INFORM: Infrastructure, Projects & Finance – October 2025

In our latest edition, we have shared the trends shaping the infrastructure landscape and key developments in projects and finance, with certain case laws highlighting the judicial perspective.

Case laws:

• Supreme Court: Absence of JV Agreement Not a Ground for Disqualification Unless
  Explicitly Required in NIT
• NH Act: Scope of Reference to Civil Court under Section 3H (4)
• OTS Not a Matter of Right: Mandatory Upfront Payment a Precondition for
  Consideration of Application
• Sanctity of Tender Process Prevails: No Alteration of BOQ Once Financial Bids Open
• NCLAT Reaffirms Mandatory Admission of Section 7 IBC Applications Upon Proof of
  Debt and Default
• Supreme Court Reaffirms: Right of Redemption Ends Once Auction Notice Is
  Published under SARFAESI Act

Quick Reads:

• Two-Year Extension Granted for Solar PLI Scheme Commissioning
• India’s Roads Get Smarter: AI Could Spot Potholes Before They Exist
• MoRTH Seeks States’ Feedback on Highway and Urban Mobility Policies

Notifications/Circulars:

• Strengthening Transparency in Bidding: NHAI Issues Guidelines for Pre-Bid Query
  Responses
• MoRTH Issues Guidelines to Streamline Arbitration Timeline Extensions in Highway
  Projects
• Strengthening Utility Shifting Framework: NHAI’s Revised Policy on Reimbursement
  of Statutory and Ancillary Charges
• Streamlining Qualification Criteria: NHAI Issues SOP on Experience Certificates for
  Similar Completed Works
• Revising the Linking Factor: NHAI Updates WPI Conversion Method for Toll Projects
• Strengthening Highway Project Delivery: NHAI Tightens RFP Provisions
• Enhancing Highway User Experience: NHAI Introduces QR Code Sign Boards and
  Horizontal Pavement Signs
• NHAI Clarifies Timing of Change in Law Payments for EPC Costs under HAM
  Projects
• Standardizing Highway Signages: NHAI Issues Guidelines on Trilingual Formats for
  Advance Direction Signs
• Draft Coal Exchange Rules, 2025: A Step Toward Competitive Coal Markets
• National Policy on Geothermal Energy, 2025: Unlocking India’s Untapped Heat Resources
• Projects
• Raising the Bar: NHAI Revises Qualification Criteria for EPC Projects