Bharat Rakshak

Though India is seen as the second-most attractive logistics market after China, issues such as shortage of skilled manpower, poor adoption of technology, with higher costs and lower profitability, have hampered development in this sector, consulting and financial advisory Deloitte said on Thursday.In its report Indian Logistics-Focus on infrastructure creation to sustain and drive growth, Deloitte said, India was a fast-growing economy, with one of the largest consumer markets of automobile, pharmaceuticals, fast-moving consumer goods and retail, which will drive the demand for logistics in the country going ahead.An efficient logistics system reduces the cost of trading, providing an edge and propelling economic activity, said the report.Quoting a McKinsey study, Deloitte said, inefficiencies in logistics infrastructure costs the Indian economy an extra $45 billion, 4.3 per cent of the gross domestic product, every year. The study also warns a 2.5 times growth in freight traffic demand by 2020 (compared with 2010 levels) will strain India's infrastructure further. However, such high demand prospects also present an opportunity for logistics companies in India, said Deloitte.
The Planning Commission has budgeted for an initial logistics infrastructure investment of Rs 4.1 trillion over the 12th Five Year Plan period (2012-2017), double that proposed under the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012).
But global and domestic slowdown over two years has stymied overall infrastructure creation, said the report.Creation of infrastructure was also delayed on account of issues related to environmental clearances, land acquisitions, as well as sector-specific challenges, that stalled financial closures for awarded projects or impacted investor interest for new ones, said Deloitte.Highlighting the challenges faced by each of the segment of logistics infrastructure: Road, railway, port and air cargo, the Deloitte report concludes there are three key aspects the sector should look into. One, there is scope for capacity creation and efficiency improvement to ensure improvement on a 'logistics performance index'. Second, the opportunity in each segment is enormous and the 12th five year plan has set ambitious targets for expanding these capacities significantly over the plan period. Third, if the gap between current and potential levels has to be closed urgently, huge private sector investment will be required to bring in both funds and best practices.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 676797.cms

Yash wrote:Vadodara (erswhile Baroda) gets a *much* needed bus depot makeover. As far as media points go, this may not rank as high as airport terminal makeover these days but this surely services the aam junta much more. In pictures.

Is there a masterplan cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda and others in Gujarat are following? If so, I'd be interested in knowing where the funding comes from - bonds, municipal taxes, or direct state largesse? As far as I know, the buses operating out of here are all public sector but there may yet be a public-pvt partnership (has to be) angle.

Students and academia of the IITH are immersed in developing 5G cellular wireless communication technology, which would be on a par with global standards. The indigenous development of technology could be of immense value to India in view of the low cost of development coupled with high performance possibilities.

A team of about 20 students pursuing their B. Tech, M. Tech courses and Ph.D. from the Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EE) department are working on this project. However, it would take a few years to become a reality.

The proposed architecture for 5G is Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN) under which a central cloud (server) would be established at a convenient location where it is easy to handle. It would be connected with large number of low-power Remote Radio Headends (RRHs) through fibre optics. These RRHs can be fitted at any place without much expenditure as it was expected to cost about Rs. 5,000 each and supposed to cover about 20 km distance. These RRHs are lost cost, low power consuming and offer high capacity.

This system offers convergence of cellular, WiFi, sensors, Machine to Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (inter communication and data transfer between embedded systems without human intervention – IoT) on single platform – cloud. The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), Government of India, has sanctioned Rs. 23 crore for the IIT-H towards this project.

Tejas Networks, a private firm working on communication systems, came forward to join hands with IITH to work on this project and supplied additional engineering resources for 4G/5G base station product. IITH would have the Intellectual Property Right (IPR) on the product while Tejas Networks would be allowed to use the technology under the transfer of technology (ToT) mode.

The engineers from Tejas Networks would be working with the IITH team to synchronise their products properly with new technology when it would be launched. The research activity is being headed by Dr. Kiran Kuchi, Associate Professor.

“This technology will offer lot of advantages like establishing communication networks in remote areas with less cost and accessing data very fast without a fraction of interruption. The wireless sensors that would be established under this system with easy to communicate can be crucial in developing smart cities. This will be much in use once the broadband optical fibre network was established both in rural and urban areas,” Dr. Kiran told The Hindu.

