18 May 2026

Delegations from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank reviewed ongoing infrastructure and urban development works in Amaravati during a visit to the greenfield capital city project being executed by the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA). The teams assessed the progress of infrastructure construction, environmental and social safeguard measures, labour welfare facilities and smart city initiatives across the capital region. The visiting delegation included World Bank Vice President and Chief Risk Officer Dennis McLaughlin. Officials also inspected project sites including the Gravity Canal at N16 Junction near Dondapadu and visited the APCRDA Command and Control Centre to review integrated monitoring systems and technology-led governance initiatives. Discussions related to Phase-II funding and infrastructure financing requirements for Amaravati are also scheduled as part of the ongoing engagement process.Read more

17 May 2026

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has appealed to residents in the Airoli and Belapur assembly constituencies to cooperate with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme being conducted by the Election Commission of India to update and verify electoral rolls. The exercise aims to align the 2024 voter list with the final electoral roll prepared in 2002 through a voter mapping process. Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S. Chockalingam recently reviewed the progress of the initiative during a visit to the Navi Mumbai civic headquarters and instructed officials to accelerate the verification process. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been tasked with correcting duplicate, incomplete and invalid voter records while conducting field-level verification. Citizens have been advised to confirm their voter record mapping through the BLO application and provide accurate information during household verification visits.Read more

17 May 2026

• Kochi Metro Rail Ltd has revised the commissioning timeline for the Phase II Pink Line corridor, with operations now expected to begin in April 2027 instead of the earlier mid-2026 target due to delays in funding and construction work.
• The delay was mainly linked to the pending release of an INR 1,016.24 crore loan from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which slowed civil, electrical and station-related works across multiple stretches of the project.
• The 11.2-km corridor connecting JLN Stadium and Infopark is expected to improve connectivity to Kakkanad’s IT and commercial hubs, where a large number of employees currently rely on road-based transport for daily travel.Read more

Bangalore News Desk

17 May 2026

• South Western Railway has extended the completion deadline for the Bengaluru Cantonment-Whitefield rail quadrupling project to March 2027 due to construction and land-related challenges.
• The 19-km corridor project, approved in 2018 at INR 492 crore, has now seen its estimated cost rise to around INR 664.5 crore.
• Nearly 75 per cent of the work has been completed, including commissioning of the Cantonment-Byappanahalli section.
• The upgraded rail corridor is expected to improve suburban train movement, reduce congestion and support additional MEMU services across Bengaluru.
• Station redevelopment and infrastructure upgrades are also underway at Whitefield and KR Pura railway stations.Read more

17 May 2026

Nemetschek Group India has entered into a three-year strategic partnership with New Consolidated Construction Company Ltd. (NCCCL) to integrate Building Information Modeling (BIM) and digital construction workflows into large-scale infrastructure and real estate projects across India. The collaboration will focus on sectors including residential, commercial, healthcare, hospitality and data centres, with pilot projects already identified in developments by Runwal and L&T Realty. Under the agreement, Nemetschek will deploy technology platforms such as Graphisoft, Allplan, Bluebeam and Solibri to improve project coordination, design validation and operational efficiency. The partnership will also include technical training programmes and workshops aimed at strengthening digital construction capabilities within NCCCL’s execution teams amid increasing project complexity and rising adoption of technology-led project management practices in India’s construction sector.Read more

17 May 2026

• Afcons Infrastructure Ltd has been selected as the most suitable bidder for a railway rehabilitation and expansion project in Croatia, marking its entry into the European infrastructure market.
• The project involves reconstruction of an existing railway track and development of a second railway line, along with electrification, signalling and telecommunication works.
• The contract is valued at EUR 677.07 million, excluding taxes, equivalent to around INR 7,544 crore.
• Company executives said the order is Afcons’ largest international contract to date and reflects its growing overseas infrastructure portfolio.
• The development adds to Afcons’ track record of executing complex transport and tunnelling projects, including the Chenab bridge, Kolkata Metro under-river tunnel and Atal Tunnel.Read more

