The Network Planning Group (NPG)
The Network Planning Group (NPG) has shortlisted various road, rapid rail, metro, and railway projects, including petroleum pipelines, as key infrastructure projects requiring an investment of ₹4.53 lakh crore to be undertaken under the ambit of the PM Gati Shakti master plan. The development of these projects is necessary to boost urban connectivity and support manufacturing. This move comes after the government announced a Rs.10 lakh crore capex plan in the budget for the next fiscal year. The backing of the NPG, consisting of the heads of the planning divisions of eight ministries and departments, is expected to result in faster approvals and implementation of the projects.

The NPG evaluates projects that have been developed by various infrastructure ministries, endorses them to the Ministry of Finance and the proponent ministry, and makes suggestions. Under the PM Gati Shakti principles, an integrated approach must be adopted while proposing connectivity projects, and multi-modality or inter-modal infrastructure and last-mile connectivity should be considered. Once mapped on the National Master Plan (NMP), an optimal solution in terms of alignment to a project will also be obtained.

The infrastructure gaps have been identified under NMP following suggestions from ministries that administer industries like steel, which would benefit from these projects. In total, there are 63 projects, with the Pune-Bengaluru Expressway being the most capital-intensive, costing ₹49,241 crore. The second most valuable project, costing ₹37,987 crore, is the 107-km Delhi-Gurgaon-SNB (Shahjahanpur-Neemrana-Behror) Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor, which is part of the Delhi-Alwar RRTS line. The development of trunk infrastructure components for the 5,796.68-acre Dighi Port Industrial Area, under the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor, is the most expensive project of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation that receives NPG endorsement, with a project cost of ₹5,410.04 crore.
VOC port gets approval for Rs 7,055.95 cr container terminal
The Union government's V O Chidambaranar Port Authority in Tamil Nadu has received approval from the Public-Private-Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) to construct a 4 million TEUs capacity container terminal in the port's outer harbor, involving

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HCPL secures bid for Hubballi Airport's Rs 260.22 cr terminal
Harsh Constructions (HCPL) emerges as the lowest bidder (L1) for the civil construction of Hubballi airport's new terminal building in Karnataka. The Rs. 260.22 crore investment will enable the terminal to handle 2400 peak-hour passengers, featuring

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RITES & MIDC join forces for logistics projects
Government-controlled PSU RITES, under the Ministry of Railways, has inked an initial pact with Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (MIDC) for multi-modal logistics projects in Meghalaya. RITES will serve as a project management consultant

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Panattoni Group to invest 100m euros in industrial park in Delhi-NCR
The US-based Panattoni Group announces a 100 million Euro investment in an 8 million sq. ft. industrial park in the Delhi-NCR region, marking its entry into the Indian market. The first project, covering 18 acres along National Highway 352, is strategically

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CMRL awards Rs 137.86 cr E&M contract to Universal MEP for pink line
Chennai Metro Rail grants a Rs. 137.86 crore contract to Universal MEP Projects & Engineering Services for Line 5's E&M, fire protection, ventilation, and air-conditioning. The 2.2-year project on the 44.6 km Pink line, from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur

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98 MSMEs to invest Rs 1,583.80 cr in Tamil Nadu
In Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, 98 MSMEs are set to invest Rs 1,583.80 crore in various manufacturing units. Notably, one unit aims to produce spare parts for ISRO with a Rs 200 crore investment. Other units will focus on food processing, matches

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Brigade Group to develop 2 lakh sqft grade-A office space in Bengaluru
Brigade Group has inked a joint development agreement for a grade-A office space on Sankey Road, Bengaluru. The project spans around 0.20 million sq ft with an estimated gross development value (GDV) of Rs 500 crore. Additionally, Brigade Hotel

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UP approves Rs 1,600 cr RRTS corridor
The Uttar Pradesh state government has granted approval for a 72-km long Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor connecting Ghaziabad's 17-km priority section to the upcoming Jewar International Airport in Greater Noida. The ambitious project

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JCB unveils £100 million hydrogen project in India
In the presence of Shri Nitin Gadkari, JCB's £100 million project for super-efficient hydrogen engines made its Indian debut. The Minister unveiled a JCB backhoe loader powered by a purpose-engineered hydrogen combustion engine, marking its global

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Karnataka approves ₹2,088 cr 62 infra projects
The State Level Single Window Clearance Committee (SLSWCC) in Karnataka has granted approval for 62 projects with a combined investment of ₹2,088.44 crore. Notably, the committee greenlit Qualcomm's pivotal Research and Development (R&D) unit

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UP metro initiates tunneling for Kanpur Metro's Strategic Link
The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation has commenced tunneling operations for the Kanpur metro, connecting the priority corridor with the Chunniganj-Nayaganj section. The Nana TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) has been deployed at the MacRobert ganj

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AVG Logistics secures ₹150 cr Bengaluru-Ludhiana cargo train contract
AVG Logistics has secured a contract worth Rs 150 crore from Indian Railways for the lease of a Parcel Cargo Express Train (PCET) connecting Bengaluru to Ludhiana in Punjab. This special train is set to complete one round trip weekly over the next

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Kochi Metro Phase II gets boost with ₹24 cr additional Funds
The Kochi Metro's Phase II development, connecting JLN Stadium to Kakkanad, receives a boost as the state government allocates an additional ₹24 crore for preparatory works from JLN Stadium to Palarivattom. Initially sanctioned at ₹354.57 crore

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Kolkata Metro accelerates construction of Nazrul Tirtha metro station
The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation is expediting the construction of the Nazrul Tirtha Metro station on the Kavi Subhash-Jai Hind (Airport) Corridor of the Orange Line in Kolkata. Positioned in the Nazrul Tirtha area of New Town, this upcoming station

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Ambuja Cements Completes Acquisition of Sanghi Industries
Ambuja Cements, part of the Adani Group, has concluded the acquisition of Sanghi Industries at an enterprise value of Rs 5,185 crore. Funded entirely through internal accruals, Ambuja Cements now holds a controlling stake of 54.51% in Sanghi Industries

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Kerala govt allocates Rs 378 cr for Kochi Metro phase-II construction
The Kerala government has approved Rs 378.57 crore for the construction of Phase-II of the Kochi Metro Rail project. This funding will support the development of an 11.8 km stretch of the Pink Line, connecting Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to Kakkanad

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KPIL bags Rs 2,263 cr new orders in domestic & overseas markets
Kalpataru Projects International Limited (KPIL) has announced the acquisition of new orders amounting to Rs. 2,263 crore in both domestic and overseas markets. The transmission and distribution (T&D) segment secured orders of Rs. 1,564 crore

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UPMRC invites bids for Agra-Kalindi Vihar main line viaduct construction
The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation has initiated the bidding process for the construction of the Main Line elevated viaduct, covering a 2.61 km stretch from Agra Cantt metro station to Kalindi Vihar Metro station under package AGCC-07

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J Kumar Infra bags Rs 378 cr contract from MMRDA for Mumbai Metro Flyover
J Kumar Infra secures a construction contract worth Rs 378 crore from Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The project involves the design and construction of a flyover (missing links) connecting Link Road, Andheri (West) to Poonam

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SEPC secures Rs 427 cr contract for water infra project in Jharkhand
SEPC Ltd, formerly Shriram EPC Ltd, has won a contract worth Rs 427.9 crore from the government of Jharkhand. Awarded by the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, the project involves the construction of an intake well on a turnkey basis

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