I have a BSNL mobile connection. It's highly temperamental. Sometimes, during a call, the voice fades away and the connection breaks. Most times the call does not go through at all. The signal keeps fluctuating for no rhyme or reason. Very frequently, while on the move, I expect the signal to get cut. But it doesn't....

When I checked out with a BSNL lineman on the reasons for my mobile connection's eccentricity, he spread out his hands, expressively. "We just don't have enough towers", he said. "Both 2G and 3G are operating through the same towers. That's why we have so much problems".

He was only reiterating what I had known all along. I am sure the Indian people would also like to know what is wrong with our national telecom major.



The year : 2008. India was on the threshold of a telecom revolution. Implementation of 2nd generation telephony (2G) was well under way. And the nation was getting ready to usher in 3G technology. The third generation telephony would give access to uninterrupted wireless broadband and internet connectivity, high speed data connections, VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) services and several other facilities one normally associates with telecommunications in developed countries.

May Day 2008 : Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) unusually issued a tender notification on the national holiday inviting bids for upgrading BSNL's infrastructure to support the proposed 3G network in the country. The mega bid worth Rs 40,000 crore for planning, engineering supply, installations, testing and commissioning of infrastructure for 90 million lines of mobile expansion in six phases was an ambitious project, extremely tempting for all key players in the telecom Industry.

On instructions from the then Telecom Minister, Andimuthu Raja, then CMD of BSNL Kuldeep Goyal, directed all his immediate subordinates to work with the Department of Telecom in rolling out the tender notification process. They issued the tender notification with No /TA/ Cellone/SZ/2008/01 consisting the 145 page document inviting two stages bidding system in four parts. The last date for the bidding was on July 16, 2008. But at 11.30 hours, it announced that the bids would be opened on the same day at 12 noon.

There was nothing abnormal in the tender notification and nobody doubted the genuineness and scope of the business opportunity. BSNL was moving on fast to improve its huge infrastructure and network facilities across the country setting up 60,000 mobile towers for facilitating 3G technology. In south zone comprising five circles Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Chennai Telecom District itself 16,000 mobile towers were required with a total tender value of Rs. 6500 crores.

With the notification of the bid, the stage was set for the new scam.

Meanwhile, an unknown Chennai software company BR Softtech Enterprises Private Limited started its benami operations in the BSNL Infra deal. BR Softtech had been incorporated on December 01, 2007 with its registered office No 6, 30th street Ganapathy Colony, O-Block, East Anna Nagar, Chennai. It was a letter-pad company promoted by two businessmen MK Bhasker (PAN: AKMPB3198C) and V Ramkumar (PAN AMGPK5102 R). The company was registered at their residential address. After incorporation, the company transacted no business at all. It was waiting for its turn in the telecom scam.

The two were petty businessmen who had the right connections with a political family that mattered. Bhasker held 9000 shares in the company, while Ramkumar held 1000 shares of Rs10 each making a paid up capital of Rs One lakh.

According to the minutes of the Board of directors meeting held at the registered office on May 27, 2009 at 10 AM, a decision was taken to rename the company as ICE Televentures Pvt Ltd. The main objects of the Memorandum were altered to “venture into the business of telecommunications, which includes hardware, software and 3G technology and to carry on all types and kinds of services and turnkey infrastructure business in telecom”. This meeting was the first step in the BSNL 3G Infra scam. ICE Televentures then changed its registered office to 11/23 Mannppan Street, Old Washermenpet, Chennai. The Registrar of companies issued a fresh certificate in the of name of the company on June 25, 2009.

Well before BR Softtech or ICE Televentures had come into existence, two other businessmen had registered a real estate company, Desi Holding and Consultants Private limited in 2005 to carry out business in Tamilnadu. They were MRT Ramanujam and MV Damodaran, both known to be close to the same political family. When they formed Desi Holdings, with a paid up capital of Rs One lakh on 2005 November 11, Damodaran did not even have a PAN number. In Desi Holdings, Ramanujam had the major stake with 9900 shares and Damodaran’s stake was only 100 shares worth Rs1000. Like BR Softtech, this letter-pad company in its extra ordinary meeting on April 16, 2008 decided to change its name to Genext Telecom Pvt Ltd and changed the main objects of its memorandum of Association of the company as “to carry on the business of manufacture and trading of telecom equipment, telecom infrastructure and its maintenance, providing telecom services in India and abroad” and also “to build ports, airports and operate on lease from government”.

