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Looks like it is about to rain manna from the heavens for India Inc's development agenda and we have to thank the assembly elections coming up in four states Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi  at the end of the year. And characteristically the first course of the rare feast is coming up in the desert state of Rajasthan with the Union Cabinet set to clear a long pending Rs 38,000 crore refinery-cum-petrochemical complex in Barmer district, followed by a rail coach factory in Bhilwara and an airport project in Ajmer. All these are being dubbed the much needed showpiece for voters before the election commission introduces a ban on pre-poll announcements in the coming few days. Admittedly the UPA government seems to be charged with a never before urgency to get previously stonewalled projects under stream and to close business/industrial deals that could prove to be potential game changers not just in the immediate elections but the Parliamentary elections show of strength coming up next year. A case in point is Tata Sons' announcement of a full service carrier in partnership with Singapore Airlines. Against the background of previous opposition to the Tata Group's aviation ambitions, and also in the light of the recently cleared Jet-Etihad deal, the absence of any hurdle being posed could well be seen as almost facilitating a business deal. In a sense this is an oblique gesture by the government that it is sympathetic to industry concerns. As with aviation so with airports. The Ministry of Civil Aviation is expected to soon float request for qualification (RFQ) documents for six airports Kolkata, Chennai, Guwahati, Jodhpur, Ahmedabad -û and is even open to offering 100 per cent stake to private players. The fact that a government entity like the Airports Authority of India is out of reckoning in the exercise shows the government's anxiety, perhaps last ditch effort, to get into the good books of voters. The Prime Minister's office has even seen it fit to summon Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar to Delhi for a review of the Navi Mumbai project, hanging fire for several years now. It has reportedly ordered the state government and the Airports Authority of India to finish all land acquisition formalities and appoint a developer for the project by February 15, 2014. Whatever the reason for the government's hyperactive mode  though very obviously it appears to be the coming elections  action from our minders will be a very welcome step for an India Inc stuck in a development quagmire for years. The money  reportedly $5-6 billion  that will seep into the system in the guise of election spend will also be welcome for India reeling under economic crisis. This will be a convenient point for politicians to bring in cash  the rupee volatility is in favour of those who bring in the dollar. Faced with an onslaught of bad news on the economic front for most of the year the recent economic indicators like rainfall, and improved performance by agriculture and industry, offer more than a sliver of positivity and good cheer. Ergo, hope is the focus of CW's cover story for this issue. There has been slight change in the schedule of ASAPP Media's annual jamboree -û the 2nd India Construction Festival (ICF). It has been pushed from October to November 14-15, 2013. The Construction World Global Awards and other attendant events will be held on the two days in the happy umbra of the ICF. Meanwhile CW, beginning this issue, is delighted to introduce three new columns devoted to finance, civic issues, and bilateral trade.Have a very happy read!