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Are we set for a tidal wave in construction?
Holcim’s divestment of its pre-eminent position as the second largest cement manufacturer in India with brand Ambuja and brand ACC was sold in a matter of days despite the prized tag of over $ 10 billion. Not only did the deal close within days, the open offers it triggered were also rolled out in quick succession, making the total investment for the winning bidder, the Adani Group, $ 10.5 billion, plus another $ 3.5 billion towards the acquisition of shares through the open offer. The private sector, which has remained shy during the past eight years, is seen to have made a beeline for this acquisition with JSW Group and Aditya Birla Group stitching solutions for finances and beating policy hurdles respectively.
This is one of the biggest deals in the history of building materials in India. The Adani Group has been particularly proactive, snapping up airports, roads, ports, logistics, green energy and now cement too. In December, Adani Enterprises won contracts from the Uttar Pradesh government to build three stretches of the 594-km Ganga Expressway. The fourth section was awarded to IRB Infrastructure, where Adani’s share of work is 80 per cent of the total project. Now, Adani is in talks to raise Rs 120 billion from SBI towards this massive project. Its capex plan for the next two years includes $ 4.2 billion for airports and $ 2.2 billion for roads alone. The group’s roads portfolio comprises 14 projects with over 5,000 lane km with asset value exceeding Rs 41,000 crore spread across India.
Meanwhile, it is heartening to see the Finance Minister proactively moving in with…Ganga Expressway
Holcim
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Unified railway app for tickets and tracking launching in December
The Indian Railways is expected to launch a super app consolidating passenger services by the end of December, according to officials familiar with the project. The app, which is being developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), will integrate with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), these officials stated. IRCTC would continue to serve as the interface between CRIS and passengers purchasing train tickets, and that integration between the super app and IRCTC is currently underway. The app will provide a wide range of services, including booking p..
TN drives distributed growth vision with multiple new projects
Tamil Nadu is advancing on its plan to achieve comprehensive growth, launching numerous projects across business sectors with a focus on tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Soon after taking office in May 2021, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin emphasised his government’s commitment to developing both metro and smaller cities to drive industrial growth across the state. The industries department highlighted its focus on creating high-quality, well-paying jobs across Tamil Nadu by establishing various manufacturing facilities, including automobile plants, mini TIDEL Parks, and State Industries Promotion Corp..
India's power consumption slightly up to 140.4 billion units in October
India's power consumption experienced a slight increase of about one per cent, reaching 140.47 billion units (BU) in October, compared to the same period last year. This growth was primarily attributed to a high base effect. In October of the previous year, power consumption had surged by over 22 per cent to 139.44 BU from 113.94 BU in October 2022. The maximum daily supply, or peak power demand met, decreased to 219.22 GW in October 2024 from 221.53 GW in October 2023. May 2024 saw peak power demand reach an all-time high of nearly 250 GW, surpassing the previous record of 243.27 GW set in S..
