Rs 700 Million Sanctioned for Kochi-Palakkad Corridor

25 Jul 2025 CW Team

The government has sanctioned Rs 700 million for land acquisition by KINFRA for the Kochi-Palakkad Hi-Tech Industrial Corridor, a vital component of Kerala’s broader Kochi-Bangalore Industrial Corridor (KBIC). The funding move supports the advancement of one of the state’s flagship industrial initiatives aimed at boosting manufacturing and attracting investment.

The Kochi-Palakkad stretch forms a major segment of the 2,060-acre KBIC project and includes two major hubs: the Industrial Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) in Palakkad and the 350-acre Global City in Ayyampuzha, Ernakulam—formerly referred to as Gift City. The latter is currently awaiting Central government approval.

The Rs 700 million will be utilised to repay a loan taken from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). The total estimated project cost stands at Rs 26.08 billion, with administrative approval already in place. KINFRA had earlier sought Rs 2 billion for land acquisition for the 2025–26 financial year.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had previously cleared the Palakkad IMC under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP).

The latest fund release is subject to specific terms outlined in the official order, marking a significant step in Kerala’s efforts to enhance its industrial infrastructure and economic footprint.

Infrastructure Transport

01 Jun 2026

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..