+
Bure din gaye
PORTS & SHIPPING

Bure din gaye

On the completion of his first year in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to all citizens and presented his case. The media extensively assessed the Government´s performance too. Generally, the verdict was that ´not enough has been done´ - yet everyone recognised that the fruits for such labour take a while to ripen. One of my favourites: ´Would you have preferred the UPA government to continue for one more year instead of the Modi Government?´

This one is a no-brainer. Yet, we seem to have forgotten how bad the situation had turned with an inactive government saddling its finances with burdens of ill-planned social schemes with an eye on the elections while keeping the economy at a standstill. As CW reported in its cover stories in March with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, April with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and ´Report Card´ last month, the Government´s momentum is strong but the lag in process is holding back impact on the ground. Corporate results for the year ended March 2015 conclusively prove that the corporate sector is reeling under an almost negative demand and virtually nil margins with a debt overhang. The consumer sector, which was buoyant, is now not likely to throw up good numbers too, going ahead. The fall in inflation will see improvement in demand, albeit gradually, over the next six months.

The roads sector would be the first to get into higher gear with loads of EPC projects being awarded in the second quarter this fiscal. Fortunately, this sector has been the quickest to fall in line and the most visible statement on infrastructure. Its track record too shows that the pace of construction has been over 12 km per day for the past seven years as given below:

I have seen many speakers at conferences compare regimes and quote incorrect figures on road construction per day, trying to ridicule the previous regime´s quest to build 20 km per day. As we can see in the table, in 2012-13 we were doing close to 16 km per day. If the NDA Government awards 10,000 km this year as intended and follows this up with a similar figure for 2016-17, we could move very close to 30 km per day as stated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Railways, too, is likely to see activity with 94,000 km of doubling and third line on choked routes receiving sanctions to decongest the rail network. To overcome the cycle of chronic underinvestment, the Railways is approaching the markets to finance revenue generating projects. Further, among urban infrastructure, metro projects are on course while projects under smart cities will take some more time to benefit from the allocation and provision of Rs 200,000 crore.

Energy is upbeat, which is good news for a country in growth mode. There is a sharp increase of 8.4 per cent in electricity generation, the highest in the past 20 years. The country has added 22,566 mw of generation capacity in the past year with some contribution from enhanced coal production, which is up by 12 per cent. The Supreme Court has breathed new life into the renewable sector with a landmark judgement enforcing renewable energy purchase obligations. This will help boost renewable power generation manifold.

Given all the developments, it is likely that an interest rate cut could come sooner than later, unless there are global pressures. The year 2015-16 will be the prep year for the boom year that is to come.

On the completion of his first year in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to all citizens and presented his case. The media extensively assessed the Government´s performance too. Generally, the verdict was that ´not enough has been done´ - yet everyone recognised that the fruits for such labour take a while to ripen. One of my favourites: ´Would you have preferred the UPA government to continue for one more year instead of the Modi Government?´ This one is a no-brainer. Yet, we seem to have forgotten how bad the situation had turned with an inactive government saddling its finances with burdens of ill-planned social schemes with an eye on the elections while keeping the economy at a standstill. As CW reported in its cover stories in March with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, April with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and ´Report Card´ last month, the Government´s momentum is strong but the lag in process is holding back impact on the ground. Corporate results for the year ended March 2015 conclusively prove that the corporate sector is reeling under an almost negative demand and virtually nil margins with a debt overhang. The consumer sector, which was buoyant, is now not likely to throw up good numbers too, going ahead. The fall in inflation will see improvement in demand, albeit gradually, over the next six months. The roads sector would be the first to get into higher gear with loads of EPC projects being awarded in the second quarter this fiscal. Fortunately, this sector has been the quickest to fall in line and the most visible statement on infrastructure. Its track record too shows that the pace of construction has been over 12 km per day for the past seven years as given below: I have seen many speakers at conferences compare regimes and quote incorrect figures on road construction per day, trying to ridicule the previous regime´s quest to build 20 km per day. As we can see in the table, in 2012-13 we were doing close to 16 km per day. If the NDA Government awards 10,000 km this year as intended and follows this up with a similar figure for 2016-17, we could move very close to 30 km per day as stated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Railways, too, is likely to see activity with 94,000 km of doubling and third line on choked routes receiving sanctions to decongest the rail network. To overcome the cycle of chronic underinvestment, the Railways is approaching the markets to finance revenue generating projects. Further, among urban infrastructure, metro projects are on course while projects under smart cities will take some more time to benefit from the allocation and provision of Rs 200,000 crore. Energy is upbeat, which is good news for a country in growth mode. There is a sharp increase of 8.4 per cent in electricity generation, the highest in the past 20 years. The country has added 22,566 mw of generation capacity in the past year with some contribution from enhanced coal production, which is up by 12 per cent. The Supreme Court has breathed new life into the renewable sector with a landmark judgement enforcing renewable energy purchase obligations. This will help boost renewable power generation manifold. Given all the developments, it is likely that an interest rate cut could come sooner than later, unless there are global pressures. The year 2015-16 will be the prep year for the boom year that is to come.

Next Story
Building Material

Enlight Metals Forays into Solar Structure Aggregation

Enlight Metals Pvt. Ltd., a rapidly growing metal aggregator, has announced its entry into the solar structure segment, aiming to support India’s expanding green infrastructure. The company will aggregate and supply solar mounting structures from multiple manufacturers across Maharashtra, beginning with Pune.Director Vedant Goel stated, "Solar is rapidly becoming a core component of India’s industrial and infrastructure landscape. Beyond government subsidies, rising energy costs and sustainability mandates are accelerating adoption across sectors."Enlight aims to address the fragmented sup..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco Achieves Record Q1 EBITDA, Expands Cement Capacity

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. posted its highest-ever first-quarter consolidated EBITDA of Rs 5.33 billion for Q1 FY26. Cement volumes reached 5.1 MMT, registering a 6 per cent year-on-year growth. Revenue grew 9 per cent YoY to Rs 2,873 crore, while like-to-like net debt was reduced by Rs 8.84 billion to Rs 34.74 billion.The company remains the fifth largest cement group in India by capacity, following its acquisition of Vadraj Cement Limited, which is expected to increase capacity to approx. 31 MMT by Q3 FY27. This acquisition bolsters Nuvoco's strategy to expand its presence in Western and North..

Next Story
Real Estate

Why Ghaziabad and Noida Are Attracting Premium Buyers

Today, Indian Premium real estate industry, is cutting through its metro strongholds and extending new life and ambition with cities like Ghaziabad and Noida, where aspiration meets infrastructure in real time. As urbanisation and aspiration walk hand-in-hand, today’s discerning buyers are seeking more than just a square footage. They are essentially focused towards building a lifestyle, a statement along with a sustainable investment.  The concerned sentiment shift is underway as a growing class of luxury buyers is now steering the market towards new age developments that seamlessly cu..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?