Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs

With Indian cities emerging as the key drivers of economic growth, attention also needs to be paid to developing a robust public transportation system in them, observes Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs. ...

With Indian cities emerging as the key drivers of economic growth, attention also needs to be paid to developing a robust public transportation system in them, observes Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs. From Metro Lite and Metro Neo, which technology will apply to which city? Do you see any execution risks, for example, issues between the Central and the State Governments?  If it were left entirely to state governments, they would all demand regular metros. The problem is that the metro system is capital-intensive and one needs to raise finances. Most of these projects are supported by financing from multilateral financial institutions. For example, we had to take a loan from the Japan Investment Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Delhi Metro. Additionally, these capital-intensive projects need to be economically viable, because you have to pay the loan back within a stipulated period. While we politicians are very ambitious and want the best in infrastructure, we often shy away from the need to ensure that such projects become economically viable. For cities where the peak hour peak direct on trips (PHPDT) is 15,000, Metro Lite is suitable; and for cities with up to 8,000 PHPDT, Metro Neo is suitable. In the case of Metro Lite, the cost per km comes to about Rs 1.2-1.4 billion per km; for Metro Neo, it is Rs 0.6-0.8 billion per km. However, while developing these projects, one needs to anticipate future growth and plan accordingly. As for the issues between the centre and states, I wouldn’t say there are any major disputes. After I became a minister in September 2017, I’m only aware of one case where we had some tension with the state government, which I was able to resolve. According to the Metro Rail Policy, 2017, we were supposed to have a comprehensive mobility plan and statutory body for the Unifi ed Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) to ensure an integrated approach in planning and management for seamless integration of the entire urban transport system. What is your view on this?  Let me give you the facts. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka already have a UMTA and we are insisting on this for every project we now appraise. But I think the overall approach should be to use encouragement not “unless you do this”. Then, it becomes like the chicken and egg dilemma. So, I think it’s a good start and we are encouraging other states to have UMTA as well. Is there a plan to extend any production or launch any other specific programmes to further incentivise Make in India?  Well, the overall philosophy right now is Atmanirbhar. And I am very happy to tell you that Indian-made metro coaches are being sold in Australia and Canada. We currently have 760 km of operational metro and in a few years, we will have another 1,046 km. But that’s not the real story. The real story is that you are moving into a situation where, by 2030, you will have 600 million people living in our urban centres and all of them will require transport. So, we will have to develop 600-700 km of metro rail every year. These additional metro lines will be the story and will materialise through domestic manufacturing. They will create opportunities for people to manufacture in India. To promote this further, we have standardised the minimum local content required for rolling stock at 60 per cent, telecommunications 50 per cent, signalling 50 per cent, elevated civil works 90 per cent, structural works 80 per cent and electrical-mechanical works 60 per cent. Nearly 64 items have been identified to be sourced on Indian soil. There is a major process of indigenisation that we are encouraging. And the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme will further incentivise the Make in India initiative.

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Ramkrishna Forgings Sets Rs 20 Billion Wheel Plant in Chennai

Ramkrishna Forgings plans to enter the forged wheel market and is building a manufacturing facility in Chennai with an annual capacity of 228,000 wheels. Managing Director Naresh Jalan told PTI that the project will cost about Rs 20 billion, funded through a mix of debt and equity.The company expects to begin production with roughly 40,000 wheels in FY27 and ramp up to 100,000 wheels in FY28. Jalan said this single vertical could become one of the firm’s most powerful growth engines, generating multi billion rupee revenues.A Ramkrishna Forgings–Titagarh Rail Systems consortiu..

Next Story
Real Estate

Tata Gets Land for Staff Housing at Dholera Semiconductor Site

As Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd’s (TEPL) first semiconductor fabrication plant takes shape in the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR), the Gujarat government has allotted 10 acres of land to the Tata Group for constructing residential apartments for its workforce. Dholera SIR, a greenfield smart city project about 110 km from Ahmedabad, is being developed with a strong focus on integrated social infrastructure.According to Mona Khandhar, Principal Secretary, Science and Technology Department, Government of Gujarat, “The government has given 10 acres to Tata Group for developing their own h..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

ZF India Appoints Paramjit Chadha as New MD

ZF Commercial Vehicle Control Systems India Ltd has appointed Paramjit Singh Chadha as its new Managing Director. With a career spanning nearly four decades in the automotive industry, Chadha brings deep sectoral knowledge and leadership experience to his new role.He began his professional journey with Maruti Suzuki and has since held senior roles in several leading automotive and component firms, including Kalyani Brakes, Bosch Chassis Systems, Continental Brakes, and Knorr-Bremse. His core expertise lies in safety-critical vehicle components, particularly brake systems, across various segmen..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?