Kolkata News Desk

05 Mar 2026

The Kolkata Traffic Department has approved two new authorised autorickshaw routes to enhance last-mile connectivity and commuter mobility across key neighbourhoods, officials said in the past week. The new routes will link Babu Bazar with Mominpore and Rajabazar with Topsia, aiming to provide structured, regulated feeder services to supplement existing bus and metro corridors. The initiative comes amid rising travel demand in the dense central and eastern sectors of the city, where informal autorickshaw services have long operated without formal routes, contributing to congestion and safety concerns. Authorities indicated that the new links will be integrated into the city's traffic management plans, with designated stops, fare guidelines and operational oversight to ensure orderly services and improve commuter experience. The move underscores ongoing efforts by civic planners to improve urban mobility through regulated intermediate public transport in Kolkata's mixed-mode transport environment.Read more

05 Mar 2026

Indian Railways has approved projects worth INR 871 crore across Rajasthan, Kerala and West Bengal to strengthen maintenance capacity and ease congestion on key routes. The works include expansion of coaching depots at Shri Ganganagar and Lalgarh in Rajasthan, doubling of the Turavur Mararikulam rail section in Kerala, and construction of a 4.75-km Kalipahari bypass line in West Bengal. The projects are expected to improve rake handling, reduce delays, support additional passenger and freight trains, and enhance operational efficiency across Northern, Southern and Eastern Railway zones.Read more

04 Mar 2026

Southern Railway has agreed to construct a 3-metre wide tarred pucca road at Vattavila in Thiruvananthapuram after sustained protests by residents and repeated representations by the Nemom Action Council. The decision follows the takeover of a portion of Vattavila Suresh Road for railway line-doubling works near Nemom, for which the Kerala government had transferred land after receiving over INR 1.15 crore from the railways. The new road will be built on railway land and later handed over to the city corporation for maintenance, subject to formal procedures.Read more

04 Mar 2026

Indian Railways has initiated full digitisation of the Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT) by introducing the e-RCT platform for online filing and case management. The system will allow claimants to submit petitions, affidavits and documents electronically without visiting tribunal offices. Covering 23 benches across 21 cities, the reform aims to reduce procedural delays, improve transparency and simplify jurisdiction issues in accident, injury, goods and refund cases. The digital rollout, part of the 52 Reforms in 52 Weeks programme, is expected to be completed within the next 12 months.Read more

04 Mar 2026

Godawari Power and Ispat has increased its sponge iron capacity at its Raipur plant to 6.5 lakh tonnes from 5.94 lakh tonnes, with the expansion becoming operational from February 28 after regulatory approval. The plant also has a hard bright wire capacity of 1.15 lakh tonnes. Sponge iron serves as a crucial raw material for steel production in Electric Arc Furnaces and Induction Furnaces, while HB wire is used in nails, fasteners, and construction applications. The company has not shared any financial details regarding the expansion.Read more

04 Mar 2026

VO Chidambaranar Port Authority has announced a major INR 15,000 crore Outer Harbour project to expand capacity and position the port as a key transshipment hub in southern India. The expansion, planned in two phases with completion targeted by 2027 and 2030, will allow the port to handle ultra-large container vessels with an 18-metre draft. In addition, INR 1,500 crore has been earmarked for infrastructure upgrades and green initiatives. Funding arrangements have been tied up with national financial institutions.Read more

04 Mar 2026

The Border Roads Organisation has completed and opened a 400-foot bailey suspension steel bridge over the Taram Chu river in North Sikkim, restoring the crucial 28-kilometre Chungthang Lachen road. Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth inaugurated the bridge in Mangan district in the past week. The link had been repeatedly disrupted since the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood in 2023 and subsequent extreme weather events. The restoration is expected to ease civilian movement, improve supply of essentials, revive tourism and strengthen strategic access in the sensitive border region.Read more

04 Mar 2026

Cargill has inaugurated a new dairy feed plant in Wazirabad, Punjab, with an investment of INR 300 crore. Spread across 15 acres, the facility has an annual production capacity of 400,000 metric tons, making it the largest in South Asia and the second in Punjab. The plant will produce feed under the Provimi and Purina brands, benefiting dairy farmers, producers, and feed mills. The project is expected to create over 1,000 jobs, improve milk yields, enhance animal health, and strengthen the state's dairy value chain.Read more

04 Mar 2026

The Public Works Department has constructed a temporary link road near Ajni Bridge in Nagpur to address traffic congestion caused by ongoing underpass work. The link connects the Kriplani Square Ajni Bridge stretch to the Congress Nagar bypass by cutting through the central median. The step follows rising traffic pressure after part of the main carriageway was closed for construction. The underpass forms part of a broader INR 35 crore upgrade that includes six-laning and connectivity to twin cable-stayed bridges. Authorities say the temporary road will provide interim relief while long-term works continue.Read more

04 Mar 2026

Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India are undergoing a structural shift as global enterprises grapple with tightening data localisation laws and the fragmentation of artificial intelligence governance. With more than 1,800 GCCs operating across the country, these centres are increasingly moving beyond cost efficiency and technical support to play a central role in shaping how multinational firms design, deploy and govern AI systems across jurisdictions. The implementation of regulatory frameworks such as India's Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act has highlighted the limits of a uniform global AI strategy, forcing companies to adapt intelligence models to local legal and cultural requirements. Industry leaders indicate that Indian GCCs are now acting as regional governance hubs, engineering compliance frameworks, autonomous monitoring systems and localised data environments that allow global firms to operate AI systems without breaching national sovereignty mandates.Read more