VGF

NITI Aayog to examine viability of UDAN scheme

As per the RfP document, the evaluation study will include identifying gaps and challenges in issues related to operations, management and development of airports while providing research and economic perspectives on all aspects of the project. “The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, intends to engage a consultancy firm to support in the evaluation study of Regional Connectivity Scheme,” it said in the document.

Government unveils UDAN 5.1 to enhance connectivity to remote areas through helicopters

For the first time under RCS-UDAN, this round is designed specifically for helicopter routes. "UDAN 5.1 allows operators operations in routes where one of the origin or destination locations is in a priority area. Earlier both points had to be in priority areas," the ministry said in a release. Under the new scheme, airfare caps have been reduced by as much as 25% to make flying in helicopters more affordable for passengers, it said.

Union Shipping Minister announces five initiatives to make India global leader in maritime sector

The other two initiatives are -- setting up a single window portal to facilitate and monitor river and sea cruises and turning Jawaharlal Nehru, VO Chidambaranar and Tuticorin into smart ports by next year, it said. The Minister, after the Chintan Shivir concluded, said that these initiatives will help to bring in more sustainable development in the maritime sector.

Civil Aviation Ministry launches UDAN 5.0 to further enhance connectivity to remote areas

The Indian government has begun inviting bids from airlines for its fifth round of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN), which aims to provide better connections to remote and regional areas throughout the country. Only aircraft operations of Category 2 (20-80 seats) and Category 3 (>80 seats) are applicable in this round. The distance between the origin and destination of the flight does not matter and the stage length cap of 600km has been waived.

Government launches fifth round of regional air connectivity scheme

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said this new and stronger version of the scheme will raise the momentum, connecting new routes and bring us closer to the target of operationalising 1,000 routes and 50 additional airports, heliports and water aerodromes in the near future.

Bids soon for unaided wind energy projects

The government is of the view that the cost of offshore wind energy will come down because of technology and infrastructure facilities, making projects viable even without financial support from the government.

Shipping Ministry for VGF scheme change to push operational expenditure

At present, VGF support is available for projects in metro and road construction, development of food grain silos, and setting up of transmission lines, among others.

A Budget that tidies up the house for private investment to soon come a-surging

Navigating the economy through such choppy waters, while pursuing long-term strategic objectives, maintaining fiscal prudence and optimising opportunities offered to India in this challenging but transformative decade, is not easy. Both Sitharaman and her boss, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, deserve credit here. They have not lost their heads. More important, they have not lost sight of the country's goals.

Battery storage VGF, PSP framework to boost India’s clean energy capacity

“The announcement of viability gap funding for battery energy storage systems project with capacity 4000 MWh will help to advance the battery projects in India and will support higher renewable adoptions for the grid,” said Debi Prasad Dash, Executive Director, of India Energy Storage Alliance.

'Great potential' in India's civil aviation sector; air travel has rebounded: Economic Survey

The survey for 2022-23, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, listed various factors that are helping the civil aviation sector, including the UDAN scheme, which has considerably enhanced regional connectivity through the opening of airports in the hinterland. With the containment of COVID-19 infections and the lifting of travel restrictions worldwide, the survey said, air travel has rebounded.

PLI scheme, tax incentives, allocation for defence, space industry's wishlist for the Union Budget 2023

"In the 2023-24 Union Budget, we would like to request a space-based production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for space tech startups to help boost local manufacturing and encourage capability building within the country," Awais Ahmed, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Pixxel, a space startup based in Bengaluru, told PTI.

AAI airports are leased out in public interest: Union Minister VK Singh

"Implementation of PPP at airports has been a success story... PPP at airports has also helped AAI in enhancing its revenues and focusing on developing airports at Tier-II and Tier-III cities," Singh, who is the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, told Rajya Sabha.

Coal gasification projects: Govt to invite bids in December; to gasify 100mn tonne of coal by 2030, say sources

Aviation Minister Scindia flags off first direct flight on Shillong-Dibrugarh route under UDAN

Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia virtually flagged off the first direct flight on the Shillion-Dibrugarh route under the UDAN scheme.

Trai’s rider plan may weigh on broadband expansion: Analysts

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s recommendations to boost broadband connectivity may have a limited impact as the proposed five-year licence fee waiver linked to companies achieving 15% year-on-year growth in their wired broadband user base is too stiff, industry experts

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia requests CMs of 5 states to expedite matters related to aviation infrastructure

Under regional connectivity scheme UDAN, financial incentives from the Centre, state governments and airport operators are extended to select airlines to encourage operations from unserved and underserved airports, and keep airfares affordable.

Scindia requests five states' CMs to expedite matters related to aviation infrastructure

Centre-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) has embarked upon development and expansion of airports in the country at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore in the next 4-5 years in order to meet the growing passenger demand in the country, the Civil Aviation Ministry's statement said.

State-owned utilities should have greater autonomy: Niti Aayog

“The utility should have operational and financial autonomy. Good corporate governance practices, including the use of independent directors, can help ensure such separation,” the Aayog has suggested in its report.

Setting up of petrochemical complex in Kakinada hangs fire as Centre, AP govt continue wrangling over VGF

While the Centre insists that the Rs 5,615 crore VGF "is necessary to make the project viable," the state contends that the Rs 32,901 crore project could become viable without any VGF due to the reduction in corporate tax and interest rates.

No fixed limit for viability gap funding in regional air connectivity plan: Aviation Minister

​The scheme to connect under-served airports provides for gap funding to the participating airlines, which will be funded by the Centre and the state government concerned.

Govt mulls higher VGF for planes with less than 20 seats

To compensate the operators, the Civil Aviation Ministry would be providing viability gap funding -- which would be partly raised by way of a fixed levy on planes flying in major routes.

Cess to boost regional flights may push up air fares

A cess of Rs 8,000 on each domestic flight could be the alternative to the aviation ministry's proposed 2% surcharge on flight tickets to fund regional connectivity.

Alliance Air to resume flights to 5 Northeastern cities including Guwahati

Alliance Air would resume flights to five NE cities as the North Eastern Council (NEC) decided to fund the viability gap for these operations.