Vadhavan airport plans, hydrogen rail milestone & road policy reset: What was important in the week gone by!
The country will soon see the development of another greenfield airport as the government of Maharashtra focuses on developing an airport in Vadhavan, located in the Palghar district of western Maharashtra. It is learnt that the pre-feasibility study of the airport has already begun.
Once completed, the region will have three airports, including Navi Mumbai International Airport and Mumbai International Airport, significantly increasing air connectivity and cargo transport potential in Maharashtra.
The government plans to integrate the proposed airport with under development all-weather deep draft Vadhavan Port, which is aimed at creating a major logistics and trade hub.
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A joint venture between Spain's TYPSA and Italy's RINA is set to win the consultancy contract for the mega Vadhavan Port, a critical link in India's maritime infrastructure plans.The government will soon notify a revamped Model Concession Agreement (MCA) for Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll road projects, aiming to address investor concerns and revive interest in private sector road development.Despite a record ₹1.14 lakh crore allocated to improve rail safety in the country, fatalities continue on Mumbai's overcrowded and aging rail network, raising concerns over implementation gaps.In a clean energy milestone, India successfully tested its first hydrogen-powered rail coach at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai—marking a step toward greener public transport.Which story stood out for you this week? Send us your thoughts and suggestions as we continue curating India's top infrastructure headlines.
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PM Internship Scheme 2025: Who can apply, how to register, and what students will earn
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You must have at least completed: Class 10 (secondary school) Class 12 (higher secondary) Or hold a degree or diploma such as Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Commerce ( Bachelor of Science ( Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA), Bachelor of Pharmacy ( etc. PM Internship Scheme 2025: Steps to register Follow these steps to complete your registration for the PM Internship Scheme 2025: Visit the official website: Click on the 'Register' link on the homepage. Fill in your personal and academic details and submit. The portal will generate a resume automatically based on your inputs. Choose up to 5 internships based on your preferences such as location, sector and qualification. Submit the application and download the confirmation page. Keep a printed copy for future reference. PM Internship Scheme 2025: Who is not eligible? You cannot apply if: You are under 21 or over 24 years of age as of the final application date. You are currently studying or working full-time. You have a degree from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), National Law Universities (NLUs), National Institutes of Design (NIDs), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) or similar institutions. You hold a higher qualification such as Master of Business Administration (MBA), Chartered Accountant (CA), Company Secretary (CS), Cost and Management Accountant (CMA), Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), or any master's degree. You are already part of another internship, apprenticeship or training programme under any central or state government scheme. You have previously completed an internship under the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) or National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS). The annual income of any family member (yourself, parents or spouse) exceeds ₹8 lakh for FY 2023-24. Any family member (yourself, parents or spouse) is a permanent or regular government employee. Contractual workers are excluded from this restriction. You are an international applicant. PM Internship Scheme 2025: Where can you intern? Once registered, eligible students can apply for internships in multiple sectors, including: IT and Software Banking and Finance Oil, Gas and Energy Metals and Mining FMCG Telecom Infrastructure and Construction Retail and Consumer Durables Cement and Building Materials Automotive Pharmaceutical Defence and Aviation Media, Entertainment and Education Agriculture and Allied Services Textiles Hospitality Consulting Healthcare Gems and Jewellery Chemicals Manufacturing and Industrial Top companies participating in the scheme include Reliance Industries, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Hindustan Unilever, ITC, and The Times Group. PM Internship Scheme 2025: Required documents To complete your application, you will need to upload: Aadhaar Card Final examination certificate or marksheet of your latest academic qualification You can edit most of your application details, except for those auto-filled from your Aadhaar card. Internship duration and stipend Here's what you need to know about the internship duration and how the stipend is structured: Duration: 1 year Stipend: ₹5,000 per month. ₹500 is paid by the company based on attendance and ₹4,500 is transferred by the government to your Aadhaar-linked bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). 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Time of India
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Rupee falls 18 paise to 86.88 against US dollar in early trade
