Development Watch – Week #1 Nov’25

Development News

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Clean energy hampered by regulatory, financing delays

India’s ambition to lead the clean industrial transition faces significant hurdles, with 53 projects in development but none reaching final investment decisions this year. Outdated regulations and high financing costs. Lack of demand-side policies are hindering progress, risking missed opportunities as China leads global investment in clean industry. Some projects in India have already lined up buyers for clean energy and partial funding, but are still waiting for clear rules, permits and access to power transmission and other infrastructure. There is a lack of demand‑side regulation in India, such as blending mandates or green procurement rules, which are critical to creating markets for clean industrial products.

Green power rules hit energy investments

India’s planned rules requiring renewable producers to strictly adhere to their promised green energy supply to the grid would squeeze company earnings and slow investment in the sector, a review of industry letters showed on Wednesday. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), in its draft published in September 2025, proposed tighter regulations for wind and solar power producers under the Deviation Settlement Mechanism. Starting April 2026, the formula used to calculate these deviations will be revised, with the tolerance margin shrinking each year until 2031 – when renewable generators will be treated on par with conventional power plants. The goal is to push renewable generators to improve their forecasting and scheduling accuracy to ensure grid reliability and discipline as renewables account for a larger share of India’s energy mix.

L&T overseas orders in power T&D

Larsen & Toubro’s Power Transmission & Distribution (PT&D) division on Wednesday said it has bagged large orders for power transmission & distribution business in Saudi Arabia. L&T’s Power Transmission & Distribution (PT&D) division has received several orders in Saudi Arabia. The contracts include the construction of a 380 kV transformers and reactors, and subsystems for power system protection, control, automation, telecommunication, HVAC and firefighting.

DFC shows 48% growth in 2025 operations

Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), which manages around 2,750 km long Eastern and Western corridors, saw a 48% surge in freight train operations in FY 2024-25, moving 1 tonne of goods over a cumulative distance of nearly 11.5 million km. Railway Board’s chief executive officer and chairman shared this information while participating in the 20th Foundation Day of DFCCIL at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Friday. In the last financial year, it operated over 381 freight trains per day on average, highlighting its operational efficiency. India’s total logistics cost is estimated at around Rs 24 lakh crore, and DFCCIL’s transformative impact has been instrumental in reducing logistics costs from 14 per cent of GDP to approximately 8-9 per cent.

Noida airport to be inaugurated soon

Noida International Airport has reached a key milestone. A calibration flight by the Airports Authority of India successfully landed, testing vital navigation and communication systems. This brings the Jewar airport closer to operational clearance and international safety standards. The first phase of the greenfield airport is expected to open soon, with a capacity of 12 million passengers annually. During the exercise, specially equipped aircraft fly at varying altitudes and angles to assess the strength, stability, and precision of signals transmitted by ground systems. The process involves flight inspectors, technical engineers, and air traffic control (ATC) specialists working in coordination.

Rs. 46,000 Crore shipbuilding investment in Odisha

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday announced plans to set up a new port at Bahuda in Ganjam district and a shipbuilding and repair centre at the Mahanadi river mouth near Paradip with a total investment of over Rs 46,000 crore. He also spoke about the state government’s proposal to establish a world-class cruise terminal in Puri. The state government and the Paradip Port Authority are jointly planning to construct a large port at Bahuda in Ganjam district with an investment of Rs 21,500 crore.

Solar exporters rejig supply to avoid tariffs

India’s top solar panel maker Waaree Energies Ltd. said it’s reconfiguring its supply chain in an attempt to get around steep US import tariffs and keep supplying to a country that accounts for nearly 60% of its orders. The company is sourcing cells — which are assembled to form modules — from nations that have low tariffs on their exports to the US. In August, President Donald Trump announced a steep 50% tariffs on India to punish it for its purchase of Russian oil and US authorities began a new anti-dumping probe on modules from India, Indonesia and Laos. The manufacturer is betting on a little-known 2012 US customs ruling that deems solar panels to have been made in the country where the cells come from.