Kochi Metro Phase II faces delays over land acquisition

21 Nov 2024 CW Team

The Kochi Metro Rail Limited's (KMRL) Phase II expansion, connecting JLN Stadium to Kakkanad, has been delayed due to prolonged land acquisition processes. Revenue authorities have extended the validity of the 11(1) land acquisition notification by six months, delaying the issuance of the 19(1) notification for several key stations. While the 11(1) notification has been issued for stations at Palarivattom, Kakkanad, CSEZ, Chitethukara, and Kinfra, only CSEZ and Chitethukara have moved forward with the 19(1) notification. According to the revenue department's order, the notification's validity has been extended until April 2025 for stations along the 11.2 km route. Construction activities had begun in September, including piling works for the viaduct and CEZ Metro station. KMRL initially projected completion of the project within 20 months and had undertaken preparatory work, including soil tests and topographical surveys, along the route. The proposed line will include new stations at Palarivattom Junction, Palarivattom Bypass, Chembumukku, Vazhakkala, Padamughal, Kakkanad Junction, Cochin SEZ, Chittethukara, KINFRA, and InfoPark. However, disputes over land ownership have caused setbacks, slowing the progress of this critical infrastructure project. (ET)

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..