Kamal Ghorui
The Union Cabinet has cleared a series of major infrastructure projects spanning railways, roads, tunnels and metro expansion, alongside large-scale urban and startup funding decisions, with the total approved outlay pegged at about Rs 1,60,504 crore, cabinet minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed on Saturday.A significant portion of the approvals is directed towards transport infrastructure, aimed at boosting connectivity, logistics efficiency and regional development.
Among rail projects, the Cabinet approved the Kasara–Manmad 3rd and 4th line project worth Rs 10,154 crore, the Delhi–Ambala 3rd and 4th line project worth Rs 5,983 crore, and the Ballari–Hosapete 3rd and 4th line project worth Rs 2,372 crore. These projects are expected to ease congestion on key freight and passenger corridors.
The Cabinet also cleared a major strategic connectivity project — the underwater road tunnel between Gohpur and Numaligarh — with an outlay of Rs 18,662 crore, aimed at improving connectivity in the Northeast.Road infrastructure approvals include:
- Four-laning of Gudebellur–Mahabubnagar section — Rs 3,175 crore
- Four-laning of Dhamasiya–Bitada & Nasarpore–Malotha section — Rs 4,584 crore
- Upgradation of Ghoti–Trimbak–Palghar section — Rs 3,320 crore
Urban mobility also received a push with approval for the Noida Metro Aqua Line extension, involving an investment of Rs 2,254 crore.
Urban and startup funding
Beyond core infrastructure, the Cabinet also approved large-scale funding aimed at urban transformation and startup ecosystem support.The biggest single decision is the Urban Challenge Fund with an outlay of Rs 1,00,000 crore, aimed at strengthening urban infrastructure and city-level development initiatives.The Cabinet also cleared the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore to support early-stage startups and deep-tech innovation.The Cabinet decisions involve an estimated total expenditure of Rs 1,60,504 crore, reflecting a combined focus on hard infrastructure expansion, urban development and innovation-led economic growth.