17 May 2026

Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India has decided to relocate its annual convention NATCON 2026 from Amsterdam to an Indian destination, citing support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal to reduce non-essential overseas travel and conserve foreign exchange amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia. The 23rd edition of the convention, originally planned in Amsterdam for August 2026, will now be hosted in India, with the new venue yet to be announced. NATCON is Credai’s flagship annual industry gathering and attracts more than 1,000 participants, including developers, investors, policymakers, architects and consultants. The move comes as industry bodies and businesses respond to the Centre’s call for prudent economic measures, including reduced foreign travel and greater domestic spending.Read more

17 May 2026

Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited has introduced a non-fare revenue initiative allowing metro coaches and station premises in Bhopal and Indore to be rented for birthday parties, pre-wedding shoots, film productions and social events. The programme, titled “Celebrations on Wheels”, comes as metro operations in both cities continue to witness lower-than-expected ridership levels following phased launches of services. Under the initiative, stationary metro coaches can be booked at INR 5,000 per hour, while moving coaches are available at INR 7,000 per hour, subject to operational and safety conditions. Officials stated that the move is aimed at generating additional revenue, improving public engagement with metro systems and utilising urban transport infrastructure beyond conventional commuter services amid rising operational expenditure.Read more

17 May 2026

The Union government has approved infrastructure projects worth INR 1,290 crore for Pune, covering water supply augmentation in newly merged areas and flood mitigation works across the city. The approval was granted during the first apex committee meeting under the Urban Challenge Fund chaired by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Of the total allocation, INR 890 crore has been sanctioned for a drinking water project covering 12 merged villages in the Khadakwasla-Nanded belt, while INR 400 crore has been earmarked for flood control measures at 335 flood-prone locations in Pune. The water project includes a 200 MLD treatment plant, transmission and distribution pipelines, and smart metering infrastructure intended to serve nearly 7.78 lakh residents until 2052. The projects come amid continued concerns over water quality, uneven civic infrastructure in merged areas, and recurring urban flooding during the monsoon season.Read more

Mr. Gagan Mehta, Director, AGM Vijaylaxmi Group.

17 May 2026

• Goregaon East is witnessing increased commercial real estate activity as metro connectivity and transport infrastructure improve accessibility across Mumbai.
• The locality is being repositioned through the integration of Metro Line 7, the nearby Metro Line 2A, and the upcoming Metro Line 6, alongside road infrastructure including the Coastal Road and Goregaon–Mulund Link Road.
• Improved connectivity is supporting office leasing demand, faster inventory movement, and rising investor interest in Grade A commercial developments and mixed-use projects.
• Recent market activity included a large Grade A office lease transaction exceeding 73,000 sq ft, with a total commitment value of more than INR 144 crore over five years, reflecting occupier confidence in the micro-market.
• Developers and occupiers are increasingly evaluating the area based on reduced commute times, access to wider talent pools, and long-term commercial asset appreciation potential.Read more

17 May 2026

The Delhi government has made it compulsory for all construction and demolition sites across the capital to use green dust-control nets with a minimum thickness of 100 GSM to curb pollution caused by construction activity. The move follows recent assessments that found thinner nets ineffective in stopping dust particles from spreading into surrounding areas. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has directed all project proponents and civic agencies to implement the rule with immediate effect. The government is also expanding digital monitoring of construction sites through Dust Portal 2.0 to improve compliance, tracking and enforcement of anti-pollution measures across Delhi.Read more

17 May 2026

• National Highways Authority of India has secured a favourable arbitration ruling in a dispute linked to the six-laning of the Kamrej–Chalthan stretch of NH-48 in Gujarat.
• The arbitral tribunal awarded only INR 54 lakh against contractor claims of around INR 174.49 crore related to the stalled highway widening project.
• The dispute involved a 15-km engineering, procurement and construction contract awarded in 2016 to SCIW–Unique Construction (JV) at a project cost of INR 241.41 crore.
• NHAI stated that the contract was mutually foreclosed in 2020 after physical progress reached approximately 49.79 per cent and both parties had agreed to full settlement of claims.
• The authority relied on drone videography, digital project records, and technical documentation during arbitration proceedings to defend its position and demonstrate contractor non-performance.Read more

