State-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp thought this discovery too small to exploit. But Hindustan Oil Exploration Co, in two years of taking over the B-80 block, has not just discovered more resources but has invested enough to start oil and gas output from April next year. The company said it will produce 8,500 barrels per day of oil and oil equivalent gas from the block.

After GMR’s bid to take over Nagpur airport was cancelled, there are plans to appoint a fresh private partner for the airport on per-passenger revenue sharing model. This is in line with the latest method adopted by Airports Authority of India (AAI) for privatising the airports it owns.

The recovery in cement demand seen in October has been sustained in November. The south, where demand was worst hit in April-August 2020, is also seeing recovery in October-November. As a result, cement companies have reinstated their capital expenditure plans, which were put on hold due to the pandemic.

The Indian government wants to ramp up the country’s coal production and consumption. The union environment ministry has accordingly made it easier for thermal power plants to change the source of coal from imported to domestic – a procedure that so far involved seeking an amendment in the environment clearance of such plants.

As the infrastructure required for e-vehicles to travel from one state to another poses a challenge, the government is preparing to build an e-highway in partnership with private players. The trial run of electric vehicles on the Delhi-Agra e-corridor is under way. The e-vehicle trial run for the Delhi-Jaipur route will start in February 2021.

The government is planning to set up at least one e-charging kiosk at around 69,000 petrol pumps across the country to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles. Steps taken to promote EVs include reduction in GST to 5 per cent, allowing delinking of battery cost of 2 and 3-wheelers from vehicle cost, etc.

After acquiring IHH Healthcare’s stake in Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata, Chennai-based Apollo Hospitals is now scouting for some more acquisitions in north and east India. The hospital chain’s board has approved raising up to Rs. 1,500 crore, and a part of it would be for acquisitions.

The Union cabinet has approved an infusion of Rs. 6,000 crore as equity into a new debt platform to raise up to Rs. 1.1 lakh crore for financing infrastructure projects by 2025. Of the equity to be injected by 2021-22, Rs 2,000 crore is earmarked for disbursal this year.

Sajjan Jindal, chairman of the JSW Group, recently met with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Industries Minister Subhash Desai to discuss a potential investment of Rs. 22,000 crore. Jindal later said there was clear indication that the state government is progressive in its thinking and is pro-industry.