NHAI, in partnership with ROADIS, has launched a cycle-donation initiative to support school-going girls across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Nearly 100 bicycles were distributed to 80 students from ten schools located along ROADIS-operated highway corridors, helping girls with long or unsafe commutes travel more independently and continue their education. The main event was held in Varanasi, attended by senior NHAI officials who emphasised the role of safe mobility in community development. ROADIS said the drive aligns with its commitment to improving lives around its project areas. The initiative is part of the Shikshaantra Plus programme, which supports learning, digital access and school infrastructure in multiple states.Read more

The Bhopal Metro will launch its first phase using physical tokens for ticketing, with passengers buying tokens at station counters and tapping them at entry gates. The initial 7 km stretch includes eight stations, while the full 16 km corridor from Karond to AIIMS Bhopal will open in stages. Once complete, a Common Mobility Card will allow cashless travel on the metro and city buses through UPI. Fares are expected to range between INR 10 and INR 20. Coaches will include reserved seating for women and people with disabilities. Staff will assist commuters during the rollout, ensuring smooth travel as the system transitions toward integrated digital mobility.Read more

State IT Minister Nara Lokesh met Google CEO Sundar Pichai in the U.S. to review progress on Google’s proposed USD 15 billion data centre project in Visakhapatnam. Google reaffirmed that this is its largest investment outside the U.S., aimed at building a large AI and cloud infrastructure hub. Lokesh also requested the company to examine the idea of setting up a drone-assembly and testing unit in the upcoming Drone City. The project includes a gigawatt-scale data campus, clean-energy support and a subsea cable landing station to strengthen digital connectivity in the region.Read more

The Maharashtra government has authorised the removal of 382 trees for the Eastern Freeway extension from Mulund to Anand Nagar in Thane, following a joint inspection of 1,652 trees along the route. Officials confirmed that 929 trees will remain, while 341 will be transplanted. The project aims to ease long-standing congestion between South Mumbai and Thane and improve access to the Samruddhi Highway. The MMRDA plans to plant around 7,500 new trees as part of compensatory measures. Environmental groups, however, have raised concerns and staged peaceful protests against the loss of green cover.Read more

Surat Municipal Corporation fined a contractor INR 5 lakh at the Dumas Seaface project for failing to implement dust control and waste management measures. The action is part of a broader inspection of 266 construction sites across the city, of which 184 were penalised, totalling INR 56 lakh. Key violations included missing shade nets and improper debris disposal, with Varachha and Sarthana zones most affected. The crackdown aims to enforce pollution norms across Surat’s construction sector, ensuring safer air quality and cleaner urban surroundings.Read more

Mumbai’s rapid infrastructure expansion—driven by new metro routes and the evolving coastal road network—is reshaping suburban real estate. Faster travel across the city, with commute times on key stretches dropping from 90 to about 30 minutes, has boosted demand in areas like Andheri, Goregaon, Chembur and the Bandra–Khar–Santacruz belt. Improved accessibility, better lifestyle amenities and stronger investment prospects are drawing more homebuyers and professionals to the suburbs. Real estate near metro stations is commanding a premium, while the coastal road is unlocking new development potential along the western waterfront. Together, these projects are fuelling transit-oriented growth, elevating liveability and supporting Mumbai’s long-term urban development vision.Read more

Nine companies have started work on new IT projects in Visakhapatnam with a combined planned investment of about INR 3,700 crore. The Andhra Pradesh government recently laid the foundation for these developments, which are expected to generate nearly 41,700 jobs. Cognizant will invest INR 1,583 crore to build a new IT campus at Kapuluppada IT Hills, planned in three phases and designed to focus on AI, digital engineering, and cloud services. Until the main facility is ready, Cognizant will operate from a temporary office at Rushikonda IT Park.Read more

Brookfield Properties is set to invest over USD 1 billion in Maharashtra to build a 2 million sq ft global capability centre, expected to be Asia's largest. The facility will create over 15,000 direct jobs and around 30,000 indirect jobs. Active in India for 15 years, Brookfield manages USD 30 billion in assets and plans to grow this to USD 100 billion in five years. Maharashtra's GCC policy, aimed at generating 4 lakh jobs, is focusing on Mumbai and Pune, with the new facility planned for Powai.Read more

A new double-lane steel bridge over Chhapar Nallah in Jammu & Kashmir’s Ramban district has been completed, providing smoother travel for residents who faced regular disruptions during rains. Built by the General Reserve Engineering Force, the 45-metre long and 12-metre wide structure cost INR 9 crore, supported by INR 4 crore for approach roads. The bridge links Ramban with the Gool–Sangaldan region and nearby Mahore in Reasi district. It is also expected to support passengers using the Sangaldan railway station and improve access for around 150,000 residents.Read more

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Phase 2 of the Jaipur Metro has received approval from the Public Investment Board (PIB), moving the metro expansion closer to final clearance and construction. Earlier, the Rajasthan government approved and forwarded the DPR to the Union government after announcing the project in the state budget. Phase 2 will span about 42.80 km with 36 stations and an estimated cost of around INR 12,260 crore, and is planned to connect major residential, industrial, and commercial hubs across Jaipur.Read more

