New investments: Gujarat pushed to eighth position, even UP and Rajasthan overtake "India's growth engine"

By Rajiv Shah
It is not just in investments completed that Gujarat is lagging behind several states (click HERE to read). The situation has turned worse for new investments in the state, regarded as “growth engine of India”. Analysis carried out by a researcher with India’s premier independent research body Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) suggests that while Tamil Nadu tops the list of states with new investments in the quarter ended September 2014, Gujarat ranks eighth, with six other states performing better – Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.
The researcher, Pradnya Deo, has said, “Announcement of new investments in Gujarat was lower in the quarter at Rs 65.3 billion, in comparison to Rs 176.5 billion in June 2014”, adding, of this, investment worth Rs 28.5 billion was in the shipping transport infrastructure segment alone. Giving details, the researcher said, “Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd announced development of a fourth container terminal at the Mundra port at a cost of Rs. 21 billion”, and “Reliance Industries Ltd announced expansion of the Jamnagar Liquid Jetty Project, by setting up an additional berth” for Rs 7.5 billion.”
“Tamil Nadu topped the charts with new investments worth Rs 373.2 billion, highest in the past four years”, the researcher said, adding, important contributors were announcement by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) to set up a 4,000 MW Tamil Nadu Solar Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) for Rs 260 billion, and the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (SIPCOT) announcement to set up a thermal power project at Tuticorin, with an investment of Rs. 32 billion.
Other “slew of industrial projects” announced by the Tamil Nadu government included “a desalination plant has been proposed at Kadaladi in the Ramanathapuram district, with Rs 15 billion investment and a capacity of 15 million litres per day (mld). Another Rs 72.7 billion investments were announced by the state government in the storage & distribution segment”, Deo said.
Then was the turn of Andhra Pradesh, which stood second with “substantial new investments” worth Rs 339 billion”. Of this, Rs 170.5 billion (nearly 50 per cent) was the solar energy sector. “Andhra Pradesh government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for setting up a 1,000 MW solar park at Kadiri in Anantapur district at Rs 70 billion. It signed a MoU with NVVNL (NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd) as well, for 1,000 MW Kurnool Solar Project at Rs. 65 billion. The Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corp Ltd (APGENCO) has also announced a 500 mw Kadapa Solar Power Project costing Rs 32.5 billion”, the researcher noted.
As for Maharashtra, Deo said, it “stood third with new investments worth Rs 267.6 billion. This included announcement of a dry port at Aurangabad by Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), with an investment of Rs. 150 billion. JNPT has also announced to develop a dry port at Wardha. Goods from these two dry ports shall be sent to the JNPT port for further exports by rail network.”
Karnataka came fourth -- it saw new investments worth Rs 126.9 billion, mainly in the steel industry. “Kalyani Steels has planned to double the capacity of its carbon alloy steel plant at Koppal to 1.4 million tonnes, at a cost of Rs. 55.3 billion. While, Sandur Manganese & Iron Ore Ltd received a Terms of Reference (ToR) approval from the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for expansion of its existing ferro alloy plant capacity at Hanumanhalli in Hospet district”, Deo said.
The fifth rank was of Uttar Pradesh, which saw “the highest amount of new investments in the quarter in the past four years, at Rs. 126.1 billion”, the researcher said. “This includes approval of the Rs. 52.8 billion Meja Phase II Thermal Power Project by the state government, entailing two units of 660 mw each. Another Rs. 70.6 billion investment in Uttar Pradesh was announced in the power sector.”
“The sixth rank was of Rajasthan, which announced new investments worth Rs. 125.9 billion, mainly in the power sector. On September 1, 2014, Adani Power announced to expand the capacity at its Kawai Coal Based Thermal Plant by 1,600 MW (two units of 800 mw each) to 2,920 MW, at a cost of Rs 91 billion”, Deo said.
And, the seventh position in new investments was of Telangana, at Rs 107.4 billion. “Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd (BHEL) is in talks with the Telangana government for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) order for the Manuguru Coal Based Thermal Power Project. The Rs 43.2 billion project entails four units of 270 mw each. Southern Power Distribution Corporation of Telangana Ltd (SPDCT) has also proposed to set up a 500 mw solar plant at Adilabad, with an investment of Rs. 32.5 billion”, the researcher said.

