Latest news with #GatiShaktiNationalMasterPlan


Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Wardha-Ballarshah 4th line approved to fast track rly connectivity in Vidarbha
Nagpur: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved two major railway multi-tracking projects in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, with a combined investment of Rs3,399 crore. Part of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the projects aim to strengthen rail infrastructure and improve connectivity across four districts by the financial year 2029-30. The approved projects include the third and fourth lines between Ratlam and Nagda in Madhya Pradesh, and the fourth line between Wardha and Ballarshah in Maharashtra. The new railway lines are expected to enhance capacity, reduce congestion and enable faster movement of freight and passengers along critical routes. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed the Centre's decision, thanking Prime Minister Modi and Union minister for railways Ashwini Vaishnaw. He called it a major step for Vidarbha's development. "Under PM Gati Shakti's plan, these new railway lines will enable faster transport of coal, cement, gypsum, fly ash, containers, agricultural goods and petroleum products. It will lead to improved travel convenience, a reduction in logistics costs, lower crude oil imports, and a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bolsas nos olhos? (Tente isso hoje à noite) Revista Saúde & Beleza Saiba Mais Undo This initiative will boost sustainable and efficient railway transportation in the region," he said. According to a statement from the Press Information Bureau, these multi-tracking projects are designed to expand the capacity of Indian Railways and cater to the growing demands of both passenger and freight transport. They will link approximately 784 villages, impacting nearly 19.74 lakh people. Officials highlight that the increased line capacity will help streamline rail operations and facilitate faster and more efficient transportation of essential commodities. The projects are expected to handle an additional freight traffic of about 18.40 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). This will also help alleviate congestion along heavily used routes and optimise supply chains. The projects are also projected to generate around 74 lakh human-days of direct employment during the construction phase. This is seen as a vital step in driving socio-economic development in the region, providing job opportunities and supporting livelihoods. Officials say the integrated approach under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan reflects the govt's commitment to coordinated implementation and seamless connectivity across the country. # PM Gati Shakti Boost Total investment: Rs3,399 crore Total length: 176 km Districts covered: 4 districts in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh Target: FY 2029–30 # Project in Maharashtra # Wardha-Ballarshah Lines: 4th railway line Purpose: Enhance capacity and connectivity, enabling faster movement of coal, cement, and other key goods # Project in MP Ratlam–Nagda Lines: 3rd & 4th railway lines Purpose: Decongest routes and streamline transport of goods and passengers # Economic & social benefits Employment generation: 74 lakh human-days of direct jobs during construction Freight capacity increase: Additional 18.40 million tonnes per annum Impact on Rural Areas: 784 villages to be connected, benefiting nearly 19.74 lakh people Reduced crude oil imports: Less dependency on imports through efficient rail transport # Key commodities Moved Coal, cement, clinker, gypsum, fly ash, containers, agricultural goods, petroleum products # Environmental impact Lower CO2 emissions: Decreased carbon footprint with enhanced rail capacity Sustainable Rail Transport: Aligned with PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan for green, efficient logistics QUOTE This initiative will lead to improved travel convenience, a reduction in logistics costs, lower crude oil imports, and a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions. It will boost sustainable and efficient railway transportation in the region. Devendra Fadnavis | Maharashtra CM


Mint
5 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Can this railway stock manage the risks while chasing long-term growth?
