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Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Vadhavan airport plans, hydrogen rail milestone & road policy reset: What was important in the week gone by!
Hello Readers, 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. Read the full story Advt 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 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 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 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 story stood out for you this week? Send us your thoughts and suggestions as we continue curating India's top infrastructure headlines.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Railway infrastructure development plan for 5 stations in Nashik district
Advt Advt Railway minister Ashwini Vaishaw approved a ₹ 1,011 crore plan for the development of railway infrastructure at five stations of Central Railway — Nashik Road, Devlali, Odha, Kasbe Sukene, and Kherwadi — in Nashik district. This initiative aims to manage the influx of pilgrims expected to visit Nashik from various parts of the along with minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu, conducted an extensive review of the proposals presented by the general manager of Central Railway and the divisional railway manager of the Bhusawal Division on Friday. The authorities outlined their strategies to upgrade the stations and set up new facilities to accommodate the increased traffic during Simhastha Kumbh Mela and other periods."The plan for Devlali station (on the Mumbai side of Nashik Road station) includes the creation of two pit lines for the maintenance of the rakes, two sick lines used to put the tracks on hold, and two stabilising lines that will ensure the parking of the rakes until they are deployed on the next task. Apart from this, we will also have three new platforms at Devlali station, of which one each will be used for terminating the traffic coming from the Mumbai side and Nashik side, respectively, and the third platform will be used for trains passing through the station," said a senior official from the office of the Divisional Railway Manager, Nashik Road station, limited space has prompted the railways to commence work on two stabilising or parking lines. Additionally, the length of Platform 1 will be extended to accommodate 24-coach trains, up from the existing 22-coach capacity, and the use of Platform 4 will be upgraded to handle trains from either Railway station will undergo significant development with the construction of five stabilising lines for parking trains and an additional platform alongside the existing two. "Odha station (on the Bhusawal side of Nashik Road station) will also be used as a major place to park the trains during Simhastha Kumbh Mela. The facilities developed will be used for agriculture and goods transportation during the non-Simhastha Kumbh period," the official Kasbe Sukene, the platform lengths will be increased to enable the handling of 22-coach trains, up from the current 11-coach trains. Kherwadi will see the construction of two new platforms to accommodate 24-coach trains."Apart from this, every station will have a 'mela tower' that will house CCTVs, public announcement centres, operations control rooms, security officials monitoring the movement of trains and passengers, construction of wider foot over bridges to enable more people to cross the tracks easily, and also huge holding areas where the pilgrims coming to catch the trains will stay before they are allowed onto the platform as per the availability of the trains," the official work has already commenced on approximately 50 per cent of the planned projects, with the remaining work scheduled to begin shortly. Land acquisition will be necessary in some cases and is expected to start by Jan 2026.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Stricter Bid Rules For Highway Projects: Road Ministry Improves Highway Project Eligibility to Enhance Construction Quality, ET Infra
Advt Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. Get updates on your preferred social platform Follow us for the latest news, insider access to events and more. The roads ministry has tightened the eligibility criteria for bidding for road projects under the hybrid annuity model (HAM) and engineering , construction and procurement (EPC) mode, a move aimed at ensuring good quality construction for highways and expressways and timely completion of projects to avoid time and cost modifications include raising the minimum financial requirement for bidders, for both standard highway projects as well as standalone specialised projects such as tunnels, etc., introducing greater checks on sub-contracting experience and modification of the highways and core sector definitions, said a circular issued by the ministry of road transport and has seen the circulars outlining changes in the eligibility criteria for HAM and EPC changes come at a time when the government is planning to award some 124 road projects in 2025-26 at an estimated cost of ₹3.5 lakh crore, with more than 80 projects under the revised criteria for HAM projects, the threshold financial capacity for the bidder has been raised to 20 per cent of the estimated project cost from 15 per cent, while the net worth requirement for each member bidding through a consortium has been raised to 10 per cent of the estimated project cost from 7.5 per cent"This will ensure large companies with deep pockets bid for projects and deliver quality construction within the set timelines," an industry executive said, requesting not to be EPC projects, the minimum net worth of a bidder required for bidding has been raised to 10 per cent from 5 per cent, while the average annual turnover requirement has been increased to 20 per cent from 15 per cent of the estimated project the revised definition of highways now does not include railways, metro rail and ports, which have been moved to the core sector for HAM and EPC the past, the government had reduced the financial threshold requirement for companies in the highway and core construction sector to allow even smaller players to take up over the years, there have been high rates of project delays in the roads sector, resulting in time and cost overruns, primarily due to financial paucity and lack of requisite clearances, prompting the government to relook at the eligibility by CareEdge Ratings shows 55 per cent of the 374 HAM projects awarded between 2015 and 2024 have been delayed beyond six December 2024, Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari had said in Parliament that 44 per cent or 419 out of 952 road projects under construction in March 2024 have been delayed because of various reasons.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Revolutionizing India's Debt Securities Market: The Role of Technology and Regulation, ET CISO
