Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has scrapped its earlier plan to build Tambaram metro station on Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road and will now construct it inside the Tambaram railway junction premises. The move, prompted by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), aims to ensure better multimodal integration. The new station will take over the parking lot and autorickshaw lanes near the main western entrance of the railway station, allowing smoother transfers between suburban and metro services. With more south-bound trains now originating from Tambaram and major express trains such as Tejas and Vande Bharat halting there, the railway station's footfall is expected to surge. Many of these passengers will carry heavy luggage, so walking distance to the metro should be minimal. The metro entry should ideally be close to the 450-500m foot overbridge currently being built by the railways,' said Dayanand Krishnan, a resident-activist from Tambaram. Meanwhile, CMRL finalised the site for Kilambakkam station as well. A two-level metro station will come up directly opposite the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) on vacant land. These two stations-Tambaram and Kilambakkam-will serve as key transit points on the Airport-Kilambakkam extension of Phase I, aimed at strengthening connectivity to the city's southern suburbs. The 52.94-km proposed Poonamallee-Parandur extension will pass through Chembarambakkam, Thandalam, Irungattukottai, Sriperumbudur, and Sunguvarchatram, ending at the upcoming Greenfield airport. This corridor will have 20 elevated stations and is estimated to cost ?15,906 crore. To optimise timelines and budgets, the first phase from Poonamallee to Sunguvarchatram, covering 27.90 km with 14 stations, will be taken up first at a cost of ?8,779 crore.
 

Office space leasing in India's top seven cities increased by 15% in Q1 2025, driven by demand from domestic and foreign companies. Despite some regions experiencing declines, the overall market reflects strong growth in Grade A spaces, and a continued trend towards ESG-compliant and tech-integrated workplaces. The office space leasing market in India experienced a 15% surge during the January to March 2025 quarter, reaching a total of 159 lakh sq ft, according to the latest report from real estate consultant Colliers India. This rise is attributed to increasing demand from both domestic and international corporates. Cities like Bengaluru and Chennai led this growth, posting impressive rises of 13% and 93% respectively in gross office leasing. However, areas like Hyderabad and Kolkata saw significant declines in leasing activities. The report highlights a strong preference for Grade A spaces, with corporates from technology, BFSI, and engineering sectors being the primary tenants. Industry leaders express optimism about continued growth, attributing it to economic maturing, strategic expansions of major firms, and the shift towards ESG-compliant, tech-integrated offices. The market is expected to maintain its momentum into 2025, supported by positive domestic growth prospects and policy initiatives in key states.

The new Pamban railway bridge in Tamil Nadu is expected to be inaugurated on April 6,2025, coinciding with Ram Navami. This engineering marvel, India’s first vertical lift sea bridge,will strengthen rail connectivity to Rameswaram, one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites. Significance of the Inauguration Date Ram Navami marks the birth anniversary of Lord Ram, and the bridge holds religiousimportance as Rameswaram is believed to be the site where Ram built a bridge to Lanka, as described in the Ramayana.  Modern Engineering and Enhanced Features The new 2.07 km bridge replaces the 110-year-old Pamban bridge, which was shut down in 2022 due to severe corrosion from saltwater exposure. The bridge features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span, allowing ships to pass seamlessly. Standing three metres taller than the old structure, it ensures better clearance for maritime traffic. The upgraded bridge is designed for higher durability, increased traffic capacity, and improved navigation efficiency, offering a smooth travel experience for pilgrims and tourists. The foundation stone was laid in November 2019, and construction commenced in early 2020.  Preparations for the Grand Inauguration Senior railway officials, including Southern Railway’s Additional General Manager Kaushal Kishore and Madurai Divisional Railway Manager Sharad Srivastava, recently inspected the bridge and Rameswaram railway station to oversee final preparations. While there has been no official confirmation from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), authorities have tentatively scheduled the inauguration for the second week of April. The old bridge will remain in place for now, with decisions regarding its future yet to be finalised. Boost to Tourism and Pilgrimage With over 25 lakh pilgrims visiting Rameswaram annually, the new Pamban Bridge is expected to enhance religious tourism, strengthen economic activity, and improve accessibility for both travellers and locals.

 BirlaNu (previously known as HIL) plans to invest $150 million to achieve their goal of becoming $1 billion dollar company by 2028. 
Akshat Seth, managing director and CEO of the company said, “Our focus has always been on delivering high-quality, sustainable building materials. We’ve introduced Organic Based Stabilizers (OBS) in UPVC pipe manufacturing: an industry first in India, eliminating heavy metals. We’ve doubled our AAC block capacity in Chennai to four lakh cubic meters per year, making it one of the country’s largest facilities. And marking our expansion into the home and interiors space, we intend to bring our global premium flooring brand Parador to India." The company, part of CK Birla Group, recently went under the re-branding exercise. It has 32 manufacturing facilities across India and Europe.
 

