Metro Moves: From Expansion to System Integration

31 Jan 2026 CW Team

India’s metro rail programme has entered a new phase—one where the focus is no longer only on adding kilometres, but on building integrated, reliable and financially sustainable urban transit systems. With more than 1,000 km of metro lines already operational and daily ridership exceeding 10 million, the challenge now lies in execution quality, underground risk management, multimodal integration, viable funding structures, and large-scale digital adoption. These themes framed deliberations at the 4th Metro Rail Summit 2026, held in Mumbai, under the theme Accelerating the Lifeline of Urban Transport.
The conference, organised by FIRST Construction Council, brought together metro operators, project authorities, consultants, contractors, financiers, and technology providers to examine how India can future-proof its metro expansion....

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Infrastructure Transport

31 Jan 2026

MMRDA: Engineering Mumbai’s Underground Future

Somewhere beneath Mumbai’s restless surface, a second city is being built into existence.In the late afternoon, as the day leaned towards evening, Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner (MMRDA), led us into a realm that very few ever enter—the active heart of one of Mumbai’s most ambitious underground road projects. While the city surges forward in familiar chaos above the ground, another Mumbai is taking shape below: quietly, methodically, irrevocably. The metal lift doors clo..

Building Material

31 Jan 2026

Steel: Shielded or Strengthened?

Going forward, domestic steel mills are targeting capacity expansion of nearly 40 per cent through till FY31, adding 80-85 mt, translating into an investment pipeline of $ 45-50 billion. So, Jhunjhunwala points out that continuing the safeguard duty will be vital to prevent a surge in imports and protect domestic prices from external shocks. While in FY26, the industry operating profit per tonne is expected to hold at around $ 108, similar to last year, the industry’s earnings must meaningfully improve from hereon to sustain large-scale investments. Else, domestic mills could..