The Kerala government has appointed Shaji V Nair, CEO of Cochin Smart Mission Ltd, as the nodal officer to support land pooling for Phase III of Infopark in Kochi. The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) has already identified about 300 acres in Kizhakkambalam for this purpose. Under the land pooling model, landowners will contribute their plots and receive a developed portion in return. This expansion, expected to attract around INR 25,000 crore in investment, aims to strengthen Kochi's position as a major IT destination with completion planned by 2030.Read more

The West Bengal government has cleared a large road development programme worth INR 8,487 crore to build more than 20,000 km of new roads across rural and urban areas. The project covers around 15,011 km of rural roads under the Pathashree scheme and nearly 5,019 km of urban roads under the KMDA. The entire investment will come from the state's own budget. The cabinet has already approved the plan, and the tendering process will begin soon through a dedicated portal. Construction work is expected to start in January as part of the state's broader connectivity push.Read more

The Karnataka government is set to invite bids for a new IT park in Mangaluru next week, aiming to expand technology-led development beyond the state's main hubs. The planned project will offer modern office spaces for IT firms, startups and knowledge-based businesses, along with supporting amenities. Officials said the IT park is expected to attract private developers and boost investment in the region's commercial real estate market. With improving connectivity and a strong talent base, Mangaluru is emerging as a promising tech growth corridor. The initiative supports Karnataka's decentralisation strategy and could generate jobs while driving demand for housing, hospitality and retail in the city.Read more

Telangana has signed a long-term agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) for an investment of USD 7 billion to expand cloud data centre capacity in the state over the next 14 years. The agreement was finalised during the Telangana Rising Global Summit held recently, where the state committed to providing infrastructure support and smoother business processes to help AWS scale its operations. The expansion is expected to strengthen the Hyderabad AWS Region and support India's digital ecosystem, including government platforms, startups, enterprises, and new-age technology users.Read more

The Gujarat government, GIFT City Company Ltd, and Sharjah-based Henox IT & Data Centres recently signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Cable Landing Station (CLS) at Dhuvaran in Anand district, with a total investment of around INR 1,317 crore. The project is expected to create over 1,300 jobs and enhance the states digital infrastructure. Officials emphasized that the CLS will support high-bandwidth applications, including AI, machine learning, smart cities, cloud services, and data centres, strengthening Gujarat's position as a leading digital hub in India.Read more

Maharashtra has instructed officials to prepare a detailed plan for establishing what could be India’s largest shipyard, leveraging its 720-km coastline and the developing Vadhavan deepsea port. The government wants a project report finalised quickly and the site selected. Plans for improved connectivity, including a new Vaibhavwadi–Kolhapur rail link and a highway from Vadhavan to Nashik, were highlighted to support port development. Officials also discussed moving the Mumbai Water Metro toward electric boats. The move is part of broader policy and investment efforts to strengthen the state’s maritime infrastructure and industry.Read more

During a Zero Hour discussion in the Rajya Sabha, BJP members highlighted issues affecting key pilgrimage and transport corridors. Tejveer Singh raised concerns about persistent pollution in the Yamuna at Mathura and Vrindavan, urging upgrades to sewage treatment, stronger monitoring and safer riverbank infrastructure. He also proposed a metro link between major pilgrimage towns to ease festival traffic and improve connectivity. From Goa, Sadanand Shet Tanavde pointed to recurring landslides and blockages on the Goa–Belgaum Highway at Anmod and Chorla Ghats, stressing the impact on daily travel and food supply. He called for faster repairs, strengthened stretches and better warning systems.Read more

South Africa raised INR 11.795 billion (USD 693 million) through its first infrastructure and development finance bonds, attracting bids of more than INR 26 billion. The funding came through 10-year and 15-year bonds, priced at interest rates of 8.575% and 9.13%. The issuance is part of a wider plan to channel over INR 1 trillion into public infrastructure over the next three years. The proceeds are expected to support large projects such as the Tygerberg Hospital redevelopment, a major Limpopo water pipeline and upgrades to Transnet’s coal and iron ore corridors.Read more

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah inaugurated Electrotherm Park in South Bopal, a newly developed 11,600 sq m public garden created through a PPP partnership between Electrotherm (India) Ltd and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Designed around a river-inspired layout, the park features open green spaces, a water channel along the jogging track, age-specific play zones, an open-air gym, pet park, traditional-games corners and shaded seating areas. With over 22,800 plants, including fruit trees and flowering species, the space promotes biodiversity and nature-based learning. Company leaders said the park aims to encourage healthier lifestyles and create an inclusive, community-focused urban environment.Read more

The BMC has issued a INR 3,000 crore tender to construct the Gargai dam in Palghar, Maharashtra, along with a 1.6km tunnel connecting it to the Modak Sagar reservoir. Initially approved in 2013, the project was delayed due to environmental concerns but received clearances earlier this year. Once operational, the dam will supply 440–450 MLD of water to Mumbai. The plan includes relocating six villages, compensatory afforestation, installing a hydropower unit, and building supporting infrastructure. Completion is targeted by 2029, enhancing Mumbai’s long-term water security.Read more