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The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has revealed that Gujarat's Bharthana toll plaza on NH-48 topped the list of India's highest toll collectors, amassing INR 2,043.81 crore between FY 2019-20 and FY 2023-24. Rajasthan's Shahjahanpur plaza on the Delhi-Mumbai corridor followed with INR 1,884.46 crore, and West Bengal's Jaladhulagori plaza ranked third, collecting INR 1,538.91 crore. Other major contributors include toll plazas in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar. Collectively, the top-10 plazas accounted for INR 13,988.51 crore, over 7% of the national total of INR 1.93 lakh crore collected from 1,063 toll plazas across India during the same period.
Madhya Pradesh has allotted 486.6 hectares of land in the Shajapur and Dewas districts to develop the Polay Kalan-Pipalrawan industrial area as a priority sector project. The Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation (MPIDC) is overseeing the INR 200 crore project, with completion targeted by 2028. The industrial block will include modern infrastructure, incentives for industries, and dedicated zones for MSMEs. The master plan features a central entrance, 26 km of internal and external roads, commercial spaces, residential areas, and essential amenities such as hospitals, police outposts, banks, and utility infrastructure. Water will be sourced from the nearby Kali Sindh River.
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has outlined an INR 250 crore plan to transform Bhubaneswar New railway station into a major commercial and transport hub, similar to the existing Bhubaneswar station. The project, discussed with state officials earlier this month, will feature commercial high-rise towers, including corporate offices, shopping malls, and business spaces, with about 10 lakh sq ft of commercial development. The state government has given in-principle approval for a new road project connecting Raghunathpur to the station, aiming to improve access and turn it into a full-fledged terminal. Currently underutilized due to poor connectivity, the station is expected to ease congestion at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack stations and handle significantly higher passenger traffic once the infrastructure is upgraded.
The Indian government has set a target to construct 10,000 km of highways in FY26, slightly lower than the previous year's goal. As part of the plan, authorities aim to monetize road assets worth INR 30,000 crore through mechanisms like infrastructure investment trusts and toll-operate-transfer models. Additionally, 1,100 km of highways in the northeast states will be developed, while a high-speed corridor network covering 5,800 km is expected to be operational. The construction roadmap also includes upgrading 1,100 km of expressways and 750 km of tribal roads, with INR 15,000 crore expected to be raised through monetization efforts.
Ten industries have been allocated approximately 124 hectares in the developing Sector 7 industrial area in Pithampur, while discussions are ongoing with five more companies. Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation (MPIDC) has facilitated these allotments to firms such as Sai Machine Tools, Aquatic Pipes & Tubes Pvt Ltd, and Mantram Industries Pvt Ltd. The combined investment from these industries is projected at nearly INR 3,000 crore, with an estimated employment generation of around 6,000 jobs. To accommodate further industrial growth, MPIDC is expanding its land bank, having pooled approximately 400 hectares from private owners, with over 150 hectares already receiving consent. The industrial belt, spanning more than 2,232 hectares, will require a development expenditure of approximately INR 2,400 crore. Under the land pooling scheme, the state government will compensate landowners with 20% cash and 80% in developed plots.
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The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has announced a 19% hike in toll rates on the Samruddhi Mahamarg Expressway, effective from the next fiscal year. The expressway spans 701 kilometres, connecting Mumbai and Nagpur, with the current operational stretch covering 625 kilometres from Nagpur to Igatpuri. The final segment, from Igatpuri to Amane, is expected to open soon, reducing travel time between the two cities to just eight hours. Under the revised toll structure, light motor vehicles will pay INR 2.06 per kilometre, raising the Nagpur-Igatpuri toll from INR 1,080 to INR 1,290. Charges for heavier vehicles will also increase accordingly.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has clarified that fewer than 4,000 trees will be felled for the proposed Metro 9 car depot at Uttan, Mira Bhayandar. This clarification follows earlier reports suggesting nearly 10,000 trees would be cut, which had sparked significant backlash from environmentalists and locals. MMRDA officials stated that the initial figures represented two separate proposals submitted to the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), but only 3,716 trees would ultimately be axed, while the rest would be transplanted or spared. Despite this reduction, concerns remain about the ecological impact and the transparency of the process.
India is set to invest nearly INR 4,000 crore to expand and modernize operations at Iran's Chabahar Port, aiming to boost container handling capacity to 500,000 TEUs over the next decade. The Shahid Beheshti terminal, operated by India Ports Global Ltd (IPGL), is already seeing rapid growth, handling over 65,000 TEUs this year. India has committed USD 120 million in grants and a USD 250 million Line of Credit for further development. Despite potential U.S. sanctions uncertainties, India is advancing the project, which is key to strengthening trade routes via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). India is also expanding port projects in Myanmar and Sri Lanka to enhance regional connectivity.Read more
The G-North ward office of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is contemplating relocating the iconic Dadar Kabutarkhana due to longstanding complaints from local residents regarding health hazards linked to pigeon droppings and feathers. Residents have raised concerns about respiratory ailments and skin conditions, especially among children and the elderly. The civic body is considering relocating the structure to a less congested area with fewer residential buildings. However, there is resistance from the Kabutarkhana trust, which maintains that the structure is part of Dadar's identity and denies any serious health risks.Read more
The Union government is set to provide around INR 22,400 crore in financial assistance to states under the upcoming Green Energy Corridor Phase-III (GEC-III), aimed at boosting intra-state transmission systems to support India's renewable energy goals. The total project outlay is nearly INR 56,000 crore, with states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh as key beneficiaries. Gujarat will lead with projects worth over INR 29,000 crore. GEC-III will strengthen transmission infrastructure to help achieve India's target of 500 GW non-fossil energy capacity by 2030, building on progress from earlier GEC phases initiated in 2015.Read more
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