Infrastructure

Since its launch, the Vande Bharat network has carried more than 9.1 crore passengers through about 1 lakh trips, showing how quickly the service has moved from flagship experiment to a widely accepted part of India’s railway system. First introduced on the New Delhi–Varanasi route in February 2019, the train has since become a major symbol of indigenous rail modernisation under the Make in India push.

The shift to composite sleepers marks an important upgrade in track infrastructure. According to the Ministry of Railways, these sleepers are lighter than the iron and concrete variants currently used, yet they are designed to carry higher loads, offer better cushioning and allow easier laying and repair. The ministry also said the sleepers can be tailored to local site conditions, which is expected to improve passenger comfort, especially on bridge approaches and turnout sections where ride quality can otherwise be affected.

In India’s broader fuel-cycle logic, spent fuel from Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors is reprocessed to recover plutonium, that plutonium is used in mixed oxide fuel for the PFBR, and the fast neutrons in the reactor then convert fertile material into new fissile material.

With an installed capacity of 1,200 MW, configured as six 190 MW units and one 60 MW unit, the Kalai-II project is expected to generate 4,852.95 million units of electricity annually. According to the government, it will be the first hydroelectric project in the Lohit Basin and is expected to strengthen power supply in Arunachal Pradesh, help manage peak electricity demand, and support grid balancing at the national level.

The initiative comes as India accelerates efforts to meet its ambitious target of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, up from the current ~267 GW. Grid-scale battery storage is considered critical for managing the intermittent nature of renewable sources such as solar and wind, by storing surplus energy during low demand and supplying it during peak hours.

The 500 MWe reactor has been developed by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd. (BHAVINI) and built indigenously with contributions from more than 200 Indian industries, including MSMEs. The project has long been seen as a crucial element in India’s effort to deepen domestic capability in advanced reactor technology while aligning with the wider push for self-reliance in strategic sectors.

With the fresh additions, India’s cumulative installed wind power capacity has now crossed 56 GW, reinforcing the sector’s growing role in the country’s renewable energy mix. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said the momentum reflects a combination of clearer policy direction, better transmission readiness, competitive tariff discovery and a strong pipeline of upcoming projects.

The year also saw a strong push toward domestic manufacturing under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat framework.

According to the PIB note, plaza-level assessments found that cash payments contribute to congestion, longer waiting times during peak traffic periods, and transaction-related disputes. A digital-only system, in contrast, allows toll plazas to process vehicles faster and with fewer manual interventions. Government messaging on FASTag over the past few years has consistently pushed the same direction: smoother traffic flow, lower friction at plazas, and a more technology-driven highway network.

The project is being taken up as part of the Sagarmala Programme and is aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, both of which aim to build stronger multi-modal transport networks and improve logistics performance across the country. Construction is being executed by Western Railway on a deposit basis.