Indian railway makeover is no longer a dream; it's a full-blown mission. And right at the heart of this infrastructure push is Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), the government arm for the mega rail projects. From electrification and track doubling to station revamps and even metro rail expansions, RVNL is quietly doing the heavy lifting for the Indian Railway's future. But here's the real question: Is RVNL just riding the PSU hype train, or does it genuinely have the steam to compound wealth long-term? In this piece, we decode the RVNL business model, its financials and much more. About RVNL Incorporated in 2003 under the ministry of railways (MoR), RVNL was set up with a clear mandate to accelerate the implementation of critical railway infrastructure projects. Acting as the MoR's primary construction arm, RVNL today is responsible for building new railway lines, electrification, major bridges, workshops, and even metro and urban transport systems. The company has mastered leveraging extra-budgetary resources, especially through the formation of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), reinforcing its ability to mobilise capital beyond traditional government allocations. Its consistent performance earned it Miniratna Category-I status, a recognition that conferred greater operational autonomy. But the real game-changer came in April 2023, when RVNL was awarded the Navratna status. This recognition has not only boosted its financial independence but has strategically positioned the company to compete for larger, more complex infrastructure projects. What has RVNL built? Here's a quick overview of what makes the company a silent force in India's infrastructure story: Revenue Model of RVNL RVNL primarily earns through EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contracts, but what's interesting is its evolving model. While EPC accounted for more than 80% of revenue, the rest comes from the project management consultancy (PMC) and other high-margin services. Fees typically range from 8.5-10%, depending on the project type, and the company is actively transitioning from nomination-based to competitive bidding models. RVNL is intricately tied to India's macro-infra goals, particularly the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. Competitive Landscape: Key Peers RVNL operates in a competitive environment, with key peers including: From multi-modal logistics parks (MMLPs) to streamlining freight corridors, RVNL's contributions go far beyond laying tracks, it's building India's next-gen logistics and trade infrastructure. Over the last five years, the company has demonstrated a strong and consistent growth trajectory. Turnover has grown steadily, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6%. Net profit has also expanded impressively to ₹14,630 million (m) in FY24, nearly doubling in five years. It is supported by stable operating margins and a controlled cost structure. The operating profit margin has remained steady at 6%, indicating consistency in operational efficiency despite scaling up. The growing earnings per share (EPS) highlights the company's growing profitability on a per-share basis. This improvement in share also reflects management's effective capital deployment. The balanced dividend payout suggests how the company rewards its shareholders while also retaining profits for future growth. Apart from the strong financials, RVNL will significantly benefit from powerful structural drivers shaping the Indian infrastructure landscape. Sectoral Tailwinds: Railway Infrastructure Boom in India Key Growth Drivers of RVNL Risks Investors Should Know While RVNL presents a compelling growth story, investors must consider several inherent risks associated with it. Conclusion RVNL isn't laying tracks anymore, it's laying the groundwork for a bigger infra story. With strong PSU roots and expanding beyond railways, the potential is real. But new sectors bring new challenges. The real game is balancing smart diversification. Before taking any financial decision, investors should check if the stock aligns with their investment objectives or not. Match the opportunity with the risks. Happy Investing. Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Algorhythm Holdings Acquires SemiCab India, Expands Global AI Transportation Footprint
Acquisition Adds Multiple Multinational Customers in India and Unlocks Scalable Growth Opportunities in Rapidly Growing Indian Market Fort Lauderdale, FL, May 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Algorhythm Holdings, Inc. ('Algorhythm') (NASDAQ: RIME), a diversified technology-driven holding company, today announced the acquisition of SMCB Solutions Private Ltd., an India private limited company ('SemiCab India'). This marks Algorhythm's second transaction with SemiCab, Inc. following the acquisition of its U.S. business in July 2024. Under the terms of the deal, Algorhythm's subsidiary, SemiCab Holdings, LLC, acquired 9,999 of the 10,000 issued and outstanding equity shares of SemiCab India. In exchange, Algorhythm issued a $1.75 million promissory note and 119,742 shares of its common stock (approximately 5% of Algorhythm's issued and outstanding shares) to SemiCab, Inc. Key Highlights of SemiCab India: Accelerated Revenue Growth: SemiCab India has more than doubled its annualized revenue run rate since January 2025 from approximately $1.8 million to approximately $4.5 million and anticipates to double it again by year-end. Multinational Client Base: Existing contracts with leading FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) companies in India offer a path to scale operations in the future by over 25x into a fast-growing, highly dense geography. International Expansion Blueprint: Establishes a proven model for expansion into other regions facing similar freight inefficiencies. 