35% Growth Forecast In Operating Profits At Offshore Rig Operators In FY26

06 Feb 2025 CW Team

Indian offshore rig operators will see their operating profits surge 30-35 per cent in the next financial year, after a 25-30 per growth in the current fiscal year, according to a Crisil Ratings report released. This will help strengthen the debt metrics and credit profiles of rig operators in the absence of any significant investment towards new rig purchases, the report further stated.

The Crisil Ratings study is based on domestic jack-up rig operators accounting for around 50 per cent of the domestic supply. The report also highlights that the global supply of rigs will continue to remain muted given the lack of interest by rig operators in placing new rig orders owing to long payback periods and limited long-term revenue visibility. This is because demand for rigs is tightly linked to offshore exploration and production activities which in turn depend upon the medium-term outlook of crude oil demand as well as its price.

Global demand for crude oil is expected to remain muted growing at less than 1 per cent in 2025, its prices are also likely to remain range-bound at around $75 per barrel. Nonetheless, these crude oil prices will continue to be remunerative enough for offshore exploration and production activities resulting in steady demand for existing offshore rigs in the near term. This has also resulted in the order book for new rigs coming down gradually to record low levels of 3 per cent of existing supply from the peak of 25 per cent in fiscal 2015.

Infrastructure Urban

09 Apr 2026

Mineral Auction Rules Amended To Speed Mine Operationalisation

The Ministry of Mines notified the Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2026 on 30 March 2026 to accelerate operationalisation of mines and improve ease of doing business in the mining sector. The amendment follows a prior change to the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 effected on 17 October 2025 that introduced intermediary timelines between issuance of a letter of intent (LoI) and execution of the mining lease. The 2025 change provided that one per cent of performance security would be appropriated for each month of delay by the preferred bidder and introduced incentives for early operatio..

Indian Railways Strengthens Telecom And AI Safety Systems

Indian Railways strengthened its telecom and digital infrastructure during 2025-26 with the aim of improving safety, operational efficiency and the passenger experience. The programme promoted modernisation through advanced technologies, robust communication systems and passenger-centric solutions. These measures were presented as part of a drive to build a digitally integrated rail ecosystem. A key development was the enhancement of the Internet Protocol Multi-Protocol Label Switching (IP MPLS) backbone, commissioned at 1,396 stations to meet bandwidth needs of mission-critical applications. ..

NHAI Holds Workshop on Litigation Management and Coordination

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) organised a day-long workshop in New Delhi to strengthen capacity and interdepartmental synergy for faster execution of national highway projects. The event was held under Mission Karmayogi – Sadhana Saptah, an initiative of the Government of India to enhance governance through capacity building and improved processes. The workshop focused on structured and solution oriented deliberations to address implementation constraints. The session was chaired by the NHAI chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and brought together senior officials from NHAI, the M..