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The $1 Trillion Paradox

Indian infrastructure remains one of the biggest opportunities for the next 10 years. Yet some of the best private entrepreneurs in the country are being denied a fair rate of return

Published: Jun 4, 2011 06:06:49 AM IST
Updated: Jun 4, 2011 08:33:53 AM IST

There are perhaps just a couple of projects that have changed the dowdy image of India’s infrastructure in the past 10 years. For the most part, the Indian infrastructure story has almost been saddled with a continuing narrative: Crumbling roads, creaking bridges, dirty airports, polluted water and unreliable power. The $13 billion Golden Quadrilateral project — linking Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata through nearly 6,000 km of four lane and six lane expressways — was clearly one such project. In the very initial years of its implementation, it set a new benchmark in how a major public-private partnership could be mounted without delays and the stench of corruption. (Of course, it wasn’t long before some of that sheen quickly disappeared even before the learnings could be internalised.)

 The <img Trillion Paradox
Last year, New Delhi’s spanking new airport, Terminal 3, or T3 as it is called, made us all proud. South Asia’s biggest airport hub was completed in a record 37 months — which even leading global airport consultants working on the project had deemed impossible. But the Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) led consortium managed to pull off the unbelievable feat, thereby preventing yet another embarrassment for the country, ahead of the Commonwealth Games in the capital.

Instead of being feted for the accomplishment, G.M. Rao, the intrepid founder of the GMR Group, which runs DIAL, is now running pillar to post trying to save his joint venture from turning sour. DIAL has soaked up about Rs. 5,200 crore of debt — and now, the cash flows have suddenly become uncertain, as many of the commercial agreements that formed the basis of the project are being questioned after the project has been completed. At the heart of the matter is a warped government policy where a new airports regulator has been set up well after the privatisation process has begun, thereby creating obvious conflicts between the civil aviation ministry, the independent regulator and the private operators. It’s not just the fickle rules that are dogging GMR. Even the Indian stock markets that were expected to nurture private infra players aren’t very supportive. Investors expect long gestation infrastructure projects to generate steady returns every quarter — and have no patience for those who see an occasional blip.

In many ways, it is the ultimate paradox: Indian infrastructure remains one of the biggest opportunities for the next 10 years. Yet some of the best private entrepreneurs in the country are being denied a fair rate of return — and are being forced to look beyond our shores for sustenance. Associate Editor Cuckoo Paul’s story on G.M. Rao and how he’s squaring up to this unexpected adversity is, therefore, instructive. It’s time we corrected this anomaly.

(This story appears in the 17 June, 2011 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)

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  • Sathyanarayana

    The article is good piece of information. But it smacks of making a point or two about change of rule and some kind of procedural aspect. As is known to every commoner in India, every project in India begins in haste and the backend and front end institutions and functionalities are conceived only as after thought. Development function is not a race to Guinness book of records and it is the fundamental concept that all thinkers must be aware of. However, the real point about India Infrastructure is not one of what is the scale of financial resource/opportunity it requires / provides but how holistic the Indian experts and intelligentsia is and what they can understand about India and development paradigm. The global development history and evolution of development suggests that revolutions (Industrial Revolution, Green Revolution, Technological Revolution, Structural Shifts (Church to democracy, Imperialism to Sovereignty, Kingdoms to Republics so on and so forth) have guided the development and present status of the Globe in physical sense and Societal mental make-up and behavioral sense. These have provided treasure of lessons, pitfalls, bottle-necks, maladies, consequences etc that can guide the future development thinking. But, still the think tank and the society at large have failed to understand what development is? In the present context development could be defined as state of equilibrium among social, economic and environmental well being. This means largest possible proportion of population shall be able to live and lead dignified life which presupposes confident, healthy and secured living for all human beings (be it a district or country or the world as a whole. May be the millennium goals define this much better. But, is the Sovereign governance structures, systems, institutions, societal segments have perspectives and prescriptions with them for making development a holistic concern than a competing or competitive advantage process, like GDP growth rate etc?. Yes GDP may be an Indicator but not a goal. At best, say a research study may prove better the GDP, better the living of people and hence direct development with GDP increase as a strategy and nothing more. In the context of the present article and India the conclusion is development shall not be viewed as record of sorts, but how the development can be conceived so as to provide dignified living to largest proportion of Indian population that encompasses healthy living (Socially, economically, physically) and secured living for the life span.

    on Jun 4, 2011