This, incidentally, is the worst recession for India since independence. The world economy is expected to contract by over 6 per cent. Our GDP has been sliding from 6.1 per cent in FY2018 to 4.2 per cent in FY2019 to -4.5 per cent in FY2020. In FY1992, we had the worst GDP growth ever at 1.4 […]
The UPA government subjected the infrastructure sector to policy paralysis, environment clearance roadblocks and high-intensity redtape. The NDA government fought tooth and nail to bring about an ordinance when all other measures failed to get all parties onboard the Land Acquisition Act. This was necessitated as the methods for acquiring land under the dated Land […]
With the economy gasping for oxygen, in this column we provided an ‘August’ formula for kickstarting growth in the last issue! Fortunately, the FM has heard the cries of anguish and decided to act, with initiatives aimed at generating sales for the auto industry. The construction equipment industry, too, can heave a sigh of relief […]
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is a man in a hurry. Recently, he announced the Rs 1-trillion Mumbai-Delhi Expressway, which will connect India’s two most backward districts, Mewat (Haryana) and Dahod (Gujarat). With this, the travel time will reduce from the current 24 hours to 12 hours. The first tender for the project worth Rs 440 […]
GST rate reduction from 28 per cent to 18 per cent has provided a breather to the construction equipment industry. Although 15 per cent of items would still be at 28 per cent, the major grouse has been addressed. That said, as many as 42,710 units were sold between January and September this year, against […]
India is on a path of deep-rooted reform. Many initiatives have been triggered that will see fruition this year: Implementation of RERA (with a deadline of May 17), appointment of a Real-Estate Regulator, credit ratings of municipal corporations, issuance of municipal bonds by cities, introduction of GST, and much more. While these shifts do cause […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]