03 Feb 2025

The CAG's latest audit has found that BMTC has failed to protect 521 acres of its land from encroachment, despite recognising the issue as early as 2008. Out of BMTC's 1,400-acre land bank in Bengaluru Urban district, 653 acres remain vacant, with nearly 80% of it at risk. Various government agencies have taken over portions for schools, offices, and housing schemes. Efforts to fence off the land began only after the audit, but progress has been slow. The transport minister has assured that steps are being taken to safeguard these plots, but legal disputes and financial constraints continue to pose challenges.Read more

31 Jan 2025

Goa is planning significant infrastructure and educational upgrades, including a metro system, IT hub, and enhanced educational facilities. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced ongoing discussions with Indian Railways for a metro train system and plans to develop a dedicated IT hub to support the growing tech sector. The state also aims to reconstruct Panaji and Mapusa bus stands and establish a new educational complex near Goa University, housing architecture, music, and pharmacy colleges. Additionally, the CM apprenticeship scheme supports nursing students pursuing specialization. These initiatives reflect Goa's focus on fostering economic growth, technological development, and improved educational infrastructure for future generations.Read more

31 Jan 2025

The Andhra Pradesh government approved the 'Master Plan 2041' for the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) in November 2021. This plan outlined various zones for growth and infrastructure. However, the plan has faced long-standing accusations of favouring certain individuals and protecting their land. Allegations also suggest some political figures bought land in areas earmarked for future projects, knowing about the plan before its official release. The government has now directed VMRDA to revisit the plan, address public objections, and invite new suggestions and feedback.Read more

31 Jan 2025

The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) has approached the state government with a request to amend the land pooling rules to facilitate the acquisition process for Infopark's Phase III campus. The proposed 300-acre campus in Kunnathunadu will be built using the land pooling method, under which landowners would get 60% of their original land back after the project's completion, with its value expected to increase substantially. GCDA aims to integrate the rules into the Town Planning Act to streamline the process and avoid legal complications. The government's decision on the requested amendments is awaited, and the third campus is expected to create significant job opportunities.Read more

30 Jan 2025

The latest Colliers report identifies top emerging cities in India with significant real estate growth potential, projecting up to 5.2x returns by 2035. Nagpur, Jaipur, and Lucknow lead the list, along with other cities like Patna, Kochi, Surat, and Agra. The report highlights key factors driving this growth, including infrastructure improvements, particularly the expansion of expressways. Areas like Samruddhi Circle in Nagpur, Shela in Ahmedabad, and Raebareli Road in Lucknow are noted as high-potential micro-markets. The growing connectivity and urban development make these cities promising investment opportunities for real estate growth in the coming decade.Read more

30 Jan 2025

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has committed to investing INR 60,000 crore in expanding its data centres in Telangana, particularly in Hyderabad. The investment, announced during the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, aims to enhance AWS's cloud infrastructure and support the growth of AI services in India. The company has already invested USD 1 billion to develop three operational sites in the state and has requested additional land to continue its expansion. AWS's ongoing investment further strengthens Hyderabad's position as a central hub for data centres in India.Read more

30 Jan 2025

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has requested 15 government land parcels from the state to fast-track several pending development projects. These include initiatives such as 24x7 water supply, road widening in various areas, and the creation of a playground in Shivajinagar. The civic administration highlighted that many projects have been delayed due to the unavailability of land. Once allocated, the state land will help move forward essential projects like roadworks, riverbank beautification, and construction of water tanks. The PMC has secured approval for the land acquisition, which will require INR 25 crore for the 15 parcels.Read more

30 Jan 2025

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the issuance of municipal bonds worth INR 150 crore for Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Agra, offering an incentive of INR 13 crore per INR 100 crore raised. Each city will issue up to INR 50 crore in bonds to fund infrastructure projects, improving urban living conditions. This follows successful bond issuances in Lucknow and Ghaziabad. Additionally, a residential project, a 100-meter-wide inner ring road, and a land parcel scheme in Agra received approvals, supported by an ex-gratia allocation of INR 204.34 crore to bridge land price gaps for development.Read more

30 Jan 2025

CtrlS Datacenters, Asia's largest Rated-4 datacenter company, has announced plans to develop a 40-acre Datacenter Park at the upcoming Chandanvelly Industrial Park near Hyderabad. The new facility is set to boost the company's capacity and position Hyderabad as a major hub in India's rapidly growing datacenter industry. The planned facility will have an IT load capacity of over 600 MW, significantly enhancing Hyderabad's current datacenter capacity, which is estimated at 52 MW.Read more

29 Jan 2025

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) plans to raise INR 20,000 crore to finance major infrastructure projects, including two elevated corridors, a cable bridge, and nine radial roads linking the Regional Ring Road. To facilitate this, HMDA has invited expressions of interest (EOI) to appoint an advisor-cum-merchant banker for fund mobilisation via bond issuance. The advisor will oversee structuring, credit enhancement, and legal processes. With an immediate requirement of INR 5,000 crore, HMDA aims to pledge assets to attract investors after shelving its initial land auction plans due to weak market conditions.Read more