By Pratapsingh Nathani, India's debt capital markets have undergone a measured yet significant transformation, evolving from a niche, opaque space into a critical enabler of long-term capital formation. While equity markets have typically drawn more public attention, the debt ecosystem is now foundational to financing infrastructure, digital innovation, and sustainability-linked projects across sectors. Historically shaped by colonial financial structures and limited access, debt instruments in India were informal and lacked transparency. Post-independence industrialization efforts gradually formalized the space, but it was the 1990s economic liberalization that brought structural change. The dissolution of the Controller of Capital Issues and the rise of SEBI as an autonomous regulator introduced market-based pricing and investor-driven capital flows. The launch of the National Stock Exchange, digitization of securities, and proliferation of credit rating agencies further modernized the landscape. Advt Advt Today, technology plays a central role in expanding and securing India's debt markets. Electronic bond trading platforms, algorithmic issuance systems, and API-based market infrastructure have streamlined access and execution. At the same time, the digitalization of regulatory compliance—through e-KYC, Aadhaar integration, and online disclosure frameworks—has lowered entry barriers while enhancing this digital transformation brings new challenges around cybersecurity, data protection, and investor privacy. As digital platforms handle vast amounts of sensitive financial data—from issuer documentation to investor records—robust cybersecurity protocols are no longer optional. Threats ranging from identity theft to real-time trading manipulation have made data security a critical aspect of market infrastructure and market institutions are increasingly recognizing this. SEBI has introduced cybersecurity and cyber resilience frameworks for market intermediaries, mandating periodic audits, threat intelligence sharing, and disaster recovery protocols. Compliance requirements around data localization, encryption, and breach disclosures are aligning with broader national frameworks such as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, artificial intelligence and machine learning are being deployed not just for credit scoring and portfolio optimization, but also for real-time anomaly detection and fraud prevention in debt transactions. These tools are essential in protecting both institutional and retail investors in a high-frequency, data-rich the innovation front, new instruments—green bonds, InvITs, social bonds, and municipal bonds—are expanding access to mission-critical capital. These products, while designed to fund sustainable development and infrastructure, also demand tighter oversight and data transparency, especially around end-use, ESG reporting, and investor India moves towards becoming the third-largest global economy, the debt capital market's role is no longer confined to financial intermediation—it is emerging as a strategic engine for nation-building. For this ecosystem to reach its full potential, strengthening cybersecurity, data governance, and compliance frameworks will be just as important as regulatory and financial reforms. In a digital-first, data-driven economy, trust and security will define the credibility and scalability of India's capital author's Chairman & Managing Director at Beacon Trusteeship. By , ETCISO Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETCISO industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETCISO App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles.
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
NEET-PG 2025 be conducted in one shift, orders SC; says two shifts create arbitrariness, ET Education
Advt Advt New Delhi, In a significant order, the Supreme Court on Friday issued directions that the post-graduate medical entrance exam scheduled on June 15 be conducted in a single shift, saying holding it in two shifts "creates arbitrariness".A bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath directed the authorities to make arrangements for holding NEET-PG 2025 exam in one shift and to ensure that complete transparency is maintained and secured centres are identified."Any two question papers can never be said to be having an identical level of difficulty or ease," said the bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and N V said normalisation may be applied in exceptional cases but not in a routine manner year after bench passed the order on pleas challenging a notification on holding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Post Graduate (NEET-PG) 2025 examination in two top court said the total number of candidates who have applied for the examination is 2,42,678 and the test is held all over the country and not in one city."We are not ready to accept that in the entire country and considering the technological advancement in the country, the examining body could not find enough centres to hold the examination in one shift," the bench said."Holding examinations in two shifts creates arbitrariness and also does not keep all the candidates, who take the examination, at the same level," it said the examination is scheduled for June 15 and there was still more than two weeks for the examining body to identify further centres to hold it in one shift."We accordingly direct the respondents to make further arrangements for holding the examination in one shift and also ensure that complete transparency is maintained and secured centres are identified," the bench of the pleas was filed through advocate Sukriti Bhatnagar. Several lawyers, including advocate Tanvi Dubey, appeared in the counsel appearing for the respondents, including the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), said even if efforts were made to identify more centres, it might need more time which might result into delay in holding the NBEMS is entrusted with the responsibility of conducting postgraduate and postdoctoral examinations in approved specialities leading to the award of Diplomate of National Board and Doctorate of National Board and Fellow of National respondents said consequently, the counselling might also be delayed which would not be in line with the timeline fixed by the apex court."This argument is also not accepted as there is still sufficient time for the examining body to identify sufficient number of centres for holding the examination in one shift," the bench top court observed it would be open for the respondents to apply for extension of time, if they find they were not able to identify required number of the counsel for the respondents repeatedly said the process of identifying centres might not be completed by June 15, the bench said they could seek extension of time and the court would consider that."It is for you to identify and pay for it. If you don't want to spend money, it is a different thing," the bench counsel appearing for the respondents said it was not a question of money."Now you burn little midnight oil and try to find the centres," the bench said."We have given you liberty to seek extension," the bench said, adding, "You have already made up your mind that you are not going to be able to do it without even trying. Try at least".It noted the other issued raised in the plea was regarding disclosure of question papers and answer keys on NBEMS's website after the declaration of said this issue would be considered after the examinations are held and posted the matter for hearing on July apex court noted that counsel for the respondents have opposed the plea to conduct NEET-PG examination in one shift on two said as per respondents, the number of candidates to appear in the exam was too large and it was difficult for the examining body to find secured centres to hold the test in one said the second ground was that if examinations were held in one shift, unscrupulous elements might get involved and there could be the hearing, the counsel for the petitioners said NEET-PG exam was a rank-based test and even one marks would make a huge difference in whether the candidate would get the preferred stream."You tell us why do you hold examination in two shifts?," the bench asked the counsel appearing for the counsel said these examinations were held online and there were limited safe centres having required the counsel appearing for one of the respondents said the schedule fixed by the apex court would be disturbed as holding the examination in one shift within 15 days would be difficult, the bench said, "Don't give this kind of a threat that the whole year will go and this will happen and that will happen".The lawyer appearing for another respondent said they have identified about 445 centres for multi shift examination and if it was to be conducted in one shift, they will have to identify about 900 odd centres. PTI
