92nd Network Planning Group Meeting Held in New Delhi

07 May 2025 CW Team

On April 30th New Delhi witnessed the 92nd meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) which gathered various professionals and experts to discuss the current state of Indian transportation infrastructure and ways to improve connectivity and logistics efficiency. The main point of discussion for the session were four major projects—one road project and three railway developments.

They were:

5. Construction of a 4-lane access-controlled bypass around Rishikesh done by the National Highways Authority of India. The aim of this bypass would be to reduce traffic congestion both in the city and on National Highway 34.

6. Construction of a new 237 km long railway line between Bina and Itarsi that will also connect 32 other stations such as Narmadapuram, Nishatpura, and Vidisha. This project would reduce transit time between stations as well as increase the speed of freight trains.

7. Construction of third and fourth railway lines across Kasara-Igatpuri in the Northeastern Ghats and Igatpuri-Manmad in the Deccan Plateau. This would help facilitate smoother freight transport.

8. Construction of Bhusawal-Wardha third and fourth railway lines which would cover 314 kilometers across five Maharashtra districts: Jalgaon, Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, and Wardha. This would also involve station upgrades, configurations, and scaling improvements. It is part of a wider goal to improve logistical efficiency in the Mumbai-Howrah high-density corridor (HDN-2).

Building Material

18 Sep 2025

Ambuja Cements Drags JSW Cement to Court Over ‘Kawach’ Brand

Ambuja Cements, part of the Adani Group, has filed a trademark infringement case against JSW Cement in the Delhi High Court, alleging that its rival copied the ‘Kawach’ brand with its new product ‘Jal Kavach’.Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora issued summons to JSW Cement and its subsidiary, JSW IP Holdings Pvt Ltd, while referring the matter to mediation. Hearings are scheduled to resume on October 15 if no settlement is reached.Ambuja, which registered the ‘Kawach’ trademark in 2019, argues that the term ‘Kavach’—meaning shield—is the distinctive feature of its branding. ..

Bentley Systems Named Innovation Partner of the Year 2025 by Afcons

Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering software company, has been recognised by Afcons Infrastructure Limited as its Innovation Partner of the Year 2025 at the Innovation Partners 2025 Felicitation Ceremony in Mumbai. The award acknowledges Bentley’s contribution to Afcons’ engineering digitalisation journey through an enterprise agreement providing access to over 250 Bentley engineering software tools. This adoption has enabled Afcons to accelerate project delivery, standardise digital workflows, and strengthen innovation across its infrastructure portfolio. Among key i..

SBI Sells 13.18% Stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s SMBC

State Bank of India (SBI) has completed the sale of a 13.18 per cent stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for over Rs 8,889 crore. The divestment is part of a Rs 13,482 crore deal finalised in May with SMBC and seven private banks.Following the transaction, SBI’s shareholding in Yes Bank stands at 10.8 per cent. The deal, involving 4,134.4 million shares at Rs 21.50 each, is the largest cross-border transaction in the Indian banking sector.SBI Chairman C S Setty described the 2020 RBI-led rescue of Yes Bank as a pioneering public-private partnership, addi..