India Infrastructure Report

India Infrastructure Report gives a detailed view on the infrastructural facilities of India. The commercialization of infrastructure is not progressing fast enough still it can be said that the ingredients for rapid economic growth and poverty reduction in India have started already. India Infrastructure Report exhibits that there are changes in technology in the telecom sector, while development in the power and transport sectors is slowing down. Again within the transport sector there are sub-sectors which has flourished rapidly. Regarding, urban infrastructure there are some important projects which are in progress and some face the consequences of long-term policy failure.

From the India Infrastructure Report 2006 the risks limiting the infrastructure projects are recognized, like the long gestation periods, high costs and budget constraints. In order to overcome these limitations the government has proposed a flexible funding scheme, which will find support from budgetary allocation to fund public-private-partnerships for infrastructure projects. For this the government has proposed India Infrastructure Finance Company and formulated a scheme to support public-private-partnerships in infrastructure. The scheme covers roads, railways, seaports, airports, inland waterways, power, infrastructure projects in special economic zones, international convention centers and other tourism infrastructure projects, urban transport, water supply, sewerage, solid waste management and other physical infrastructure projects in urban areas.

In the India Infrastructure Report regarding the telecom, in 2004-5, the biggest improvement in telephony was in voice services. The steep cut in mobile STD rates and the availability of cheap mobile handsets can be expected to lead to further growth in coming months and this has made the government set a target of 200 million users by 2007. The telephone subscriber base grew by 35-40 per cent per annum in the period from 2003 to 2005 making the telecom sector of India the fifth largest in the world. From the India Infrastructure Report it is known that the subscriber base of private telecom operators is now more than that of public sector companies, like Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. Other important infrastructure sectors highlighted in the India Infrastructure Report are :

• Both the private sector as well as the state owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) are investing funds into building new power plants, both, thermal and hydel, and are ready to enter the arena of nuclear power generation. Along with the enforcement of Electricity Act 2003 there was a revolutionary change in the power sector of the country.


• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is strengthening and widening national highways in multiple phases as part of the National Highways Development Programme. Moreover the Department of Road Transport and Highways has drafted a national road transport policy to ensure greater participation of the private sector and the rationalization of the motor vehicle tax regime across states with a view to eliminating octroi alongside implementation of VAT.


• The shipping ministry’s new policy allows Indian firms in the port sector to match the lowest offer received from foreign bidders provided their bids are within 5 per cent of that offer.


• Some other important steps taken in order to provide better infrastructural facilities as shown in the India Infrastructure Report are like Delhi Metro Rail, Bandra–Worli Sea Link in Mumbai, Bangalore Mass Rapid Transit Ltd., Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, National Urban Transport Policy, and Maharashtra Water Resource Regulatory Authority.

Last updated On: 7^th May 2011

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