'We're thrilled to complete the acquisition of SemiCab's Indian operations,' said Gary Atkinson, CEO of Algorhythm Holdings. 'India represents one of the world's most compelling logistics opportunities due to its geographic density, strong institutional partnerships, and accelerating infrastructure investment. With this transaction, we gain direct access to top-tier multinational customers and a rapidly scaling AI platform positioned to disrupt the global freight market.' Ajesh Kapoor, CEO of SemiCab Holdings, commented, 'Transportation and logistics in India is going through a huge transformation. In partnership with NDFE and all our industry partners, we are building a technology infrastructure as the Government of India transforms the physical infrastructure in the country. This is the largest and most ambitious Collaborative Transportation initiative being supported by some of the largest and most progressive organizations worldwide. We are excited to have Gary and the Algorhythm team behind us in our quest to create the most efficient transportation networks one geography at a time.' Transforming Freight in India India's $1.3 trillion logistics sector is undergoing rapid modernization. In 2021, the Indian government launched the Gati Shakti National Master Plan, a multi-ministerial infrastructure initiative aimed at digitally integrating supply chains across the country. As part of this initiative, the National Digital Freight Exchange (NDFE) – a public-private consortium led by the Confederation of Indian Industry – selected SemiCab as its AI logistics partner. More than 40 national and global enterprises are members of NDFE, and over a dozen have already initiated pilots with SemiCab's Collaborative Transportation Platform. Benefits of SemiCab's AI Platform SemiCab's proprietary platform delivers measurable impact: Freight Utilization: Improves freight utilization rates from ~65% to up to 90%. Cost Savings: Reduces total shipping costs by up to 10%. Optimized Trucking Capacity: Increases trucking capacity by ~30% without added vehicles or miles. Labor Reduction: Dramatically reduces the staffing necessary to schedule, monitor, and bill for freight services. Sustainability: Cuts carbon emissions by up to 25%. The platform improves visibility into the entire transportation network by providing live tracking for every load. The platform can identify, create, and execute real-time collaboration opportunities between shippers and transporters – without altering business workflows. Additionally, the platform integrates with existing TMS systems for automated indenting, invoicing, and real-time shipment visibility, and utilizes platform bots for extracting information and automating repetitive tasks. About Algorhythm Holdings Algorhythm Holdings, Inc. is an AI technology and consumer electronics holding company with two primary business units – SemiCab and Singing Machine. SemiCab is an emerging leader in the global logistics and distribution industry. Since 2020, SemiCab has enabled major retailers, brands and transportation providers to address these common supply-chain problems globally. Its AI-enabled, cloud-based Collaborative Transportation Platform achieves the scalability required to predict and optimize millions of loads and hundreds of thousands of trucks. SemiCab uses real-time data from API-based load tendering and pre-built integrations with TMS and ELD partners to orchestrate collaboration across manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and their carriers. SemiCab uses AI/ML predictions and advanced predictive optimization models to enable fully-loaded round trips. With SemiCab's AI platform, shippers pay less and carriers make more without having to change a thing. For additional information, please go to: Singing Machine is the worldwide leader in consumer karaoke products. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and founded over forty years ago, it designs and distributes the industry's widest assortment of at-home and in-car karaoke entertainment products. Its product portfolio is marketed under both proprietary brands and popular licenses, including Carpool Karaoke and Sesame Street. Singing Machine products incorporate the latest technology and provide access to over 100,000 songs for streaming through its mobile app and select WiFi-capable products and is also developing the world's first globally available, fully integrated in-car karaoke system. Its products are sold in over 25,000 locations worldwide, including Amazon, Costco, Sam's Club, Target, and Walmart. For additional information, please go to Investor Relations Contact:investors@ Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any statement that is not historical in nature is a forward-looking statement and may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "will," "will likely result," "will continue," "plans to," "potential," "promising," and similar expressions. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including the risk factors described from time to time in Algorhythm's reports to the SEC, including, without limitation Algorhythm's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement, each of which applies only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform our statements to actual results or changed expectations, or as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Sign in to access your portfolio