Visakhapatnam Metro Project Finally Gathers Pace

12 May 2025 CW Team

After years of prolonged delays and shifting political priorities, the long-anticipated Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project in Andhra Pradesh is finally advancing towards implementation.

Initially proposed in 2014 under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the project is now gaining momentum. The Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (APMRCL) has conducted a pre-bid meeting and issued tenders to appoint a consultancy firm responsible for planning, tendering, supervision, and execution.

The selected consultancy is expected to be announced on 9 June, marking a crucial milestone towards the construction phase. The revised total cost of the project is now estimated at Rs 114.98 billion, aligned with 2024 market valuations.

Despite receiving in-principle approval from the Union Government in 2015, the project saw multiple postponements under both the TDP and YSRCP governments. The TDP had prepared the initial project plan but delayed tendering due to the 2019 election code. After coming to power, the YSRCP cancelled those tenders, opted for a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR), and attempted to widen the project’s scope—yet little ground was made in five years.

Now, with the TDP-led NDA alliance in power at both the state and central levels, the project has been revived in earnest. The state is seeking 100 per cent funding from the Union Government, leveraging its political alignment.

A pre-bid meeting conducted on Tuesday saw interest from 28 consultancy firms—14 attended in person, while 8 joined virtually. Tender submissions close on 8 June, with finalisation the next day.

Phase 1 of the project will cover 46.23 kilometres over three corridors and include 42 metro stations. A future extension is planned to connect the network with Bhogapuram Airport.

Land acquisition has begun, with 99.8 acres identified—most of it publicly owned. The land acquisition cost is estimated at Rs 8.82 billion. A district-level committee is coordinating the acquisition process.

The metro is expected to improve urban mobility, reduce congestion, and stimulate economic growth in Visakhapatnam. With the Bhogapuram Airport project also underway, the metro system is set to complement broader infrastructure development and reinforce the city’s status as Andhra Pradesh’s commercial hub.

Image source:hyderabadmail

After years of prolonged delays and shifting political priorities, the long-anticipated Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project in Andhra Pradesh is finally advancing towards implementation.Initially proposed in 2014 under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the project is now gaining momentum. The Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (APMRCL) has conducted a pre-bid meeting and issued tenders to appoint a consultancy firm responsible for planning, tendering, supervision, and execution.The selected consultancy is expected to be announced on 9 June, marking a crucial milestone towards the construction phase. The revised total cost of the project is now estimated at Rs 114.98 billion, aligned with 2024 market valuations.Despite receiving in-principle approval from the Union Government in 2015, the project saw multiple postponements under both the TDP and YSRCP governments. The TDP had prepared the initial project plan but delayed tendering due to the 2019 election code. After coming to power, the YSRCP cancelled those tenders, opted for a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR), and attempted to widen the project’s scope—yet little ground was made in five years.Now, with the TDP-led NDA alliance in power at both the state and central levels, the project has been revived in earnest. The state is seeking 100 per cent funding from the Union Government, leveraging its political alignment.A pre-bid meeting conducted on Tuesday saw interest from 28 consultancy firms—14 attended in person, while 8 joined virtually. Tender submissions close on 8 June, with finalisation the next day.Phase 1 of the project will cover 46.23 kilometres over three corridors and include 42 metro stations. A future extension is planned to connect the network with Bhogapuram Airport.Land acquisition has begun, with 99.8 acres identified—most of it publicly owned. The land acquisition cost is estimated at Rs 8.82 billion. A district-level committee is coordinating the acquisition process.The metro is expected to improve urban mobility, reduce congestion, and stimulate economic growth in Visakhapatnam. With the Bhogapuram Airport project also underway, the metro system is set to complement broader infrastructure development and reinforce the city’s status as Andhra Pradesh’s commercial hub.Image source:hyderabadmail

Real Estate

02 Apr 2026

Indian real estate attracts USD 1.4 bn institutional investments in Q1 2026: Vestian

Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector touched USD 1.4 billion in Q1 2026, marking the highest first-quarter inflow since 2022, according to Vestian. While investments fell 62 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to an exceptionally high base in the previous quarter, they rose 74 per cent compared to the same period last year, reflecting sustained investor confidence despite rising geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges.Commercial real estate remained the key driver of investment activity during the quarter, accounting for 80 per cent of total inflows, sharply higher than 38 p..

Infrastructure Transport

02 Apr 2026

VECV crosses 1 lakh annual vehicle sales milestone in FY26

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, has surpassed the 1 lakh annual sales mark in FY 2025–26, recording its highest-ever commercial vehicle sales performance. The company said it sold more than 100,000 vehicles during the year, marking a major milestone aligned with the original vision of the Volvo–Eicher joint venture.The strong performance was supported by demand across categories. Light and Medium Duty (LMD) trucks contributed 47,789 units, accounting for 46.1 per cent of total sales. Heavy Duty (HD) trucks recorded 26,867 units (25.9 pe..

Technology

02 Apr 2026

Rodic Digital & Advisory partners SatSure to deploy EO intelligence in public sector

Rodic Digital & Advisory (RDA), the strategic advisory and digital transformation arm of Rodic Consultants, has signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SatSure to jointly pursue opportunities in India’s public sector. The collaboration aims to integrate high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) data and geospatial AI into government workflows to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and operational decision-making across key sectors.The partnership combines SatSure’s Earth intelligence capabilities with RDA’s expertise in government digital transformation and ..