India Fast-Tracks Chalsa-Naxalbari Rail to Secure Doklam Area

10 Aug 2026 CW Team

Nine years after the Doklam military standoff highlighted the need for rapid troop movement in the eastern Himalayas, the Union government and the West Bengal administration have revived the Chalsa-Naxalbari railway project. The state has approved acquisition of nearly 380 hectares for the 20 km stretch, a scheme sanctioned in 2011-12 that had stalled for years. Officials view the revival as an effort to improve rail access towards the Doklam tri-junction and to shorten mobilisation times to the Siliguri Corridor.

Infrastructure Transport

10 Aug 2026

Fadnavis Urges Completion Of Metro Projects Within Three Years

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed officials to ensure that all metro rail projects in the state are completed within three years from the start of construction as the government accelerates expansion of its urban rapid transit network. Chairing the state cabinet’s Infrastructure Committee, he said the expansion in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region will strengthen safe, fast and environment-friendly public transport and support future urban growth. An official statement said the state currently has 174 km of operational metro corridors, while 291 ..

Vedanta Aluminium Raises Rs 135 bn Loan After Demerger

Vedanta Aluminium Metal Ltd has raised Rs 135 bn from a syndicate of banks, marking the first significant local currency loan for the business since the Vedanta Group split into separately listed firms. The financing was arranged with Axis Bank Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd and ICICI Bank Ltd involved, and reflects efforts to establish independently financed entities following a court-approved demerger. Axis Bank signed a loan agreement supplying Rs 55 bn, while HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank will together provide about Rs 80 bn. Lenders are expected to syndicate portions of the facility with Axis Bank launchi..

Airbus Selects Aerolloy To Supply Titanium Castings

Airbus has selected Aerolloy Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of PTC Industries (PTC), to develop, qualify and supply titanium castings for the A320neo, A330neo and A350 aircraft programmes. The agreement establishes the development, qualification and industrialisation pathway for Aerolloy to progress into production supply, subject to the successful completion of Airbus qualification and programme requirements. The selection marks a significant milestone for the Indian manufacturer in the global commercial aerospace supply chain and follows Airbus's evaluation process. Under the agreem..