The current announcement by Road Transport, Highways and MSME’s Minister Nitin Gadkari brings in positivity in terms of the official recognition by the government. The prospective of ropeways for purposes of de-congestion as properly as final mile connectivity, for each man and material has come to the fore. Ropeways have usually been viewed as a remedy for inaccessible regions, so with this amendment, the scope for ropeway projects in India is anticipated to get widened in the future.
Under Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign, the prevalent nearby players would be in a far better position to get more possibilities rather than foreign players. Ropeways have been constructed due to the fact a really extended time by Indian corporations, and have proved to be secure and trustworthy, regardless of not getting the favourable contracts like foreign players realize from the government. The Indian ropeway business has been considerably ignored in the previous, and Indian players are eagerly hoping that Mr. Nitin Gadkari will alter these unfair contractual terms, leveling the playing field for Indian players and assisting the homegrown firms be competitive on a worldwide scale.
Ropeways soon after getting brought beneath the ambit of Ministry of Highways, would be in a position to derive some ease in terms of the quantity and gestation periods of clearances and licenses necessary, if this is granted officially, the work on ropeways will speed up, producing India a tourist-friendly and logistically mature international location.
Some well-known demands from homegrown players of the ropeway business are- GST on ropeways should really be lowered drastically. It stands at present at 18% which serves as a important deterrent, which is greater than that on air travel. Ropeways cater to all strata of society, and should really be offered the exact same remedy as base railway fares, which are not taxed for these purposes (2nd class), and are at 5% with input tax credit for AC and very first class.
Ropeways are taken as a mode of transportation seriously only by nations which are environmentally conscious.It is very prudent of Indian government to direct their focus towards it. They are a time-saving mode of transport, and can be a game changer for the metros which are corporate hubs. Ropeways will also enhance the stature of Tier II-III cities & remote areas by providing impetus to the current company activities and tourism.
(The author is Managing Director, Damodar Ropeways & Infra Limited. Views expressed are individual and do not reflect the position or policy of the TheSpuzz Online.)