Development Watch – Week #1 May’25

Development News

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SVAMITVA Scheme at World Bank Land Conference

India’s SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme will gain global attention at the World Bank Land Conference in Washington DC. The conference starts on 5th May until 8th May. The theme is “Securing Land Tenure and Access for Climate Action: Moving from Awareness to Action”. An Indian delegation will showcase the scheme’s innovative use of technology for land mapping. The delegation was led by Secretary, Jt. Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, along with Additional Surveyor General (Policy & Coordination), Survey of India. The delegation will also discuss Gram Manchitra platform. This platform supports village-level planning and disaster risk mitigation. SVAMITVA carries out efforts to determine legal ownership of property in rural areas using drone and geospatial technology. Under this scheme, property cards have been issued to 24.4 million households across 1.6 lakh villages. The scheme has unlocked an estimated $1.162 trillion in land value.

Reduced demand under rural job schemes

Demand for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has witnessed a decline of 9.5% in April, compared to the previous year. This marks the first such decrease in 6 months. There is a moderation in demand. About only 27.31 million people seeking work. This suggests improved economic activities are generating more profitable employment opportunities in rural areas. Indian economy is also expected to be stable and resilient and stable in the face of tariff related uncertainties. This is according to Finance Ministry’s March review. Key indicators like higher GST collections and e-way bill generation in the 4th quarter of FY-25 point to steady growth. Rural demand also remains steady, with majority of households surveyed by NABARD having reported increased consumption over the past year.

India to have 123 million EVs by 2023

India is gearing up for a massive electric vehicle revolution. A new report projects up to 123 million EVs on Indian roads by 2032. The report has been published by India Energy Storage Alliance. This growth is driven by government support and ambitious EV adoption targets of 30%. Two and 3-wheeler EVs currently dominate the market. Significant investment in charging infra is needed to support the expansion. The goal is to achieve net zero emissions by 2070. The rapid growth in EVs has been fueled by supportive government policies, such as the FAME-II scheme. It offers demand incentives for electric 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers, 4-wheelers, along with capital subsidies for public charging infrastructure. As per the IESA, India had an estimated 320,000 private Type-2 AC chargers. Out of these, 7-% are 3.3kW units, 28% are 7.4kW units and remaining 11-22 kW units classified as high-capacity.

Solar power plant deal for UP

Coal India Ltd (CIL) and UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd. (UPRVUNL) have signed an MoU on May 5, 2025, to establish a 500 MW solar power project in UP. This aligns with CIL’s green energy initiatives. This collaboration aims to meet UP’s growing energy demands, and explore future opportunities. In April, Coal India had entered into a pact with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for setting up an ultra super-critical power plant in Jharkhand, with a total investment of Rs. 16,500 Crores. Ultra-supercritical power plants operate at higher steam temperatures and pressures than super critical plants, leading to improved efficiency and reduced emissions.

Innovative moss-proof paint for Railway bridges

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has partnered with IIT Guwahati to develop an innovative paint technology. It aims to prevent moss scaling on railway bridges. The cutting edge solution addresses a long-standing maintenance challenge, particularly in humid and rain heavy climate of the North eastern region of India. The specialized paint system is designed to combat the formation of moss and biofilm layers. They commonly accumulate on bridge surfaces in the region. It leads to corrosion and threatens structural integrity of critical infrastructure. The innovative paint incorporates advanced chemical formulations that actively resist corrosion and inhibit the growth of moss and other organisms. The functionalized coating has an exterior lamination system that enhances durability and protection. The innovation would extend the lifespan of railway bridges. The collaborative initiative reflects powerful impact of academia-industry partnerships in solving real world technological problems.

Noida airport to miss 3rd airport deadline

Noida International Airport is facing further delays. It has missed its May 15 deadline due to unfinished terminal construction and pending regulatory clearances. The UP government is penalizing the concessionaire for the setbacks and has prompting a high-level review to establish a revised timeline. Authorities are exploring phased operational models, potentially starting with cargo and domestic flights before expanding to international services. UP Government has imposed a penalty of Rs. 10 lakh per day on the concessionaire Yamuna International Airport Private Ltd. (YIAPL) for delays in completing the project. Discussions were held with officials from all stakeholders YIAPL, Tata Projects Ltd. and Noida International Airport Ltd. (NIA). Data till March 10 has showed that the overall physical progress was at 80%. The runway and related airside infrastructure were 90% complete. Passenger terminal building was also 80% complete, but steel roofing and internal finishing were still ongoing.

Kolkata Port grew at 45%

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata has emerged as the top performing major port in India for April 2025. This showcases an impressive 45% Y-o-Y increase in cargo throughout. The port handled 5.97 MMT of cargo, driven by a significant 31.18% surge in container traffic. It reached 75,716 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The SMP formerly known as Kolkata Port Trust. The SMP comprises 62,201 TEUs at the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) and 13,695 TEUs at Haldia Dock Complex (HDC). The growth is due to increased movement of petroleum products, LPG, vegetable oil, coal varieties, metallurgical coke, raw petroleum coke, manganese ore, other ores, fly ash, pulses, food grains, and fertilizers.

Rs. 8,900 Crore Vizhinjam Port inaugurated by PM

The Prime Minister has inaugurated the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala. It is India’s first transshipment hub, built with an investment of Rs. 8,867 Crores. The deep sea port is strategically located in Thiruvananthapuram near major shipping routes. Until now, 75% of India’s transshipment activities were conducted at foreign ports, leading to revenue losses for India. It will also reduce the reliance on foreign ports and rivals Colombo and Dubai. The port features advanced infrastructure and AI-powered systems. It hence marks a new era in Indian maritime trade. The port has been built by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. It has a natural depth of nearly 20 metres and proximity to global shipping routes, with a container handling capacity of 1.5 million TEUs. It is also the first semi-automated port equipped with AI-powered vessel traffic management system developed in collaboration with IIT Madras.

NHAI and GR Infraprojects to develop Gwalior expressway

The NHAI and GR Infraprojects will jointly develop 88 km long 6-lane access controlled Agra-Gwalior expressway. It will start from Deori village in Agra and terminate at Susera village in Gwalior. The total cost is estimated to be Rs. 4,613 Crores on Built-Operate-Transfer mode. The concession period of the contract is 20 years, including a construction period of 30 months. NHAI will provide construction support for Rs. 820 Crores to the concessionaire. The project has been awarded on quoted @17.17% premium in the form of revenue shares of the realisable fee against expected premium @2.42%. The premium shall be payable from 2nd year post project completion. It will increase by 1% of the realisable fee every year in subsequent years for the remaining concession period. It will help to decongest various cities and and industrial areas of NH-44. It will pass through the states of UP, Rajasthan and MP including the National Chambal wildlife sanctuary.

Universal studios amusement park in India

Universal studios is in discussions with Bharti Real Estate to establish its first Indian theme park. It will be located within Bharti’s upcoming 3-million sq ft mall near Delhi airport. The mall is slated for completion by mid-2027. 300,000 sq ft will be allocated for the indoor amusement park.

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