PM Modi interacts with workers in Delhi ahead of ₹11,000 crore worth National Highway projects inauguration
The Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) are part of the Government's broader plan to reduce congestion in the capital. These projects aim to significantly enhance connectivity, shorten travel times, and ease traffic in Delhi and nearby regions.
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Hindustan Times
12 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Farmers shift to maize as biofuel push drives sales
A longstanding trend of farmers preferring cereal crops over scarce pulses and oilseeds has been bolstered by a craze for maize and its area shows a meteoric rise over the past few years. Corn is a new favourite among growers due to its use in making ethanol for India's high-priority biofuels programme. This summer, farmers have sown more maize than in any of the past five years. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Corn is a new favourite among growers due to its use in making ethanol for India's high-priority biofuels programme. This summer, farmers have sown more maize than in any of the past five years. The total area has jumped to 9.8 million hectares, which represents a 17% rise in the same period, latest official data showed. Output is also fast rising, growing by 11% in 2024-25 to nearly a quarter of a million tonnes. Cultivators seem to be responding to measures to promote maize or corn as the next big commercial crop, after wheat and rice, to bolster its energy security through bumper harvests. The country last month achieved the milestone of meeting its target of mixing 20% ethanol with petrol, early by four months, on the back of favourable policy steps to turn more of surplus rice as well as maize into the alcohol compound. Ethanol is also made from molasses, a by-product of sugar. The biofuels programme has seen a huge success even though car-owners say blended gasoline tends to cut fuel economy. In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had advanced the target of blending petrol with 20% ethanol by five years to 2025, known as the E20 programme, to cut emissions and save up to $4 billion in oil imports annually. The strategy has saved India nearly ₹1.40 lakh crore in crude import costs between 2014 and 2024, according to the data, helping cut 54.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in the same period. India aims to raise corn production by 10 million tonnes over the next five years as demand for ethanol production grows, besides higher demand from the poultry industry, which uses it as feed. 'The idea is that gradually, ethanol from sugarcane will plateau and grains such as maize will be used in its place,' a petroleum ministry official said, requesting anonymity. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Maize Research are trying out new experiments to make high-yielding seeds under a federal programme to raise productivity by a wide margin, Hanuman Sahay Jat, the institute's director, had told HT recently. Oil marketing companies achieved the 20% goal in July, after having reached 19.92% in the previous month, with an output of 66 billion litres of ethanol during 2024-25, according to official data. Of this, 25.5 billion litres came from grains and the rest from sugarcane. Farmers have always preferred cereals because of better price realisation for rice and winter-grown wheat, produced in surplus since they are purchased by the government at the minimum support price (MSP). The base price for maize, slightly more than paddy, stands at ₹2,400 a quintal (100kg), an 83% increase over the price in 2013-14. MSP is a federally set floor price that offers at least 50% profit over cost. 'I switched to maize from soyabean last year, after I came to know about good profits from farmers in Uttar Pradesh,' said Virender Singh Tomar, a grower in Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch. Distilleries making ethanol have ramped up purchases after the government allowed an increase in the price of ethanol, one of the reasons why farmers are growing more. In January, the government hiked the ex-mill price of ethanol from ₹57.97 per litre, up from ₹56.58 per litre. Backed by a plentiful monsoon, planting of cereals, especially rice and maize, has far outstripped that of pulses and oilseeds this year too.
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
Connectivity drives demand, property prices along Dwarka Expressway double in 4 yrs
Gurgaon: Property prices along the Dwarka Expressway almost doubled over the past four years, making it one of NCR's most rapidly growing regions, an assessment shows. A PropEquity study reported that launch prices along the Dwarka Expressway climbed from Rs 9,434 per sqft in 2020 to Rs 18,668 per sqft in 2024. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Similarly, a typical 3BHK flat's cost went from Rs 1.8 crore in 2022 to Rs 2.6-4 crore this year. Analysts believe real estate costs are likely to climb another 15-20% in the next two years, especially since the corridor is now fully functional. The expressway's 18km portion in the city was inaugurated last year and the 10km Delhi section was launched on Sunday. Among the reasons for this increase in demand and property prices along the Dwarka Expressway is its connectivity with Delhi, including IGI Airport. Launch of the 76km Urban Extension Road-II — which runs from NH-44 (Alipur) to NH-8 via Mundka, Najafgarh and Dwarka with spurs to Sonipat and Bahadurgarh — has given the region another connectivity boost. Pradeep Aggarwal, founder & chairman of another real estate firm Signature Global (India) Ltd., said property prices along the expressway have nearly doubled over the last five years. Surinder Singh, director of GLS Group, which offers parcels and logistics services, said: "These high-speed roads are economic corridors. With Gurgaon–IGI connectivity down to 20 minutes and Delhi–Mumbai Expressway directly linked, this belt will attract corporates, retail majors and service industries, creating a multiplier effect for real estate." Homeowners said the increase in property prices validates their investments. Amit Sharma, who owns a flat in Sector 109 said: "I invested five years ago when the expressway was stuck. With the road finally open, daily commuting has improved drastically — and property values will rise further." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now But a city-based real estate consultant Vishwa Mohan pointed out that the appreciation in prices has "another side to the story". "Rising land and construction costs mean ticket sizes are going up, pushing homeownership further away from the middle-class buyer. Unless developers balance premium launches with mid-income housing, the affordability gap will widen," Mohan said.
Deccan Herald
an hour ago
- Deccan Herald
Dog whistling mars PM's I-Day speech
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 12th Independence Day address from the Red Fort, dwelt on a wide range of topics relating to national security. He also spoke about the economy, law and justice, and the needs of the youth, explaining his government's policies and actions. .It is the prime minister's prerogative to speak to the nation about his concerns, hopes and expectations on one of the most important days in the national calendar. He looked back with pride and conviction on the achievements of his government and not so convincingly about the failures of others, and cast a long look on the country's bright and viksit future. .He also flagged some imagined concerns, couching them in political and communal terms, and giving them an urgency and importance they did not deserve. Prime ministers sometimes fail to rise above their politics even when they speak from the national rostrum. .Modi rightly lauded the armed forces for Operation Sindoor and their commitment to the defence of the country, and warned its adversaries against hostile and unfriendly actions. He spoke of the need to make the country self-reliant, and underlined the importance of his Make in India, Vocal for Local and 'aatmanirbharta' policies, particularly in the economy and defence sectors. .The idea has a special resonance in the wake of the May hostilities with Pakistan and the tariff war unleashed by US President Donald Trump. Modi announced a plan to develop an indigenous defence system, called Sudarshan Chakra, expected to be deployed by 2035. He also promised a Rs 1 lakh crore Rozgar Yojana for the young, invoked the symbolism of naari shakti, and cited the achievements of the country in various fields. The promises included next generation GST reforms, to be rolled out by Diwali, to reduce the tax burden and make goods and services cheaper. .The prime minister announced the launch of a high-powered Demography Mission to address what he called a deliberate conspiracy to change the demography of the country. No proof of such a conspiracy was given and the announcement is in line with the politics of communal dog whistling that the Hindutva groups have been pursuing. .It is no surprise that Modi also praised the RSS and its activities. The theme of infiltration has been used in the past electorally and politically and his announcement indicates that it will be pushed to the front in the coming days. The move goes beyond justified concerns over illegal immigration and aims to create a polarising narrative against some sections of society.
