Mumbai News Desk

09 Mar 2026

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to convert a 12,964 square metre (about 3.2-acre) recreation ground in Marol, Andheri East, along the Mithi River into what is expected to be Mumbai's first public urban forest. The plot, which currently has around 150 trees, has remained largely unused for several years. The project will be implemented through corporate social responsibility funding with support from environmental NGO Green Yatra. The plan includes dense plantations, biodiversity zones, and recreational facilities such as walking paths, children's play areas, and spaces for senior citizens.Read more

09 Mar 2026

The National Highways Authority of India has deployed more than 5,100 women staff during day shifts at over 1,140 toll plazas across India's national highways and expressway network as part of a nationwide initiative to promote gender inclusivity and women's empowerment. The move, supported by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, aims to increase female participation in frontline operational roles while improving service delivery at toll plazas. The decision follows consultations with toll operators and industry bodies, including the National Highways Builder Federation and the Highway Operators Association of India. Authorities said more women staff are expected to join the initiative, which will also include specialised training programmes to support professional and safe toll operations.Read more

09 Mar 2026

Markolines Pavement Technologies has secured multiple infrastructure work orders worth about INR 440 crore across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra, the company said on Friday. The contracts include highway maintenance, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), and other infrastructure development works. According to the company, the total value of the orders stands at INR 439.74 crore, inclusive of GST, and the projects are scheduled to be executed over the next 12 months. The order wins underline the company's continued expansion beyond its core highway asset management and pavement technology services into larger infrastructure development projects, as it looks to strengthen its presence in India's road infrastructure sector.Read more

Bangalore News Desk

09 Mar 2026

IBM has launched its first Infrastructure Innovation Centre in Bengaluru, strengthening India's role in developing enterprise-grade artificial intelligence (AI) and infrastructure technologies. The facility, located at the India Systems Development Lab (ISDL) campus, is designed as a collaborative engineering hub where IBM teams will work with clients, software vendors, and system integrators to build secure and scalable AI solutions. By bringing together experts across processors, operating systems, firmware, and virtualization, the centre aims to accelerate the development of hybrid-cloud and AI infrastructure systems. The launch highlights IBM's increasing reliance on India for advanced engineering and product ownership in areas such as mainframes, servers, storage, and cloud technologies, while reinforcing Bengaluru's position as a global technology innovation hub.Read more

09 Mar 2026

Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru has been recognised as the world's best airport for arrivals for the fourth consecutive year at the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards by Airports Council International. The recognition is based on passenger feedback collected through global surveys that assess the overall arrival experience, including immigration, baggage delivery, cleanliness, and ease of navigation. The airport, operated by Bangalore International Airport Limited, has maintained consistent service standards over the past few years through infrastructure upgrades and operational improvements aimed at providing faster and more convenient arrivals for travellers.Read more

09 Mar 2026

Apraava Energy has launched operations of a 400-kV transmission line and pooling substation in Rajasthan, aiming to strengthen the state's renewable energy evacuation capacity. The 22-km Fatehgarh IV line connects to the Fatehgarh-III substation, offering 2.5 GW capacity via five 500 MVA transformers. The project is part of Phase-III Part A1 of Rajasthan's renewable energy transmission plan and is designed to improve power dispatch from Jaisalmer Barmer zones. Apraava now manages 516 km of transmission assets across five states with a combined 3.5 GW substation capacity.Read more

09 Mar 2026

The proposed master plans for Bhopal and Indore have been placed on hold as the Madhya Pradesh government moves to finalise broader metropolitan region planning under the newly enacted Madhya Pradesh Metropolitan Region Planning and Development Act, 2025, a senior minister informed the state assembly in the past week. Although draft master plans for both cities were completed about 18 months ago, they may be reworked to align with regional strategies envisaged for the two metropolitan clusters, which include surrounding districts such as Ujjain, Dewas and Dhar for Indore and Sehore, Raisen and Vidisha for Bhopal. The pause reflects a policy shift towards integrated regional planning and comes amid concerns that outdated or delayed planning frameworks have hindered urban development and investment confidence in the state's largest cities. Officials indicated that specialised metropolitan planning committees and authorities will now prepare cohesive, area-specific development plans.Read more

08 Mar 2026

The district administration in Thiruvananthapuram has asked Southern Railway to complete the pending works on Vattavila Suresh Road and submit a compliance report. A portion of the road was earlier handed over to the railway authorities for the railway line-doubling project near Nemom. Residents had raised concerns about safety and loss of connectivity after the road was removed for construction activities. Railway officials had earlier agreed to construct a retaining wall and build a tarred road to restore access. However, the work remains incomplete more than 18 months after the railway project began.Read more

08 Mar 2026

The Union government has made the process of obtaining permissions for access roads and utility connections along national highways completely digital through the upgraded Rajmarg Pravesh Portal. The platform allows individuals, companies and government agencies to apply online for No Objection Certificates for fuel stations, industries, private properties, wayside amenities and connecting roads. Applications for utilities such as pipelines, optical fibre cables and electricity lines can also be submitted digitally. The system introduces defined timelines, online tracking and reduced paperwork, aiming to bring greater transparency and faster approvals in highway-related infrastructure development.Read more

Visakhapatnam News Desk

08 Mar 2026

The Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) has directed officials to speed up several important road widening works across the Visakhapatnam metropolitan region to strengthen connectivity and ease traffic movement. Metropolitan Commissioner N. Tej Bharath reviewed the progress of multiple projects including the Adavivaram Shonthyam, Veppagunta Pinagadi, and Gambheeram Nerellavalasa Tallavalasa road stretches. During the inspection, officials were instructed to accelerate land acquisition, clear utility obstacles such as electrical poles, and ensure timely compensation or Transferable Development Rights (TDR) certificates for affected landowners. The projects are part of broader infrastructure efforts aimed at improving urban mobility as the city continues to expand.Read more