The rupee depreciated 18 paise to 86.88 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday as month-end dollar demand and sustained foreign fund outflows weighed on the local unit. Forex traders said the domestic unit traded with a negative bias as the demand for dollars from importers continued to keep the American unit well bid against the rupee. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category healthcare Design Thinking PGDM Finance MBA Project Management Healthcare Operations Management Degree Artificial Intelligence Data Science Technology Leadership others Public Policy Data Analytics Data Science Product Management Digital Marketing Management Others MCA Cybersecurity CXO Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Lucknow CERT-IIML Healthcare Management India Starts on undefined Get Details by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo Moreover, a muted trend in domestic equities and sustained foreign fund outflows further dented investors' sentiments, they said. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 86.76 and then touched an early low of 86.88 against the American currency, registering a fall of 18 paise over its previous close. On Monday, the rupee had settled at 86.70 against the dollar. Live Events Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose marginally by 0.01 per cent to 98.64. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, went up by 0.04 per cent to USD 70.07 per barrel in futures trade, as developing trade agreements eased tariff concerns and boosted future energy demands. The rupee opened on a weaker note and could fall to one-month low of 86.90 this week, said Anil Kumar Bhansali , Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP. "RBI seems to be protecting the rupee intermittently but has allowed the fall in slow and steady way. Equities have also not been rupee-supportive," he said. Meanwhile, in the domestic equity market, Sensex was trading 51.09 points or 0.06 per cent higher at 80,942.11, while Nifty rose 18.30 points or 0.07 per cent to 24,699.20. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 6,082.47 crore on a net basis on Monday, according to exchange data. PTI
Time of India
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Trump team hears pitches on access to Myanmar's rare earths
The Trump administration has heard competing proposals that would significantly alter longstanding U.S. policy toward Myanmar , with the aim of diverting its vast supplies of rare earth minerals away from strategic rival China, four people with direct knowledge of the discussions said. Nothing has been decided and experts say there are huge logistical obstacles, but if the ideas are ever acted upon, Washington may need to strike a deal with the ethnic rebels controlling most of Myanmar's rich deposits of heavy rare earths. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MBA Degree Artificial Intelligence Operations Management Digital Marketing healthcare Project Management CXO Data Analytics Data Science Design Thinking Others Product Management Data Science Technology others Cybersecurity MCA Leadership Healthcare Public Policy PGDM Management Finance Skills you'll gain: Financial Management Team Leadership & Collaboration Financial Reporting & Analysis Advocacy Strategies for Leadership Duration: 18 Months UMass Global Master of Business Administration (MBA) Starts on May 13, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Analytical Skills Financial Literacy Leadership and Management Skills Strategic Thinking Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Online MBA Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Among the proposals are one advocating talks with Myanmar's ruling junta to get a peace deal with the Kachin Independence Army rebels and another calling for the U.S. to instead work directly with the KIA without engaging the junta. Washington has avoided direct talks with the country's military leaders following their overthrow of the country's democratically elected government in 2021. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Elegant New Scooters For Seniors In 2024: The Prices May Surprise You Mobility Scooter | Search Ads Learn More Undo The ideas have been proposed to administration officials by a U.S. business lobbyist, a former adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi, in indirect talks with the KIA and some outside experts, the sources said. The conversations have not previously been reported. Live Events Rare earths are a group of 17 metals used to make magnets that turn power into motion. So-called heavy rare earths are used to build fighter jets and other high-performance weaponry. The U.S. produces very small amounts of heavy rare earths and is reliant on imports. Securing supplies of the minerals is a major focus of the Trump administration in its strategic competition with China, which is responsible for nearly 90% of global processing capacity, according to the International Energy Agency. Engaging the junta would be a sharp departure for the United States, given U.S. sanctions on the military leaders and the violence committed against the Rohingya minority that Washington calls genocide and crimes against humanity. Last week, the Trump administration lifted sanctions designations on several junta allies, but U.S. officials said this does not indicate any broader shift in U.S. policy toward Myanmar. The ideas pitched to the U.S. administration also include easing U.S. President Donald Trump's threatened 40% tariffs on the country, pulling back sanctions against the junta and its allies, working