Development Watch – Week #1 June’25

Development News

---

Sahaj and Techno India to skill 1 lakh rural youth

Sahaj Retail Ltd and Techno India Group have partnered to launch a blue-collar skilling initiative. It aims to train one lakh youth in rural and semi-urban areas across five states. The program is titled “Sahaj-Techno Blue Collar Jobs”. It will focus on providing vocational skills aligned with industry needs, targeting unemployed, underemployed, and school dropout populations with affordable training and placement opportunities. In the first phase, the skill training will be conducted for 50,000 youths across UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Assam. Sahaj provides access to essential services including government schemes, financial inclusion, utility payments, and digital literacy through its network. There’s a huge demand in sectors like civil construction, electrical works, and electronic repair, especially from large infrastructure companies and gated housing communities. Training will cover trades including electrician work, plumbing, civil construction assistance, electronic repair, tailoring and basic computer literacy. Internships through the program are expected to offer stipends of Rs. 15-20,000 per month.

ADB to provide $4.5 billion annual loan to India

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is prepared to offer India USD 4-4.5 billion in annual sovereign lending. Along with approximately USD 1 billion in private sector financing. ADB’s support aligns with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. It focuses on urban transformation, private sector development, and skills programs. ADB agreed to move quickly on large, high-impact projects, such as the bank’s support for solar rooftops, which can accelerate clean energy adoption across the country. Our shared agenda centres on urban transformation, private sector development, and skills programs that strengthen India’s manufacturing base. ADB will also sharpen support for integrated rural prosperity by transforming food systems, creating jobs, and nurturing local entrepreneurship, so villages become resilient communities. ADB will pair global expertise with catalytic finance, de-risking tools, and robust PPP frameworks to unlock private investment.

Diu first district to meet entire power demand with solar

Diu has emerged as India’s first district to fulfill its entire power needs with solar energy. It now boasts of a 11.88 MW capacity. Diu is being lauded as a national leader in renewable energy adoption, where solar power meets the daytime electricity demand. The capital investments in Diu’s renewable energy infrastructure have been recovered through solar power supply and sales. The MNRE minister chaired a high-level meeting at Diu, with senior officials of the UT administration. The purpose was to review the status of solar energy generation, its current supply framework, and future expansion prospects. The capital investments made over the past decade in renewable energy infrastructure in Diu have already been recovered through the supply and sale of solar power.

Andhra’s green energy corridor worth Rs. 28,400 Crores

Andhra Pradesh is aiming for 72 GW of green energy by 2029. It has proposed a ₹28,436-crore green energy corridor. This initiative will connect renewable energy projects to the central grid, facilitating the evacuation of 11,000 MW from renewable sources and 7,000 MW from pumped storage. The project addresses challenges of uneven energy distribution and stalled renewable energy projects. The CM has come up with a plan of a green energy corridor which will include building transmission network and central substations.

Rotterdam Port pact for Green energy supply chain

AM Green and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have partnered to establish a green energy supply chain between India and Northwestern Europe. There will be focus on Rotterdam as a key entry point for hydrogen carriers. The collaboration aims to supply bunkering fuels and sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), while also developing terminal infrastructure. The scope includes the supply of bunkering fuels and sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). They will be analyzing requirements for the development of terminal infrastructure in Rotterdam and along the supply chain to Northwestern Europe.

Mumbai’s data center capacity ranked 6th globally

Mumbai is rapidly ascending as a global data center hub, securing the 6th position worldwide in under-construction capacity. It has surpassed established hubs like London and Dublin. Global data center markets are seeing surging demands fueled by expansion of cloud computing and AI workloads. Asia Pacific’s data center market is booming. Mumbai is contributing significantly to the region’s growth. Power access, land availability, and infrastructure are key factors shaping data center development.

TOD in Meerut to support real estate on Namo Bharat Corridor

Meerut is pioneering Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in India by integrating TOD zones into its 2031 Master Plan. The TOD plan focuses on urban development around transit projects like Namo Bharat and Meerut Metro. This initiative, encompassing 3,273 hectares, aims to unlock real estate opportunities. It will also enhance financial sustainability through value capture financing, and foster vibrant communities. Meerut Development Authority (MEDA) has earmarked about 3,273 hectares for the TOD. Out of this, 2,442 hectares have been delineated into seven TOD zones and two special development area (SDA) zones around the Namo Bharat and Meerut Metro.

Indian shipping sector seeks Singapore support

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong in Paris to discuss strengthening economic ties, particularly in the Indian shipping sector. Goyal highlighted India’s significant opportunities, aiming to boost trade and reduce transportation costs. The minister has held a series of meetings with top CEOs and ministers, including International Energy Agency ED, Nigeria’s trade minister, French minister of economy and finance, automotive supplier company Valeo Group CEO, and L’Oreal Groupe CEO, highlighting huge investment opportunities in India. Discussions on the shipping sector assume significance as India is key to promote growth in this segment, as it will help boost trade and cut transportation costs for businesses. The Union Budget has placed strong impetus to realise the huge potential of India’s shipping sector. The Budget proposed to set up the Maritime Development Fund (MDF) to support India’s Maritime sector by providing financial assistance, via equity or debt securities.

RVNL-Texmaco to accelerate Railways modernization

Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd and Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd have signed a memorandum of understanding to modernize Indian railway infrastructure. The collaboration aims to pursue domestic and international opportunities, including manufacturing and maintaining freight rolling stock. They will also work on large-scale infrastructure projects and develop a technologically advanced wheel-set manufacturing facility. The focus will be on localization and reducing import dependency. The two companies will work together on large-scale infrastructure projects, including track laying, electrification, and metro initiatives, contributing to the modernization of India’s rail network.

India to develop 50 more airports in 5 years

Highlighting the growth of the Indian aviation sector. Union Ministry said the country aims to have 50 more airports in the next 5 years. Currently, there are 162 airports in India and the number has more than doubled compared to 74 airports in 2014. The government’s regional air connectivity scheme (UDAN) democratized air travel and operationalized a total of 619 routes. Efforts are also on to make India a global MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) hub and the segment is projected to be worth USD 4 billion by 2031. India’s aviation sector has surged past pre-pandemic levels, becoming the world’s third-largest in passenger traffic. IATA highlights rising costs and tax uncertainty as critical challenges. While international and domestic sectors show strong recovery, airline profitability isn’t guaranteed without addressing infrastructure, taxation, and sustainability concerns. India is also hosting IATA AGM after 42 years this year.