Cabinet Clears Rs 40.81 Bn Ropeway Project for Kedarnath

07 Mar 2025 CW Team

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the construction of a 12.9 km ropeway connecting Sonprayag to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand. This project will be implemented under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) model, with an estimated capital investment of Rs 40.81 billion.

Kedarnath, situated in the Rudraprayag district, is one of the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas and stands at an altitude of 3,583 meters (11,968 feet). The Kedarnath Temple remains open to pilgrims for six to seven months each year, from Akshaya Tritiya (April-May) to Diwali (October-November), attracting approximately 20 lakh devotees per season.

The upcoming ropeway, developed through a public-private partnership, will incorporate the advanced Tri-cable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology. With a design capacity of 1,800 passengers per hour in each direction, the system is expected to accommodate up to 18,000 travellers daily. This initiative aims to enhance connectivity and improve accessibility for the increasing number of visitors to the temple.

At present, reaching Kedarnath requires a strenuous 16-km uphill trek from Gaurikund, with pilgrims relying on foot travel, ponies, palanquins, or helicopter services. The introduction of the ropeway will significantly reduce travel time from approximately 8-9 hours to just 36 minutes. This development is expected to provide a safer, more efficient, and environmentally sustainable transportation option, ensuring year-round accessibility to the revered pilgrimage site.

News source: DD News

Real Estate

05 Sep 2025

Vitizen Hotels Signs Deal at Manyata Tech Park

Vikram Kamats Hospitality, as part of its ongoing expansion in key metropolitan markets, announced that its material subsidiary, Vitizen Hotels, has signed a long-term lease agreement for a 45-key hotel property at Manyata Tech Park, Bengaluru.Strategically located in the city’s prominent IT hub, the property is well-positioned to serve corporate travelers, business professionals, and long-stay guests. The addition aligns with the company’s asset-light growth model, leveraging long-term leases to expand its footprint in high-demand urban markets.The hotel is expected to strengthen the comp..

CONCOR Signs MoU with BPIPL to Operate Container Terminal at Bhavnagar Port

Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bhavnagar Port Infrastructure (BPIPL) on September 4, 2025, in New Delhi to operate and maintain the upcoming container terminal at the northside of Bhavnagar Port, Gujarat.BPIPL had earlier entered into an agreement with the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) in September 2024 for the port’s development. Under this arrangement, 235 hectares of land has been leased to BPIPL for 30 years, with provision for expansion by an additional 250 hectares.The new terminal is expected to significantly enhance logistic..

Concord Launches India’s First Indigenous Zero-Emission Rail Propulsion

Concord Control Systems (CCSL), a leader in embedded electronics and critical rail technologies, has announced the development of India’s first fully indigenous zero-emission propulsion system, marking a significant step toward the country’s railway electrification and net-zero goals for 2030.Powered by Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries and featuring a DC chopper-based drive, the propulsion system eliminates idling losses common in diesel engines, offering higher efficiency, lower costs, and zero emissions.What sets this innovation apart is its completely indigenous design. Except for..