Rail on a RollSaroj Kumar Poddar, Chairman, Texmaco Rail and Engineering, heads the Kolkata-based rail wagon manufacturer company, which in a major deal in the railway sector, acquired a 100 per cent stake in Jindal Rail Infrastructure, another rolling stock manufacturer for Rs.6.15 billion. The acquisition is the largest in the history of India’s rolling stock industry and will significantly ramp up Texmaco’s manufacturing capacity, making it the largest producer of wagons in India. Also this acquisition arrives at an opportune moment, given the surge in growth in India’s wagons industry, supplemented by the government’s policy for dedicated freight corridors. The latest acquisition will allow it to capture more of the rolling stock industry, with Indian Railways planning a massive upgrade of its existing, ageing fleet. The synergistic merging of capabilities of Texmaco and Jindal Rail will amplify export capacity and effectively bolster its competitive advantage. The acquisition is a step to spread its footprint across India and eventually gather pace to become a global name in railways.Cementing A MajorityKC Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement, heads the Aditya Birla Group-owned company which acquired a majority stake in India Cements. The India Cements opportunity accelerates UltraTech’s path to 200+ million tonne per annum (mtpa) capacity and enables the company, with an installed capacity of 140 MTPA, to serve the Southern markets more effectively. India Cements has a total capacity of 14.45 mtpa of grey cement. Of this, 12.95 mtpa is in the south (particularly Tamil Nadu) and 1.5 mtpa is in Rajasthan. UltraTech, the third-largest cement company in the world in terms of sales, approved acquisition of a 32.72 per cent equity stake of promoters and their associates in India Cements for `39.54 billion at `390 per share, a price which was 4.1 percent higher than India Cements' earlier closing price of `374.60 apiece. UltraTech has been involved in several big-ticket projects in the country such as the new Parliament building in New Delhi, the Statue of Unity in Gujarat and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, apart from metro rail projects in many cities.Tale of Two StatesNitish Kumar, Chief Minister, Bihar, and Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh, head the two states that got infrastructure projects of around `740 billion in roads, irrigation, aviation and power projects. As per the Union Budget announcement, crucial allies of the BJP-led NDA government – Bihar’s Janata Dal (United) and Andhra Pradesh’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) – received significant infrastructure allocations. Although the government did not grant special status to Bihar, it announced infrastructure projects worth Rs.590 billion to support the state's development and Andhra Pradesh was allocated Rs.150 billion for development work. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister, Finance, announced many road connectivity projects for Bihar. The FM said the government is committed to expediting completion of the Polavaram Irrigation Project, which is crucial for Andhra Pradesh and its farme.