with India to process some heavy rare earths exported from Myanmar, and appointing a special envoy to execute these tasks, people familiar with the matter said. Some of these suggestions were discussed in a July 17 meeting in Vice President JD Vance's offices that included Adam Castillo, a former head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar who runs a security firm in the country, a person close to Vance's office said. Among those present were advisers to Vance on Asian affairs and trade. Vance himself did not attend, the source said. Castillo told Reuters he suggested to U.S. officials that the United States could play a peace-broker role in Myanmar and urged Washington to take a page out of China's playbook by first brokering a bilateral self-governance deal between the Myanmar military and the KIA. Myanmar's ruling junta and the KIA did not respond to a request for comment. While Vance's office declined to comment on Castillo's visit to the White House , one person familiar with the situation said the Trump administration has been reviewing policy on Myanmar, also known as Burma, since Trump's January inauguration and had weighed direct discussions with the junta over trade and tariffs. The White House declined to comment. REVIEWING MYANMAR POLICY The White House discussions were described as exploratory and in early stages by people familiar with them, who added the talks may result in no shift in strategy at all by Trump, given the administration's wariness about intervening in foreign conflicts and in Myanmar's complex crisis. "The officials took this meeting as a courtesy to the American business community and to support President Trump's efforts to balance the U.S. $579 (million) trade deficit with Burma," a senior administration official said when asked about the July 17 meeting. Castillo, who describes Myanmar's rare earth deposits as China's "golden goose," said he told U.S. officials that key ethnic armed groups - particularly the KIA - were tired of being exploited by China and wanted to work with the United States. Mines in Myanmar's Kachin region are major producers of heavy rare earths that are exported to China for processing. He said he had repeatedly urged officials in Washington to pursue a deal with the KIA that includes cooperation with U.S. partners in the Quad grouping - specifically India - for resource processing and eventual heavy rare earths supply to the United States. The so-called Quad grouping brings together the United States with India, as well as Australia and Japan. India's Ministry of Mines did not respond to an email seeking comment. An Indian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was unaware of whether the Trump administration had communicated any such plan to India but stressed that such a move would take several years to materialize because it would require infrastructure to be built for processing rare earths. Another pitch to the White House was more in line with the Myanmar policy Trump inherited from former President Joe Biden. Sean Turnell, an Australian economist and former adviser to Suu Kyi, whose government the junta toppled in 2021, said his rare earths proposal was to encourage the Trump administration to continue supporting Myanmar's democratic forces. In a visit to Washington earlier this year, Turnell said he met with officials from the State Department, the White House National Security Council and Congress, and urged continued support for the country's opposition. "One of the pitches was that the U.S. could access rare earths via KIA etc," he said, adding that the group wants to diversify away from China. There have also been multiple discussions between U.S. officials and the Kachin rebel group on rare earths through interlocutors in recent months, said a person with knowledge of the talks, which have not previously been reported. OBSTACLES In the years since the coup, Myanmar has been ravaged by civil war and the junta and its allies have been pushed out of much of the country's borderlands, including the rare earths mining belt currently under control of the KIA. A rare earths industry source said that U.S. officials had reached out around three months ago, following the Kachin takeover of the Chipwe-Pangwa mining belt, to ask for an overview of the Kachin rare earths mining industry. The person added that any new, major rare earths supply chain, which would require moving the minerals out of remote and mountainous Kachin State into India and onward, may not be feasible. Swedish author Bertil Lintner, a leading expert on Kachin State, said the idea of the United States obtaining rare earths from Myanmar from under the nose of China seemed "totally crazy" given the unforgiving mountainous terrain and primitive logistics. "If they want to transport the rare earths from these mines, which are all on the Chinese border, to India, there's only one road," Lintner said. "And the Chinese would certainly step in and stop it." For its part, the junta appears eager to engage with Washington after years of isolation. When Trump threatened new tariffs on Myanmar's U.S.-bound exports this month as part of his global trade offensive, he did so in a signed letter addressed personally to the junta's chief, Min Aung Hlaing. Min Aung Hlaing responded by lavishing praise on Trump for his "strong leadership" while asking for lower rates and the lifting of sanctions. He said he was ready to send a negotiating team to Washington, if needed. Senior Trump administration officials said the decision to lift some sanctions was unrelated to the general's letter.