Brookfield Group subsidiary Moon Holdings (DIFC) has entered a multifaceted transaction with Supreme Infrastructure India promoter group companies BSS Property Ventures and Rajeshwar Property Ventures, said persons with direct knowledge of the development. The deal will allow the global alternative investment major to expand its commercial real estate portfolio in India that currently stands at 55 million sq ft, of which around 9 million sq ft is in the country’s financial capital. This specific transaction includes two principal components, the acquisition of majority shareholding in these Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) that have entered into a pact to get control of around 6 acres of prime land in Mumbai’s Powai locality,” said one of the persons mentioned above. This deal also includes permissible floor space index (FSI) of more than 1 lakh sq ft in favour of the SPVs. Brookfield has already invested over Rs 600 crore and is expected to invest more to build grade A office properties. Landowner Bhawanishankar Sharma has already registered two separate agreements for sale of land and the free-sale component with his two SPVs--BSS Property and Rajeshwar Property. Brookfield has been expanding its commercial real estate portfolio in Mumbai. In January, the company signed a pact with the MMRDA to invest $12 billion in various infrastructure projects across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. In February, the company emerged as the sole bidder for a plot in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) during an auction conducted by MMRDA. It recently acquired an 8% stake in Nirlon Ltd, the owner of Nirlon Knowledge Park further solidifying its presence in the city's office space market. 
 

315Work Avenue, a co-working space provider, plans to expand to two million sq ft of workspace over the next one year with an investment of around Rs 400 crore. Manas Mehrotra, founder of the company said, "The demand has gained greater traction with corporates and MNCs continuing to make a beeline to co-working spaces that have emerged as strong centres of growth." The company currently manages three million sq ft space totalling around 60,000 seats across 45 locations in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune. It wants to be present in about 10-12 cities over the next two years and touch five million sq ft in 2025.
 

Madurai corporation has collected 80% of its targeted ?310 crore in property tax for the 2024-25 financial year as of March 18. Though a total of ?251 crore collected is an improvement over last year's 77% collection, the city has slipped to the 10th position from 9th last year, among Tamil Nadu's 20 municipal corporations. However, it is the third highest in total assessments in the state, with nearly 3.48 lakh properties registered, behind Coimbatore and Greater Chennai Corporation. The 15th Central Finance Commission mandates city corporations to  achieve at least 13% growth in tax collection to get central govt grants. Corporation commissioner Chitra Vijayan told TOI that Madurai had met this target last week. The corporation had not yet resorted to cutting water supply of errant taxpayers as a coercive measure. She attributed arrears to multiple factors, primarily litigation. "Our legal team is arrears to multiple factors, primarily litigation. "Our legal team is actively pursuing these cases, but the volume remains actively pursuing these cases, but the volume remains overwhelming. We are scheduling tax appellate tribunal hearings and implementing a systematic follow-up process," However, AIADMK ward 64 councillor M Solai Raja claimed the increase in tax collection is purely due to the (2022) tax revision and not because of better enforcement. He also criticized the lack of transparency in how funds are spent. "We have been demanding a white because of better enforcement. He also criticized the lack of transparency in how funds are spent. "We have been demanding a white paper for the last two years on how the general fund is utilized, but the  mayor and corporation commissioner are yet to submit such details to the council," he said. Despite higher tax collection, he argued, civic infrastructure spending remains low.

The CBI has registered three cases related to alleged irregularities in the allotment, development and sanction of Sports City projects in Noida between 2011 and 2014 which turned into a Rs 9000-crore 'scam'.  Acting on the orders of the Allahabad High Court, the agency registered the FIRs against real estate firms Logix Infra Developers Pvt Ltd, Xanadu Estates Pvt Ltd and Lotus Green Constructions Pvt Ltd, their directors and some unnamed officials of Noida Authority, following it up with a search operation, they said. No immediate reactions were available from the companies. According to an official, the Noida Sport City Project was aimed to develop world class sport facilities with residential and commercial areas in the sector 78, 79 and 150 of Noida. It was alleged that... after the allotment of projects, the related conditions were allegedly breached multiple times by the allotees/sub-leasees, in connivance with Noida Authority officials causing suspected financial loss to the State exchequer at approximately Rs 9000 crore and undue advantage to certain developers at the State expense. The CBI has alleged the authorities took no remedial measures even after the CAG report pointed out irregularities in the massive project. In this connection, CBI conducted searches at several locations in Delhi In this connection, CBI conducted searches at several locations in Delhi evidences, etc
 

