Power Booster

01 Dec 2015 Editorial Team

¨A Diwali gift for investors,¨ in the words of Amitabh Kant, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry-Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) reforms recently announced by the Centre ¨is the biggest bang reform of the government,¨ according to Kant, as reported. The FDI reforms are expected to ease norms across 15 sectors including defence, banking, construction, single brand retail, broadcasting and civil aviation. Kant is on the edge to facilitate faster approvals on most of the proposals, and for this, the government has raised the threshold limit of approval by Foreign Investment Promotion Board from the earlier Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore. Happy news is that the struggling construction sector will be a major beneficiary. This is because radical changes in FDI norms have been brought in, to boost the demand for steel, cement and spur economic activity, by helping to build 50 million affordable houses for the poor. Kant is a man with a mission.

Infrastructure Transport

15 May 2026

MMRDA Removes 1.14 lakh m of Metro Barricades

In a bid to ease congestion and improve urban mobility during monsoon, MMRDA has undertaken one of the largest coordinated barricade removal and monsoon preparedness drives across its ongoing metro and infrastructure projects.With substantial progress achieved in viaduct and structural works across multiple metro corridors, barricades from completed stretches beneath metro viaducts are being systematically removed, restoring maximum possible road space before the monsoon. Wider carriageways across key arterial roads are expected to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, support better rainwa..

Pune Division to Remove All Diamond Crossings by Year-End

The Pune railway division has announced plans to remove all 16 diamond crossings by the end of 2026 as part of a major yard remodelling project following the derailment of a Vande Bharat Express at Pune Junction on April 27. Railway authorities said the replacements aim to improve safety and streamline train operations across the busy station. The decision followed a Central Railway finding that the accident involved a non-standard diamond crossing and highlighted the need for replacement. Regular maintenance of existing crossings will continue until the replacement work is completed. Official..

Goa Declares 80 Million Square Metres No Development Zone

The Goa state government has declared 80 million square metres (mn) of land a no development zone, designating the area as protected from new construction. The notification reclassifies tracts across the state under a no development category for planning and regulatory purposes. The declaration signals a formal halt to new building permits within the defined zone. Authorities indicated that maps will be issued to show broad boundaries while detailed surveys will refine precise limits. The move transfers responsibility for enforcement to local planning authorities and relevant departments, whic..