The government is exploring the option of a separate model concession agreement (MCA) for awarding expressway contracts. It had recently announced setting up of expressways authority to take up greenfield ventures and act as regulator. Join discussion...

Along this last week some of the clauses of the new Model Concession agreement (MCA) under study came to light. I consider them to be very positive for private firms as they are are being restudied in order to make projects more profiteable but also because private corporations need to feel safe when they bid for infrastructure projects, there is alot of money at stake. Here you can see them in detail: Join discussion...

This will allow any two special purpose vehicles (SPVs) with a common partner having up to 25 per cent stake for bidding for the same project. Join discussion...

The government seems to be making a strong headway in its attempts to extend the scope of the public-private partnership (PPP) beyond infrastructure projects, with the Planning Commission close to finalising draft agreements for projects in areas such as school education, electricity transmission and urban water supply. Join discussion...

In a move to speed up the bidding for highway projects and to also attract more competition, the road transport and highways ministry (MoRTH) has proposed to relax restrictions on crossholding by increasing the limit to 15% from the current 5%. The changes in the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) will make it easier for bigger players, with experience in such projects to bid for more than one project. Join discussion...

The government is looking at further changes to the bidding and execution process for development of national highways in India, responding to issues raised by both domestic and foreign players. The minister for road transport and highways Kamal Nath said that he is looking at three major changes in the process including land acquisition processes, dispute settlement and the termination clause of the model concession agreement (MCA). Join discussion...

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) spelt out reasons for sluggish progress in the highway projects in a detailed report submitted to roads and highways minister Kamal Nath, highlighting the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) that is seen to have choked execution of the programme. Join discussion...

Road developers have asked the government to not only share profits under the build-operate-transfer mode, but also share the risk or loss associated if a project goes awry. In a letter to road transport and highways minister Kamal Nath, developers have called for a risk sharing clause to be inserted in the model concession agreement (MCA) which governs the public private partnership (PPP) contract for the roads sector. Join discussion...