PPPs accelerate road growth
鈥淥ver the past decade, India鈥檚 road sector has experienced a significant transformation, fuelled by strong government backing and a surge in private-sector investment,鈥� according to Anshumali Srivastava, Chief General Manager 鈥� Tech, NHAI. Speakin...
PPPs accelerate road growth
鈥淥ver the past decade, India鈥檚 road sector has experienced a significant transformation, fuelled by strong government backing and a surge in private-sector investment,鈥� according to Anshumali Srivastava, Chief General Manager 鈥� Tech, NHAI. Speaking about evolution of the sector since 2014, Srivastava highlighted how the shift from solely budgetary support to PPP models has been a gamechanger. Despite increased government spending, he said the sector still has an appetite for further investment, with private players stepping in to fill the gap.
The reason for road accidents is faster roads
鈥淲hile India鈥檚 road infrastructure has significantly improved with high-quality construction and advanced geometric designs, there has been an unintended rise in accidents,鈥� said Dr Tom V Mathew, Professor and Head of Civil Engineering, IIT Bombay. He emphasised that the new roads offer smoother driving conditions and higher speeds. But this increase in speed has led to a surge in accidents, not due to construction or design flaws but because drivers are unused to improved infrastructure. 鈥淭he issue lies in driving behaviour and habits, which haven鈥檛 adapted to higher speeds enabled by new roads.鈥�
Leveraging technology for ambitious targets
鈥淎s India鈥檚 infrastructure projects grow more ambitious, meeting tight construction deadlines has become increasingly critical,鈥� said Nirmalaya Chatterjee, Country Vice President (Indian Subcontinent) Nemetschek Group. 鈥淲e cannot double our workforce or contractors to match these targets. The solution is how effectively we can leverage technology to enhance efficiency and productivity,鈥� he added, highlighting the vital role of digital tools in meeting India鈥檚 infrastructure demands.
Cement targets net zero, doubling production
鈥淚ndia鈥檚 cement and concrete production is set to double or even triple by 2070,鈥� Kaustubh Phadke, India Head, Global Cement & Concrete Association (GCCA), said, emphasising the industry鈥檚 commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by that same year. 鈥淎s India鈥檚 demand for construction materials continues to surge, GCCA is aligning with the country鈥檚 ambitious sustainability goals.鈥� He added, 鈥淲e are striving to reach net-zero emissions in concrete production by 2050, while also supporting India鈥檚 broader net-zero target by 2070 and the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.鈥�
鈥淲e are here as builders to introduce all the technologies given by all the members of the dais,鈥� said Aniruddha Nakhawa, Structural Consultants and Project Engineers, Builders Association of India (BAI). 鈥淥ne of our builders from Gujarat has set a world record for construction of a 100-km road in 100 hours.鈥�
The way ahead
The discussion emphasised how these innovations are driving smarter, more sustainable road development across India, aligning with the country鈥檚 broader ambitions for economic growth and infrastructure modernisation.
Reliance, Diehl Advance Pact for Precision-Guided Munitions
Diehl Defence CEO Helmut Rauch and Reliance Group鈥檚 Founder Chairman Anil D. Ambani have held discussions to advance their ongoing strategic partnership focused on Guided and Terminally Guided Munitions (TGM), under a cooperation agreement originally signed in 2019.This collaboration underscores Diehl Defence鈥檚 long-term commitment to the Indian market and its support for the Indian Government鈥檚 Make in India initiative. The partnership鈥檚 current emphasis is on the urgent supply of the Vulcano 155mm Precision Guided Munition system to the Indian Armed Forces.Simultaneously, the 鈥淰ulc..
Modis Navnirman to Migrate to Main Board, Merge Subsidiary
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Global Capital Flows Remain Subdued, EMEA Leads in Q1 2025
The Bharat InvITs Association鈥檚 industry update for Q1 2025 shows subdued global capital flows, with investment volumes remaining at the lower end of the five-year range despite a late 2024 recovery. According to data from Colliers and MSCI Real Capital Analytics, activity in North America declined slightly, while EMEA maintained steady levels and emerged as the top region for investment in standing assets.The EMEA region now hosts seven of the top ten cross-border capital destinations for standing assets, pushing the United States鈥� share of global activity below 15 per cent. Meanwhile, in..