Genext Telecom later changed its name once again. On June 10, 2008 Genext Telecom Pvt Ltd was renamed as Ice Telecom India Pvt Ltd with its registered office at Ashirwad Apartments, First Floor, # 14/1 First main Road, I Block Anna Nagar East , Chennai.

Interestingly, MV Damodaran, the Director of Ice Telecom India Pvt Ltd, submitted on his company’s letterhead a no objection certificate to the RoC, Chennai stating that Ice Televentures was part of the Ice Telecom group of companies. Such a certificate was necessitated when BR Softtech applied for its change of name. MV Damodaran wrote to Registrar of Companies on 2009 May 25, “We came to know that the name of BR Softtech Enterprises (P) Ltd is going to be changed into Ice Televentures (P) Ltd . As it’s our group of company, we hereby give no objection certificate for the name change of BR Softtech Enterprises (P) Ltd into Ice Televentures (P) Ltd. Even though its name resembles like our name, our business will not be affected”.

This letter, in essence links the two companies.

Since both Ice Telecom and Ice Televentures did not have expertise or required experience to vie for the bid, Minister Raja, who was obviously under instructions to favour them, advised them to enter into partnership with another company which had the required expertise in the telecom sector. The search narrowed down to TVS-Inter-Connect Systems Ltd with registered offices in Bangalore. ICE Telecom India Pvt Ltd, Ice Televentures and TVS–ICS formed a consortium to bid for the BSNL Infra order. In the bid, ICE group’s involvement was never mentioned. Instead, TVS-ICS front-ended.

According to a Business presentation made by TVS–ICS to its global partners, the company won the bid for BSNL Infra tender for the South Zone for Rs 6500 crores and company’s share of 50 per cent of the total tender amounted to Rs 3250 crores. The rest went to its silent partners ICE Group of companies (which together had a paid up capital of a mere Rs 2 lakhs!). The Business plan was silent on its partners and their role in the BSNL Infra deal.

In June, 2009, BSNL shortlisted Spanco Telesystems & Solutions, TVS Interconnect Systems and Acme Tele Power for executing the BSNL 3G infrastructure contract. Spanco was the lowest bidder for the west zone, TVS-ICS for the south zone and Acme for the North and East for the passive cellular infrastructure contract.

From June 2009 onward, the Ice Group started looking for global partnerships as they had neither money nor capacity to execute the mega deal. When the bid was made, TVS–ICS was not keen on providing the infrastructure to BSNL. Their role was of a front ending company, pocketing a 4 to 5 per cent commission from the deal.


Soon after winning the deal, the Ice group of companies started scouting for global partnership. But they miserably failed in their attempts. By mid-July of 2009, global Telecom players started smelling a scam in Indian telecom deals. Many Embassies warned their leading companies that the Indian game was an unsure bet and cautioned them against deals with their Indian partners. So the consortium decided to appoint an investment consultant for identifying investors for the project.

On August 27, 2009, Ice Televentures appointed one Sanjiv Kumar Dwivedi, the CEO of Ubiqui Softech Ltd as its investment consultant. His role was to identify and line up global investors for the BSNL Infra deal and bring money for their project. Dwivedi was offered 1.5 per cent syndication charges for the amount arranged or structured.

What was Dwiwedi's role? Under whose instructions did Raja favour rank outsiders like the Ice Group to execute a mega project? What ultimately happened to the 3G infrastructure? These are questions that will be addressed in the next post in a few days from now.

So keep watching....

SaiK wrote:
@pickover

The Narendra Modi government has managed to award contracts for about 4,000 km of roads of its target of 8,500 km in the current fiscal. The road transport and highways ministry has a target of another 8,500 km for 2015-16.With private sector investment almost drying up in the highways sector, the government has awarded nearly three-fourths of the roads through engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) route. Essentially, the government will have to build roads till the time private sector steps in. "We have asked for a hefty allocation and there is good chance we will get it," said a ministry official. Experts said that the sector can grow rapidly if funds are made available.

NEW DELHI: The government is confident of starting the ambitious project of interlinking of rivers by December with the Ken-Betwa link after getting clearance from both the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments and the locals living in the Panna National Park agreeing to move out after getting adequate compensation.

The 31st project of interlinking of rivers was added during Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal in 2014 where he signed an agreement with the neighbouring country to link Sharda river water with Yamuna. This is aimed at ending the water woes of Delhi.