17 May 2026

• India’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) sector is witnessing a shift in hiring patterns as artificial intelligence automates repetitive tasks while increasing demand for specialised, AI-native talent.
• Companies are moving away from volume-driven recruitment for routine support functions and are prioritising professionals skilled in AI integration, digital trust, sovereign data governance, and product engineering.
• Industry leaders indicate that GCCs are evolving from traditional back-office operations into innovation-led centres handling core intellectual property and strategic business functions.
• The rise of smaller “Micro-GCC” teams is driving recruitment in niche technology domains where employees are expected to combine technical expertise with business strategy and problem-solving capabilities.
• Experts believe the transition reflects the growing maturity of India’s GCC ecosystem, with organisations increasingly focusing on high-value innovation and long-term technology leadership.Read more

17 May 2026

• Dosti Realty inaugurated a Ganesh temple within its Dosti Greater Thane township in Kalher, marking the first temple developed inside any of the company’s residential projects.
• The temple forms part of the developer’s broader community infrastructure plan within the 125-acre integrated township located near Thane.
• The project, situated around 7 km from Lake Shore Thane, includes over 70 per cent open green spaces, a 1 lakh sq. ft. clubhouse, high-street retail and planned educational facilities.
• Company executives stated that the temple is intended to function as a shared cultural and social space for residents. The township is also expected to benefit from connectivity through the upcoming Kalher Metro Station.Read more

17 May 2026

• Maharashtra’s Vision 2047 tourism plan targets INR 1 lakh crore investment and 18 lakh jobs.
• The roadmap includes PPP tourism projects, MICE infrastructure, cruise tourism and heritage circuits.
• Proposed MMR projects include island tourism, waterfront developments and coastal infrastructure.Read more

17 May 2026

• ICRA projects MoRTH road execution at 9,500-10,000 km in FY2025-26 and 9,000-9,500 km in FY2026-27.
• Construction activity has moderated from 10,660 km in FY2024-25 due to slower project awards and shrinking order books.
• Road awards in FY2025-26 are expected at 7,250-7,750 km, broadly unchanged from the previous year.
• Extended monsoon disruptions have further affected execution activity across highway projects.
• Toll collection growth is estimated at 7-9% in FY2025-26, supported by improved traffic growth.Read more

16 May 2026

• State Bank of India has urged the central government to revisit the definition of affordable housing amid rising residential property prices and higher home loan ticket sizes.
• C S Setty stated that the bank’s average home loan size has increased to around INR 51 lakh from INR 35–40 lakh over the past two years, reflecting changing market dynamics across urban housing markets.
• The current affordable housing framework largely applies to homes priced up to INR 45 lakh, subject to specified carpet area limits under existing policy norms.
• The lender stated that current thresholds may no longer reflect residential pricing levels in major cities, renewing discussions around affordable housing incentives, housing finance accessibility and policy recalibration in India’s residential sector.Read more

16 May 2026

• Ministry of Railways has granted in-principle approval for a new suburban railway station between Mulund and Thane in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
• Devendra Fadnavis announced the approval earlier this week while sharing communication received from Ashwini Vaishnaw.
• The proposed station has been a long-pending demand from local representatives and residents seeking improved suburban rail accessibility across the rapidly growing eastern Mumbai-Thane corridor.
• The station is proposed on land belonging to a government mental hospital and is expected to strengthen regional connectivity and commuter movement across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.Read more

16 May 2026

• Ashwini Vaishnaw said railways, electronics and semiconductors, and AI would drive India’s next phase of economic and industrial growth.
• The minister highlighted rising railway infrastructure investment, with capital expenditure reaching nearly INR 2.72 lakh crore in the last financial year.
• He said smartphone exports emerged as India’s largest export category amid growth in electronics manufacturing and the semiconductor ecosystem.
• Vaishnaw stated that the Dedicated Freight Corridor has reduced freight transit time, while stressing the need for AI adoption, data centres and workforce skilling.Read more

16 May 2026

• The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority is expected to hand over implementation of the Mahalunge–Maan Town Planning Scheme to the Pune Municipal Corporation after nearly eight years of delays.
• The 250-hectare scheme, proposed in 2017 for the rapidly developing Hinjewadi corridor, has faced repeated administrative and jurisdiction-related hurdles following the merger of parts of the project area into PMC limits.
• Maharashtra’s urban development department recently approved the first variation of the preliminary town planning scheme, removing a key regulatory hurdle for implementation.
• The project proposes planned urban development including road infrastructure, sewage networks, open spaces, public amenities, and organised residential and commercial layouts.
• Officials stated that a formal government notification is awaited to finalise transfer of project execution responsibilities to PMC.Read more