Billionaire Gautam Adani's group is in advanced talks to acquire real estate company Emaar India for an enterprise value of around USD 1.4-1.5 billion as it looks to expand its property business, according to sources. Dubai-based Emaar Properties entered to sources. Dubai-based Emaar Properties entered the Indian real estate market in 2005 in partnership with India's MGF Development and invested Rs 8,500 crore through the joint venture firm Emaar MGF Land. In April 2016, Emaar Properties decided to end the joint venture through a demerger process. Emaar India has a large portfolio of residential and commercial spaces across Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Mohali, Lucknow, Indore and Jaipur. According to sources, the talks between Dubai-based Emaar Properties and Adani Group are in an advanced stage. Adani Group and Emaar India declined to comment. In January this year, Emaar Properties said, "The company would like to confirm that it is currently in discussion with a few groups in India, including Adani Group, for a potential sale of a stake in Emaar India. The valuation and the other terms of a potential transaction are not finalised". Sources said that Emaar Properties is looking to sell stake in the Indian entity but the extent of dilution in shareholding is not decided yet. Adani Group is active in the Indian real estate market through its unlisted entities Adani Realty and Adani Properties. Adani Realty has been developing many projects across major cities in India. One of the world's largest real estate companies, Emaar has a land bank of around 1.7 billion sq ft in the UAE and key international markets. Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall are among the major projects developed by Emaar Properties.
 

In a landmark judgment, the Gujarat Real Estate Regulatory Authority (GujRERA) has granted dual status of allottee and co-promoter to existing society members in redevelopment projects, marking a significant shift in regulatory protection. The authority ruled in favour of a complainant, ordering a developer to complete the sale deed registration process while recognising the complainant's status as an allottee. Previously, RERA protection was limited to new members as original members were considered co-promoters. A senior official of GujRERA stated that the order is significant for any redevelopment project. This order extends RERA protection to existing owners in redevelopment projects," a senior GujRERA. Previously, only the existing homeowners were considered co-promoters after signing an MoU with builders, while new buyers alone held allottee status."  In this particular case, the ruling came despite respondents arguing that the complaint should be dismissed due to the member's co-promoter status. GujRERA maintained that the complaint was valid, acknowledging that the member was also an allottee. Chartered accountant Manan Doshi noted that the decision drew from Maharashtra RERA precedent. In a recent matter, Gujarat RERA determined that a complaint filed by an allottee is maintainable under the RERA Act where project registration is mandatory. It accorded the complainant the status of an allottee under the Act and accordingly entertained his grievance. 
 

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced the launch of a new scheme on Monday to empower gig workers and ensure their social security coverage. A dedicated portal will be created for all gig workers in the state, allowing them to register and connect with various government schemes and opportunities. He added that all gig workers registered on this portal will receive insurance protection, including health, accident, and life insurance. The aim of this initiative is to provide financial stability, social security, and improved working conditions for gig workers, enabling them to become more self-reliant and active contributors to Haryana's economic development. Saini, who also holds the Finance portfolio, made this statement while presenting the budget for 2025-26 in the state assembly. Haryana has set a deadline of March 31, 2025, to implement three new criminal laws, Saini informed the Assembly during his budget speech. The chief minister said that fast-track courts will be established in every district of the state to ensure the speedy trial and punishment of drug-related cases. Additionally, a centralised NDPS monitoring cell will be set up at the state level. A proposal of Rs. 10 crore has been made for the development and implementation of modern technologies, such as drones, to maintain law and order. Cyber police cells will also be established at the sub-division level in districts with a high incidence of cybercrimes, he announced. In the social welfare sector, Saini revealed that a "Divyangjan Kosh" (Fund for Differently-abled Persons) will be established in the state, with a budget provision of Rs 50 crore. Touching upon environmental matters, Saini outlined plans for the conservation and growth of rare and endangered native tree species, ensuring the protection of their gene pool. Additionally, an environmental training center will be established in Industrial Model Township, Manesar, Gurugram. To promote women's empowerment, the government has decided to build a 'Mahila Chaupal' (Women's Forum) in every village. In the first phase, 754 villages have been identified for this project. This amount will be disbursed in three instalments. Each MLA will need to submit a prioritized list of development works totaling Rs 5 crore for their constituency.
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams  return to Earth from International Space Station and said that the determination of Crew 9 will inspire millions. In a social media post on X, PM Modi said that that the mission to ISS was a test of grit, courage and boundless human spirit. "Welcome back, Crew 9! The Earth Missed you. Theirs has been a test of grit, courage and the and the boundless human spirit. Sunita Williams and the Crew 9 astronauts have once again shown us what perseverance trulu means. Their unwavering determination in the face of the vast unknown will forever inspires millions.