The Water Resources Ministry is confident of sorting out roadblocks in implementing the Tapi-Narmada link that would benefit Gujarat. Uma Bharti, who heads the ministry, may hold talks with Maharashtra unit of Congress on the issue. Experts have underlined that sentiments being attached by some Maharashtrians to diversion of Tapi river are misplaced as no water from it is used for irrigation and is allowed to flow into the sea.

"A bill for launching water transport in 101 rivers, covering 82,000 kms, is pending before the Parliament... It will be started within five years.

Gadkari said the much-awaited 1620-km Haldia-Varanasi waterways would be opened next year and added that water ports would also be constructed in a big way.

"Within six months, India will be witnessing launching of a sea plane while a sea bus would be seen in Mumbai in next three months," he said.

Stating that an investment of Rs 3.8 lakh crore in 281 road projects would increase the road network from present 96,000 kms to 1.5 lakh kms, he said it will help his ministry to add two per cent to the country's GDP.

At present, 14 km of highway is being constructed per day across the country which will go up to 25 km per day by March 2016, he said.

NEW DELHI: Railway minister Suresh Prabhu is leaving on Monday for Singapore to participate in the Infrastructure Finance Summit.

Prabhu will be a key speaker on Tuesday at the summit, which has been organised by World Bank in association with the Singapore government, said a senior railway ministry official.

The rail minister is participating in the event to facilitate sourcing of funds for infrastructure development in India, a cause he has been championing for long.

NEW DELHI: The government plans to raise its roads construction target for the next fiscal by a steep 50%, taking the total spend to Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari is expected to set an aggressive target of awarding around 15,000 km of roads next year, of which 30% will be done through private participation and the rest through the government-funded engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model.

Japanese Investment Cooperation Agency is yet to receive a request to fund the 129 km Chennai Peripheral Ring Road project from the Centre.

Senior representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Ichiguchi Tomohide, said that the project, which the state government expects to cost Rs 10,000 crore could be funded only after the Department of Economic Affairs gives its nod. State highways department officials said that the socio-economic study has been completed and they have submitted the report to the Centre which will be forwarded to JICA.The project is being implemented by the Tamil Nadu Road Infrastructure Development Company (TNRIDC) and aims to ease congestion besides making freight movement to Ennore port from southern manufacturing parts of the state easier. Around 15 to 20 per cent of the project cost is being funded by the State government.

The Chennai Metro Rail’s Phase I extension project to Tiruvotiyur is also awaiting Union Cabinet’s approval after Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu made the announcement last year that his ministry has cleared the proposal. The proposal to extend the Phase I extension of the project by a further 9 km from Washermanpet to Wimco Nagar at Tiruvottiyur will cost around Rs 3,700 crore.

Similarly the funding of 150 MLD desalination at Nemelli, south of Chennai is likely to be finalised with the visit of German funding agency KfW officials on October 5. The desalination project was delayed as the New Urban Renewal Mission scheme and its guidelines were yet to be formulated. It was given clearance by the Centre only last month after the state government wrote to the Centre to expedite clearance.

Theo_Fidel wrote:Can someone in Delhi clear these projects please. It souldn't take over a year to get basic JICA approval... ..peripheral road is vital to begin right now...

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/ ... 063167.ece

Japanese Investment Cooperation Agency is yet to receive a request to fund the 129 km Chennai Peripheral Ring Road project from the Centre.

Senior representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Ichiguchi Tomohide, said that the project, which the state government expects to cost Rs 10,000 crore could be funded only after the Department of Economic Affairs gives its nod. State highways department officials said that the socio-economic study has been completed and they have submitted the report to the Centre which will be forwarded to JICA.The project is being implemented by the Tamil Nadu Road Infrastructure Development Company (TNRIDC) and aims to ease congestion besides making freight movement to Ennore port from southern manufacturing parts of the state easier. Around 15 to 20 per cent of the project cost is being funded by the State government.

The Chennai Metro Rail’s Phase I extension project to Tiruvotiyur is also awaiting Union Cabinet’s approval after Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu made the announcement last year that his ministry has cleared the proposal. The proposal to extend the Phase I extension of the project by a further 9 km from Washermanpet to Wimco Nagar at Tiruvottiyur will cost around Rs 3,700 crore.

