Over 900 city roads remain pending since 2021, Infra News, ETInfra
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On paper, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has spent 1,692 crore on laying and re-laying about 15,100 roads in the city since 2021. So, the city ought to be looking pretty with road-users whizzing around on good motorable roads, right? But, that is not to be. Despite spending a fortune on the roads, the commuters, particularly those in areas added to the city and North Chennai neighbourhoods, get no respite from potholes and battered roads.More than 900 roads have not been re-laid at all since 2021. Another 400-plus stretches were removed from re-laying plans during the past five years due to underground works by Metrowater. For the record, of the 18,895 roads in the city, work was completed on 15,107. A total of 2,221 crore was allocated for road projects under NSMT, TURIF, and capital fund from GCC since 2021, and road projects worth 1,692 crore have been completed.Yet, grievances galore. Year after year, only the core city areas were given priority, at the cost of the newly added areas as well as large pockets of North Chennai. Several interior roads have been completely neglected and are yet to be sanctioned, despite multiple complaints to GCC. The extended areas suffer the most, with many roads still unpaved despite being added to the GCC limits. In case of complaints, the GCC blames Metrowater or Metrorail for the poor road conditions."The roads were laid soon after the Assembly elections in 2021 but were immediately dug up by Tangedco for underground cable work. After that was finished, we expected the roads to be re-laid. Instead, the Metrowater carried out further road cuts for the drainage system. Although that work was completed last year, the GCC has still not re-laid the interior roads. When we enquired with the authorities, they said the delay of more than a year is due to funds not yet being allocated," said M Karthikeyan of Kottivakkam, where roads were re-laid a decade after being added to the GCC limits."Only about 30% of the allocated funds are used for road re-laying, while the rest is lost to corruption. There should be a road safety audit for GCC roads, like what exists for the state highways. It would help address recurring issues with poor road quality," said G Uma Devi, retired professor of civil engineering at Anna University."The govt has allocated 400 crore for re-laying roads under NSMT and TURIF, and 86 crore has been provided from GCC capital fund. The work is expected to be completed across the city by the end of Aug," said GCC commissioner J Kumaragurubaran."To avoid digging up newly re-laid roads, and since the Metrowater did not hand over some roads after completing their work, we had to drop 425 roads until the 2024-25 financial year," he said. Until Metrowater gives a no objection certificate, these roads will not be re-laid. Chennai mayor R Priya told TOI, "A large number of damaged roads have been identified and re-laid in 2023. At least 6,133 roads were re-laid, especially after Cyclone Michaung. As per the TUFIDCO inspection, many roads do not require re-laying. We have ensured that additional roads have been laid across the city since 2021."Residents and activists, however, complain about the authorities' failure to act during the summer months. The ideal period for re-laying roads in the city is between April and July. However, unlike previous years, Chennai witnessed an early onset of summer this year. The GCC did not re-lay roads during this peak season and instead commenced work only earlier this month, citing administrative delays.
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Time of India
14 hours ago
- Time of India
Small cities, big future: Tier-II & III towns emerge as hotspots for GCC growth in India
India 's tier-II and III cities can emerge as hubs of global capability centres (GCC), supported by the government's proposed dedicated framework, incentives from competing states, and a growing ecosystem of enablers that are assisting the GCC setup. Experts say the shift can foster inclusive development, generate jobs beyond traditional hubs, and address the challenges of over-saturation and infrastructure pressures in metro cities. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Management Digital Marketing PGDM Cybersecurity MCA others Data Analytics Degree Technology MBA Operations Management Data Science healthcare Artificial Intelligence Design Thinking Project Management Finance Data Science Others Healthcare Leadership Public Policy CXO Product Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 Months IIM Calcutta CERT-IIMC APSPM India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK GMPBE India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK General Management Programme India Starts on undefined Get Details As per industry estimates, India has more than 1,700 GCCs as of FY24, with roughly two new centres being established every week. The sector generates $64.6 billion in revenue and employs about 1.9 million people, with more than 82,000 of these jobs being in tier-II and III cities. Tier-1 cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai continue to be the primary bases. Emerging cities have around 7% of India's GCCs in 2024, up from 5% in 2019. The government in the February budget announced a framework "as guidance to states for promoting Global Capability Centres in emerging tier 2 cities", focused on enhancing availability of talent and infrastructure, building bylaw reforms, and mechanisms for collaboration with industry. There is also a rise in mid-market firms looking to India to set up GCCs, with over 120 such firms expected over the next year, as per ANSR. Research firm Everest Group expects 75% of the 1,200-1,250 new GCCs in India in the next five years to be small and mid-sized firms. "We are likely to see a convergence between the two trends-tier-2 and tier-3 cities attracting GCCs, and