure stands at 15 per cent of gross […]

New Funds: Will they bridge the gap in financing?

December 3, 2016

Infrastructure financing has been a vexed issue in India. Traditionally, banks have been the biggest source of funds for infrastructure projects. However, lately, factors such as the exhaustion of sectoral limits, the adoption of Basel […]

Cautious Optimism: Hopes pinned on new funding sources

December 3, 2016

Financing infrastructure projects has always been difficult in India. In the past few years, the already difficult situation has been exacerbated, as banks, the largest financiers of the sector, have been affected by high levels […]

Improved Outlook: Sector reports impressive growth in numbers

October 28, 2016

The road sector has certainly started showing signs of recovery after a slowdown of almost three years. […]

Policy Moves: Removing roadblocks to project implementation

October 28, 2016

Elimination of policy-related barriers in order to step up activity in the road sector has been the key focus area of the government. In the past 12 months, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways […]

Government Initiatives: Focus on big-ticket programmes and online portals

October 28, 2016

Over the past couple of years, the central government has taken several innovative initiatives to facilitate road development. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has focused on the augmentation of existing infrastructure as […]

Awards Increase: NHDP makes significant progress over the past year

October 28, 2016

In the past year, the National Highways Development Programme (NHDP) has witnessed a surge in activity. During 2015-16, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) achieved about 85 per cent of its project award target as […]

Views of A.K. Singh: “HAM and EPC-based projects mark a surge in competition”

October 28, 2016

The road sector has witnessed an uptick in sentiment in the recent past. Leading this change is a host of initiatives launched for the revival of stalled projects as well as the creation of new […]

On a Growth Path: Road development in the Northeast

October 28, 2016

Over the past two years, the central government has been focusing on the development of road infrastructure in the north-eastern region. To facilitate this, the government has set up National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation […]

Recovery in Sight: Financing scenario gradually improves

October 28, 2016

The road sector has witnessed stressful times in terms of financings over the past four-five years. Lags and execution delays have resulted in potential investors being more cautious about committing funds to road projects. While […]

Developer Perspective: PPP experience in road development

October 28, 2016

The investment environment in the road sector is not very optimistic at present. The interest of private players is mostly subdued. This depressed interest can be attributed to several challenges that developers continue to face. […]

EPC Experience: Challenges faced by contractors in project execution

October 28, 2016

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model essentially works as an enhanced version of the item rate contract. The engineering part seems to be missing in “EPC” as there is little scope or flexibility for […]

Big Plans: Key developments across states

October 28, 2016

Road development in states across the country has picked up pace over the past year. Poll-bound states such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have announced several big-ticket projects to augment road infrastructure. While public funds […]

Asset Recycling: Cabinet approves toll-operate-transfer model

October 28, 2016

In August 2016, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the toll-operate-transfer (TOT) model to monetise public-funded operational toll-based projects which have been generating revenues for a minimum of two years after the commercial […]