IRFC Refinances DFCCIL World Bank Loan With Rs 98.21bn

30 Dec 2025 CW Team

Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) has extended a Rs 98.21 billion loan to the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) to refinance its foreign currency debt availed from the World Bank for the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor project.

The rupee term loan agreement was formally signed between Rahul Kapoor, Director (Finance), DFCCIL, and Deepa Kotnis, Executive Director (Finance), IRFC. The agreement was executed at the Railway Board in New Delhi in the presence of Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar, along with senior officials from IRFC and DFCCIL, IRFC said in a statement.

According to IRFC, the transaction marks a significant milestone in India’s infrastructure financing landscape, highlighting the growing depth, maturity and capability of domestic financial institutions to fund large-scale, long-gestation infrastructure projects through local currency solutions.

Officials said the refinancing covers existing World Bank loans and will allow DFCCIL to shift from foreign currency borrowing to rupee-denominated financing. This is expected to reduce exposure to exchange rate volatility, improve financial stability and lower long-term funding risks for the strategic freight corridor project.

Infrastructure Transport

06 Feb 2026

Second Mountain Tunnel Breakthrough in Palghar Advances High Speed Rail

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail (MAHSR) project reached a milestone with the breakthrough of a mountain tunnel in Palghar, Maharashtra. Mountain tunnel MT-six measures 454 metres long and 14.4 metres wide and will accommodate up and down tracks. The breakthrough follows MT-five near Saphale on second January 2026 and the MT-six excavation was completed from both ends using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method. The ministry reported that the tunnelling was completed within 12 months. The New Austrian Tunnelling Method is favoured for its flexibility in complex geology and irregular tunnel s..

Modi Government Pushes Atmanirbhar Container Drive With BCSL MoU

The Union Government advanced a plan to create an integrated, domestically anchored container ecosystem with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Bharat Container Shipping Line (BCSL). The MoU was signed by key agencies including the Shipping Corporation of India and Container Corporation of India alongside major port authorities and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in the presence of senior ministers. The initiative aligns with the Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme announced in the Union Budget 2026–2..

Ministry Reports Gains In Mobility For Marginalised Communities

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing skill development, education and rehabilitation schemes to promote socio-economic mobility and sustainable livelihoods for marginalised and disadvantaged communities across the country. Programmes target Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections, De-notified Tribes and Safai Karamcharis through specialised implementing corporations and empanelled training institutes. Pradhan Mantri Dakshata Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana, or PM-DAKSH, provided skill training and placement support through the Nati..