mid-market companies choosing India as a strategic delivery location," said Rohan Lobo, partner, Deloitte. Currently, many mid-market firms are initially gravitating toward established tier-1 hubs due to the comfort of ecosystem maturity, Lobo said. However, there is a growing case for a more distributed approach. Talent and costs Digitally skilled talent in tier-2 cities grew over 25% over the past two years, according to a Nasscom-Zinnov report. These locations also see 20-30% lower attrition compared to the 15.2% attrition in tier-1 hubs. From an operational lens, companies can save around 25% on employment costs by setting up in emerging cities due to lower real estate prices, reduced overheads, and sustainable compensation expectations, the report said. Take silicon to systems design solutions firm Synopsys, for example, which has a GCC in Bhubaneswar. "Establishing hubs in tier 2 and 3 locations like Bhubaneswar has created new opportunities for talented engineers to make a real difference at Synopsys, which then has a ripple effect that reaches virtually every industry," Rituparna Mandal, vice president, customer success group, Synopsys, told ET. "We're seeing more graduates in electronics, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), and related fields every year, and many of them are eager to work on global projects." The Bhubaneswar centre works closely with the company's R&D groups worldwide and has tied up with local universities like IIT Bhubaneswar. "The cost of living and operations can be more manageable, which helps us invest more in our people and long-term growth," said Mandal. Decentralising innovation Firms like Mastercard, which has a GCC in Vadodara employing nearly 400 people across various businesses and technology programmes, also see this as an opportunity to decentralise innovation. "Operating in emerging hubs is not just a cost decision-it's a future-facing growth strategy aligned with our purpose to power economies and empower people," said Rajesh Mani, SVP & head-Asia Pacific technology hubs, Mastercard. "We see these locations as more than satellite offices-they are platforms to embed leadership, shape culture, and decentralise innovation." The Vadodara GCC contributes to several key global solutions that make payments safer, smarter, and more accessible, he said. This includes the Mastercard Digital Enablement Services (MDES) platform, which tokenises card and account numbers to enable secure digital transactions, and the firm's Carbon Calculator. Global engineering and manufacturing companies have established R&D and automation hubs in cities such as Vadodara and Nashik, capitalising on established technical institutes and industry clusters to drive innovation in areas like IoT, process automation, and advanced analytics, said Lobo. Similarly, a US-based SaaS provider set up its first offshore centre in Mysuru, attracted by the city's strong IT education ecosystem and government incentives, and the company reported faster ramp-up times and greater team stability compared to metro peers. In Coimbatore, a global electronics manufacturer is pioneering IoT-enabled, advanced manufacturing and automation practices, while in Salem, a prominent financial services organisation is streamlining operations through intelligent process automation and digital workflows. Policy push Minister for electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said earlier this month that the government is working on a roadmap to expand GCC presence in tier-2 and 3 cities, with a focus on strengthening industry-academia collaboration to build a talent pipeline. The government is doing a "mapping" exercise to identify the right tie-ups, said a person aware of the developments. The centre is also mulling a model where states can be brought onto a common portal so that GCCs can get the permissions they need quickly. State governments, on their part, have been trying to attract GCCs as well. Last year, Tamil Nadu announced it will incentivise the creation of high paying jobs in new GCCs by providing a payroll subsidy. Karnataka incentivises GCCs to expand beyond metros to cities like Mysuru, Mangaluru, Shivamogga and Hubballi-Dharwad. Uttar Pradesh is the latest to release a GCC policy with sops such as freshers recruitment subsidy and R&D and innovation incentives. "This coordinated approach by various states creates a competitive yet collaborative environment that benefits the entire ecosystem," said Mrinal Duggal , Head of Sanofi GCC (Hyderabad). Establishing GCCs in tier-2 and tier-3 cities would address the infrastructure pressure on metros while creating innovation clusters that can rival traditional tech hubs, Duggal said. Tier-1 cities could pivot toward more specialised, high-value innovation and R&D, further elevating India's global value proposition. Challenges However, unlocking the full potential of tier-2 and 3 locations requires navigating a unique set of structural and ecosystem challenges, said Mani. "While these cities are gaining operational maturity, many continue to face gaps in cloud infrastructure, startup depth, and local R&D capabilities," he said, citing a recent PwC India report. "Inconsistent high-speed connectivity, limited availability of cloud-ready data centres, and uneven regulatory clarity can further impact scalability." The industry meanwhile is calling for rationalisation of safe harbour margins in the transfer pricing regime and plug-and-play infrastructure in tier-2 and 3 locations to help GCCs set up quickly and smoothly. (This article is published in partnership with Deloitte)
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Mid-sized GCCs out-hire larger peers with double-digit growth in first half
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The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Chennai Corporation plans to tap nearly ₹100 crore revenue from ads on street light poles and medians
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