Parliamentary Panel Flags Funding Gaps in Heavy Industries

12 Mar 2026 CW Team

"The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry (Rajya Sabha) presented its 332nd report on the Demands for Grants 2026-27 of the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI). Figures converted from crore and lakh are expressed in million (mn). The Budget Estimates 2026-27 for the Ministry stand at Rs 79,399 mn against a projected requirement of Rs 94,843.2 mn, a shortfall of about 16 per cent, with revenue at Rs 79,370.8 mn and capital compressed to Rs 28.2 mn from Rs 5,020 mn.

The committee flagged recurring BE-to-RE compression and declining revised estimate utilisation, and called for realistic budgeting and a restored balance between revenue and capital. It urged augmentation of capital for testing and research and development and recommended scheme-specific smoothing and early consultations with the Ministry of Finance.

PM E-DRIVE has a total outlay of Rs 109,000 mn and received Rs 15,000 mn in BE 2026-27, with incentives delivered for 1,656,335 electric vehicles against a revised target of 2,826,634, roughly 58.6 per cent. Achievements are concentrated in electric two-wheelers and L5 three-wheelers while electric trucks, buses and ambulances recorded zero and the e-rickshaw segment reached 3,602 units against 39,034. The committee asked for incentive extensions to 31 March 2028, restoration of e-rickshaw targets and action on about 0.475 mn unregistered e-rickshaws.

It recommended review of charging subsidies to spur private participation and time-bound rollout plans. Tenders worth about Rs 6,224.5 mn for testing agency upgradation show nil utilisation and 232,588 vehicle claims remain under process, prompting calls for integrated digital verification and time-bound disbursal. The committee also urged tighter monitoring of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, noted a total PLI outlay of Rs 259,380 mn with allocations of Rs 59,398.7 mn, and sought an immediate beneficiary-wise review of the Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery PLI within three months given only one GWh commissioned."

The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry (Rajya Sabha) presented its 332nd report on the Demands for Grants 2026-27 of the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI). Figures converted from crore and lakh are expressed in million (mn). The Budget Estimates 2026-27 for the Ministry stand at Rs 79,399 mn against a projected requirement of Rs 94,843.2 mn, a shortfall of about 16 per cent, with revenue at Rs 79,370.8 mn and capital compressed to Rs 28.2 mn from Rs 5,020 mn.The committee flagged recurring BE-to-RE compression and declining revised estimate utilisation, and called for realistic budgeting and a restored balance between revenue and capital. It urged augmentation of capital for testing and research and development and recommended scheme-specific smoothing and early consultations with the Ministry of Finance.PM E-DRIVE has a total outlay of Rs 109,000 mn and received Rs 15,000 mn in BE 2026-27, with incentives delivered for 1,656,335 electric vehicles against a revised target of 2,826,634, roughly 58.6 per cent. Achievements are concentrated in electric two-wheelers and L5 three-wheelers while electric trucks, buses and ambulances recorded zero and the e-rickshaw segment reached 3,602 units against 39,034. The committee asked for incentive extensions to 31 March 2028, restoration of e-rickshaw targets and action on about 0.475 mn unregistered e-rickshaws.It recommended review of charging subsidies to spur private participation and time-bound rollout plans. Tenders worth about Rs 6,224.5 mn for testing agency upgradation show nil utilisation and 232,588 vehicle claims remain under process, prompting calls for integrated digital verification and time-bound disbursal. The committee also urged tighter monitoring of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, noted a total PLI outlay of Rs 259,380 mn with allocations of Rs 59,398.7 mn, and sought an immediate beneficiary-wise review of the Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery PLI within three months given only one GWh commissioned.

Infrastructure Transport

25 Apr 2026

Sector 51-52 Metro skywalk in Noida remains shut despite being ready for over a year

Thousands of commuters travelling between Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s (DMRC) Sector 52 station and Noida Metro Rail Corporation’s (NMRC) Sector 51 station continue to face daily inconvenience as the 300-metre air-conditioned skywalk connecting the two stations remains closed, despite being completed over a year ago, according to a report.The Noida Metro Rail Corporation built the foot overbridge to enable a seamless interchange between the Delhi Metro and Noida Metro networks. However, pending finishing work and a structural obstruction have delayed its opening.Krishna Karunesh, Chief E..

Infrastructure Transport

25 Apr 2026

Maharashtra clears Metro Line 5A, expansion of Mumbai Metro Line 5

The Maharashtra government has approved the expansion of Mumbai Metro Line 5 along with a new integrated corridor, Metro Line 5A, forming a combined 34.2-km metro network across the Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan-Ulhasnagar belt. The integrated project has been cleared at an estimated cost of ₹18,130.55 crore, according to a government resolution (GR).Metro Line 5 was originally approved in October 2017 as a 24.9-km fully elevated corridor with 17 stations connecting Thane, Bhiwandi and Kalyan, with an initial project cost of ₹8,416.51 crore. The corridor is being developed in two phases.The first ..

Infrastructure Transport

25 Apr 2026

Bengaluru Metro expansion seen driving office demand

Bengaluru’s expanding metro network is expected to emerge as a major catalyst for real estate growth, with the Yellow and Pink Lines likely to boost both office demand and residential prices across key micro-markets, according to a report by Colliers India.The report estimates that over the next two years, Bengaluru could witness an additional 5–7 million sq ft of Grade A office space demand across the Central Business District (CBD), Secondary Business District (SBD) and Electronic City. Improved metro connectivity and reduced commute times are expected to drive higher occupier interest a..