Development Watch – Week #4 Feb’26
Development News
Delhi to Meerut Namo Bharat RRTS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System. The 82.15-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor is now fully operational. This connects Delhi with Meerut, reducing travel time significantly. The Meerut Metro also became operational, becoming India’s fastest metro system. The integrated network is expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Meerut to around 55 minutes, while also introducing the country’s fastest metro service in terms of operational speed. The Namo Bharat corridor is India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), built to provide high-speed, high-frequency regional rail connectivity within the National Capital Region. The 82.15-km corridor has a design speed of 180 kmph.
Guwahati terminal expansion lifts capacity to 13.1 million
Guwahati’s Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport’s new terminal is now operational, significantly boosting annual passenger capacity to 13.1 million. This expansion reinforces Guwahati’s role as a key aviation hub for India’s North-East, connecting it to South and Southeast Asia. The state-of-the-art facility, inspired by local culture, aims to drive tourism and economic growth for Assam. The transition followed a phased, operations-led activation, with live trials conducted across check-in, baggage handling, security and aircraft turnaround before full deployment. The airport connects 21 domestic destinations and three international routes, including Bangkok, Paro and Singapore and currently handles more than 130 aircraft traffic movements (ATMs) daily.
Brazil’s Embraer and Mahindra to make C-390 aircrafts
Embraer and Mahindra are planning to establish Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul capabilities in India for the C-390 Millennium aircraft. This move is contingent on the aircraft being selected for the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) program. The collaboration aims to support local servicing, create jobs, and boost India’s aerospace sector. The C‑390 Millennium is one of the most advanced military transport aircraft in its class, with a payload capacity of up to 26 tons and higher speed and range than other medium transports. It can carry out cargo and troop transport, airdrops, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting, and humanitarian missions, and operate from temporary or unpaved runways. Embraer has nearly 50 aircraft of 11 types operating in India across commercial, defense, and business aviation. Its platforms include the ERJ145-based Netra AEW&C aircraft and the Legacy 600, used by the Indian Air Force and Border Security Force for VIP transport.
Kerala MoUs for Vizhinjam International Seaport
The Kerala government on Monday signed memoranda of understanding with three central public sector companies to roll out a Rs 2,000 crore logistics master plan at the Vizhinjam International Seaport, in a move aimed at reshaping the state’s maritime sector. This initiative marks a strategic shift to transform the port into a comprehensive economic development hub, ensuring that critical infrastructure remains under public sector oversight even as the port operates on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The partnership involves the state-owned Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) and three central giants – IOCL, CONCOR, and CWC.
Launch of Indo-UK offshore wind task force
India and the United Kingdom have launched an Offshore Wind Taskforce. This collaboration aims to accelerate India’s renewable energy goals. India has already achieved significant non-fossil fuel capacity. The taskforce will focus on ecosystem planning, infrastructure and financing for offshore wind projects. last year India achieved 50 per cent of its cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil sources, five years ahead of the Nationally Determined Contribution commitment.
Excess capacity in Ethanol production
India’s green energy dream is facing a challenge. The country has built massive ethanol production capacity, but demand for blending with petrol is falling short. This excess capacity threatens investments and farmer incomes. Policymakers are now grappling with how to increase blending targets and explore new avenues like diesel blending to utilize the surplus. Against that, the requirement for mandatory 20% ethanol blending with petrol (E20) is estimated at just about 11 billion litres in the current ethanol year that began last November. In effect, more than 50% excess capacity is building up in the system, the unintended consequence of a policy push that raced ahead of a clearly articulated long-term road map.
Local Feedback
LocalFeedback.org aims to track and document actionable parameters that help improve urban and rural infrastructure. The founder, Susmita, has juggled diverse roles in real estate, project budgeting, valuation and execution on construction sites. Having traveled to more than 20 countries, she has worked across 4 regions in India. Her areas of interest include sustainable buildings, electric mobility and urban development. She visited top-ranking cities on livability indices and has presented published papers at international conferences.