BW Communities

Two Decades Of Development

Anup Jayaram Nov 08, 2014

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[1991-1995 1991 <ul> <li>Industrial Policy Amend-ed. Licensing only for indu-stries related to  security and strategic concerns</li> <li>MRTP Ordinance removes restrictions on establishing new undertakings, expansions, amalgamations and takeovers </li> <li>Industrial licensing only for 18 industries  </li> <li>Trade policy amended </li> <li>Rupee devalued 20 per cent</li> <li>Telecom equipment manufacturing de-licensed </li> <li>Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 amended </li> </ul> 1992 <ul> <li>Radio paging, mobile and telephone services opened to the private sector</li> <li>MoU signed with Enron for 2,000 MW power plant </li> </ul> 1993 <ul> <li>National Mineral Policy announced</li> </ul> 1994 <ul> <li>National Telecom Policy  announced; licences for mobile services in metros</li> <li>Air Corporation Act repealed. Private operators can provide air transport services</li> </ul> 1995 <ul> <li>Mobile licences issued for 19 circles</li> <li>Mega power policy to increase investments in projects with over 1,000 MW</li> <li>Airports Authority of India constituted</li> </ul> 1996–2000 <img src="/businessworld/system/files/road_mines_450x151.jpg" style="vertical-align: middle;" width="450" height="151"> 1996 <ul> <li>Private sector allowed to set up air cargo complexes  to smoothen export of cargo</li> </ul> 1997 <ul> <li>Independent statutory regulatory body Telecom Regulatory Authority of India set up </li> <li>Automatic approval for mining investments involving foreign equity participation up to 50 per cent in mining projects, and up to 74 per cent in services incidental to mining</li> </ul> 1998 <ul> <li>National Highways Authority of India constituted by an Act of Parliament. It is responsible for the development, management and maintenance of national highways </li> <li>Golden Quadrilateral project to four-lane national highways launched</li> <li>Central Electricity Regulatory Commission set up </li> </ul> 1999 <ul> <li>New Telecom Policy (NTP '99) announced. Telecom sector migrates from a fixed licence fee regime to a revenue-sharing mechanism; validity of cellular mobile licence extended to 20 years from 15 years earlier</li> <li>First private airport opens in Kochi 2000</li> <li>Long-distance phone services opened up to private competition</li> </ul> 2001-2005 <img src="/businessworld/system/files/METRO1_airlines_450x162.jpg" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 8px;" width="450" height="162"> 2001 <ul> <li>Fourth national cellular licence issued through bids; nation-wide licence issued for Rs 1,658 crore</li> </ul> 2002 <ul> <li>Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) split into six companies—three distribution companies, one holding company, one transmission company and one generation company</li> <li>Department of Telecom Services corporatised to form Bharat Sanchar Nigam  barring Delhi, Mumbai</li> <li>Delhi Metro begins services with the Shahdara-Tri Nagar stretch</li> </ul> 2003 <ul> <li>New Electricity Act introduced; replaces Electricity Act 1910, the Electricity (Supply) Act 1948 and the Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act 1998</li> </ul> 2004 <ul> <li>FDI cap for domestic airlines hiked to 49 per cent. However, foreign airlines barred from picking direct or indirect equity</li> <li>National Broadband Policy introduced</li> <li>Work begins on North-South four-lane highway corridor </li> </ul> 2005 <ul> <li>FDI in telecom raised to 74 per cent</li> <li>National Electricity Policy introduced</li> <li>National Maritime Development Programme launched </li> </ul> 2006-2011 <img src="/businessworld/system/files/port_airport_450x156.jpg" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 8px;" width="450" height="156"> 2006 <ul> <li>Foreign direct investment allowed in the mining sector; in all non-atomic and non-fuel minerals can have FDI up to 100 per cent</li> <li>Delhi and Mumbai airports handed over to the private sector for modernisation</li> </ul> 2008 <ul> <li>22 new unified access service licences issued for mobile telecom services at Rs 1,658 crore each</li> <li>National Action Plan on Climate Change launched. This comprises eight missions including the National Solar Mission and the National Water Mission</li> <li>National Mineral Policy introduced to streamline and simplify procedures for the grant of mineral concessions</li> </ul> 2010 <ul> <li>Spectrum for the launch of 3G and broadband wireless access (BWA) services are auctioned. The Centre is richer by over Rs 105,000 crore </li> <li>Maritime Agenda 2010-20 launched. Focus on private sector in expanding port capacity</li> <li>Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi opens in time for the Commonwealth Games</li> </ul> 2011 <ul> <li>Cargo movement at Indian ports exceeds 1 billion tonnes for the first time ever</li> </ul> (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 22-08-2011)