Comments

Anonymous said…

almost 70-80% investment is in power sector and in gujarat its already done a long ago :)

October 14, 2014

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025.

Designing the edge, erasing the river: Sabarmati Riverfront and the dissonance between ecology and planning

By Mansee Bal Bhargava, Parth Patel Across India, old black-and-white images of the Sabarmati River are often juxtaposed with vibrant photos of the modern Sabarmati Riverfront. This visual contrast is frequently showcased as a model of development, with the Sabarmati Riverfront serving as a blueprint for over a hundred proposed riverfront projects nationwide. These images are used to forge an implicit public consensus on a singular idea of development—shifting from a messy, evolving relationship between land and water to a rigid, one-time design intervention. The notion of regulating the unregulated has been deeply embedded into public consciousness—especially among city makers, planners, and designers. Urban rivers across India are undergoing a dramatic transformation, not only in terms of their land-water composition but in the very way we understand and define them. Here, we focus on one critical aspect of that transformation: the river’s edge.

FSSAI defies Supreme Court order on food warning labels, citing 'trade secrets' for withholding vital information

By A Representative India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is facing strong criticism for deliberately delaying the implementation of crucial warning labels on High Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) food products. This comes despite a clear Supreme Court order on April 9, 2025, which mandated the completion of the "entire exercise" within three months. Adding to the controversy, the FSSAI is reportedly hiding expert reports and over 14,000 public comments under the pretext of "trade secrets."

Ecological alarm over pumped storage projects in Western Ghats: Policy analyst writes to PM

By A Representative In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, energy and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has raised grave concerns over the escalating approval and construction of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) across India’s ecologically fragile river valleys. He has warned that these projects, if pursued unchecked, could result in irreparable damage to the country’s riverine ecology, biodiversity hotspots, and forest wealth—particularly in the Western Ghats.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas* Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Gurdial Singh Paharpuri: A lifetime of revolutionary contribution and unfulfilled aspirations

By Harsh Thakor* Gurdial Singh Paharpuri, a Central Committee member of the Communist Party Re-Organisation Centre of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPRCI(ML)), passed away on July 2, marking a significant loss for the Indian Communist Revolutionary movement. For six decades, Singh championed the cause of revolution, leaving an enduring impact through his lifelong dedication to the global proletarian movement. His contributions are considered foundational, laying groundwork for future advancements in revolutionary thought. He is recognized as a key figure among Indian Communist revolutionary leaders who shaped the mass line, and his example is seen as a model for revolutionary communists to follow.

Civil rights coalition condemns alleged abduction of activist Samrat Singh by Delhi police

By A Representative The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), a collective of civil and democratic rights organisations, has strongly condemned what it describes as the illegal abduction of psychologist and social activist Samrat Singh by a team of Delhi Police officials. The incident occurred on the evening of July 12, 2025, at Singh’s residence in Yamunanagar, Haryana.

Historic Supreme Court ruling grants tribal women equal right to inherit property

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The Supreme Court of India has delivered a landmark judgment declaring that denying tribal women inheritance rights solely based on gender is unconstitutional. The court affirmed their equal right to ancestral property, stating that refusing a share in such property to a tribal woman or her legal heirs on the basis of sex is both unjust and unconstitutional.

A disconnect between data and daily life: India's inflation puzzle

By Hemantkumar Shah* In recent news, the government has announced that the inflation rate has reached a six-and-a-half-year low. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation for June stood at just 2.1 percent, down from 2.82 percent in May. This is the lowest rate in 77 months, and the ministry even claims that food prices have fallen by 1.06 percent compared to last year.

Search This Blog