Similarly the funding of 150 MLD desalination at Nemelli, south of Chennai is likely to be finalised with the visit of German funding agency KfW officials on October 5. The desalination project was delayed as the New Urban Renewal Mission scheme and its guidelines were yet to be formulated. It was given clearance by the Centre only last month after the state government wrote to the Centre to expedite clearance.

a_bharat wrote:In the last couple of months, we are hearing a lot on "awarding" X kms of road projects and Gadkari has become silent on how many KMs are being built per day. He initially boasted of achieving the target of 30 kms/day within a short time. Where do we stand on this metric now? Anybody has this data? Thanks.

Suraj wrote:

a_bharat wrote:In the last couple of months, we are hearing a lot on "awarding" X kms of road projects and Gadkari has become silent on how many KMs are being built per day. He initially boasted of achieving the target of 30 kms/day within a short time. Where do we stand on this metric now? Anybody has this data? Thanks.

Not true. You simply have not been following the news, and reality is far more nuanced than your claim. It's not upto others to prove you wrong after you walk in and assert something like this. Please be mindful that you're on a collaborative forum. It's rude to barge in and claim XYZ and ask for data to prove otherwise. Do the work yourself for a start, or just keep these polemics out of TEF threads and stick to the politics thread where anyone says anything.

a_bharat wrote:It is quite possible that I might have missed some of Gadkari's statements on the number of kms of road built per day. But, I didn't ask anybody to prove anything. I was asking for the data. If that is not allowed on this forum, fine. Perhaps your issue is with the word "boasted" that I used in my original post, which I realize I should have avoided.

Kakkaji wrote:Highway to growth: Government spending on roads likely to go up by 50 per cent to Rs 1.5 lakh crore

NEW DELHI: The government plans to raise its roads construction target for the next fiscal by a steep 50%, taking the total spend to Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari is expected to set an aggressive target of awarding around 15,000 km of roads next year, of which 30% will be done through private participation and the rest through the government-funded engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model.

Theo_Fidel wrote:Nanadakumar saar,

Thanx for the clarification though I don't buy it. The article is very clear where the hold up is.

The article is also clear the desalination project is stuck due to the suspension/cancellation of the JNNURM. I have long lamented the damage this single act has done, this is yet another example.

Central assistance will be provided to an extent of Rs 2,440 cr while the rest would be contributed by state governments and urban local bodies, said a senior UD Ministry official.

With about half of the urban households in these 81 cities not having water supply and sewerage connections, Rs 4,290 cr of the total approved outlay would go into providing household water supply connections and enhancing water supply in 53 cities.

While Rs 1,133 cr would be spent on providing sewerage connections in 41 cities, Rs 92 cr would be invested in storm water drainage projects in 14 cities, Rs 80 crore for promoting non-motorised public transport in 22 and Rs 113 cr for providing parks and green spaces in 76 mission cities.

Suraj wrote:The Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and NDRF are on the ground right now. Don't believe it ? Check Sitanshu Kar's twitter feed. What exactly does extra money do that extra people with the tools to rescue people does not do ? The state government does not have the tools the already deployed central personnel already have.

Gus wrote:they did not even desilt the mouth of adyar and cooum which could have increased flow into sea and helped lower levels..

In response to the complaints, two machines have been engaged to remove sand blocking the Adyar river mouth. Normally, the department cleans the mouths of both the Cooum and Adyar river at frequent intervals. But now, sand is being removed every day in light of the complaints, officials of WRD said.

The Corporation is, therefore, faced with falling revenues and is resorting to borrowings on a large scale to fulfil its promises. The loan component has increased from Rs. 546 crore the previous year to Rs. 1020 crore in 2015-16. The interest burden has jumped from Rs. 14 crore in 2014-15 to a whopping Rs. 105 crore in the coming year. Given this situation, it is but natural that the civic body is cutting down on all capital expenditure – roads, bridges, lighting, parks and stormwater drains. Now what does a city corporation exist for if it is unable to cater to these needs? And how does Chennai hope to be an international city if it does not spend on the upkeep of its infrastructure?

sooraj wrote:After government's Smart City project comes Beacon Panchayat to showcase ideal village

With today's approval, the ministry has so far cleared a total investment of Rs 11,654 cr in 272 Atal Mission cities for improving infrastructure for ensuring water and sewerage connections to all households in such cities, besides, enabling water supply as per the norm of 135 litres per capita per day for urban areas.

SaiK wrote:Some time back (it must be 5 years now) Chennai was aiming to be Singapore of India.