Last month, in a swift move at the recommendation of NITI Aayog, the government reversed the misery of construction and infrastructure companies. In this column last month, I had pitched for a resolution to the impasse on matters stuck in arbitration, disputes and appeals. So while the ruling has now provided that the company in […]
NITI Aayog is finally fixing the loose ends with the construction matrix to allow the multiplier effect to breathe its magical effect across the economy. It is putting together a policy to remove hurdles for projects where contractors are locked in arbitration with government agencies so that 75 per cent of the funds would be […]
The industrial policy statement of July 24, 1991, set the notes on which the elephant learnt to dance. Manmohan Singh´s reform Budget scrapped industrial licensing and the requirement to get clearance from the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission for large companies to expand or start something new. This paved the way for foreign investment […]
On June 25, exactly a year after the Smart Cities Mission was launched, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 84 projects from 20 selected cities that collectively aggregate to Rs 2,000 crore. Standing on stage along with the Union Minister of Urban Development, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and the Union Minister for Environment, with the […]
There is finally good news on the economic front. Projects commissioned in the country reached a record high of Rs 4.6 lakh crore in FY2016, according to CMIE. This is the highest-ever commissioning of projects in a year and represents a 12 per cent increase over Rs 4 lakh crore in FY2015. The stock of […]
The ´leap´ of the year turned out to be more of a ´hop, skip and jump´. Cautiousness prevailed as FM Arun Jaitley reined in the fiscal deficit to 3.5 per cent of GDP and stood his ground. The month began with the ´Make in India´ extravaganza which helped the state administration revisit the MOUs signed […]
While the global outlook is disconcerting, it has brought in good tidings in the form of nearly $60 billion of savings owing to sub $30 oil prices. However, our stock markets indicate that the near-term outlook for India is yet to see a revival. The Sensex is at the same level as when our current […]
As the smog settles, we will be able to see beyond the smokescreen. And the picture does not look too different yet, despite major efforts in keeping our spirits soaring by our PM who is on overdrive in screening favourable optics, one after another. Once the winter chill wanes, financial thrills may take over because […]
When, a couple of years ago, CW raised the question of whether India could be considered a construction equipment hub, many scoffed at the idea as our delivery on manufacturing was not considered competitive. Over the years, the logic morphed from addressing the needs of neighbouring countries to developing models specific to the needs of […]
The ¨ease of doing business¨ rankings released by the World Bank have indicated a minuscule improvement for India to a rank of 130 owing primarily to better points in ¨starting a business¨ and ¨getting an electricity connection¨. However, there has been no change in our abysmal ranking as far as ¨obtaining construction permits¨, ¨enforcing contracts¨ […]