India funds Cochin transshipment hub amidst Sri Lankan crisis

12 May 2022 CW Team

The Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has decided to fund a Rs 300 crore ($38.8 million) project to deepen Cochin Port's channel, improving the port's economic position by capitalising on Sri Lanka's traffic congestion.

The MoPSW expects an increase in transshipment operations at Cochin Port, India's only international container transhipment terminal, after economic and political turbulence and reports of congestion at Colombo Port (ICTT).

The decision to deepen the channel from 14.5 to 18 metres is part of an effort to reduce India's reliance on Colombo for container freight shipping and receiving.

Due to the protracted crisis, the transshipment volume at the ICTT has already climbed to 13,609 TEU in March 2022, up from 8,394 TEU the previous year, according to Cochin Port statistics.

According to the port administration, deepening the canal can be done swiftly to take advantage of the opportunity, but an overall capacity expansion may take longer.

Infrastructure Urban

09 Apr 2026

Mineral Auction Rules Amended To Speed Mine Operationalisation

The Ministry of Mines notified the Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2026 on 30 March 2026 to accelerate operationalisation of mines and improve ease of doing business in the mining sector. The amendment follows a prior change to the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 effected on 17 October 2025 that introduced intermediary timelines between issuance of a letter of intent (LoI) and execution of the mining lease. The 2025 change provided that one per cent of performance security would be appropriated for each month of delay by the preferred bidder and introduced incentives for early operatio..

Indian Railways Strengthens Telecom And AI Safety Systems

Indian Railways strengthened its telecom and digital infrastructure during 2025-26 with the aim of improving safety, operational efficiency and the passenger experience. The programme promoted modernisation through advanced technologies, robust communication systems and passenger-centric solutions. These measures were presented as part of a drive to build a digitally integrated rail ecosystem. A key development was the enhancement of the Internet Protocol Multi-Protocol Label Switching (IP MPLS) backbone, commissioned at 1,396 stations to meet bandwidth needs of mission-critical applications. ..

NHAI Holds Workshop on Litigation Management and Coordination

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) organised a day-long workshop in New Delhi to strengthen capacity and interdepartmental synergy for faster execution of national highway projects. The event was held under Mission Karmayogi – Sadhana Saptah, an initiative of the Government of India to enhance governance through capacity building and improved processes. The workshop focused on structured and solution oriented deliberations to address implementation constraints. The session was chaired by the NHAI chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and brought together senior officials from NHAI, the M..