The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved two multi-tracking railway projects worth Rs 24,815 crore covering Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, aimed at easing congestion and boosting freight and passenger movement, a government release said.The two projects–Ghaziabad-Sitapur 3rd and 4th line, and Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu)-Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) 3rd and 4th line–are targeted for completion by 2030-31. Together, they will add about 601 km to the Indian Railways network.“The increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways,” the release said.The projects, planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, will cover 15 districts across the two states and seek to improve multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency.The Ghaziabad-Sitapur project spans 403 km with a track length of 859 km and an estimated cost of Rs 14,926 crore. It passes through key districts including Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur and Sitapur. Six new stations are proposed on bypass sections to decongest busy nodes.The Rajahmundry-Visakhapatnam project covers 198 km with a track length of 458 km at a cost of Rs 9,889 crore. It will improve connectivity to ports such as Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Machilipatnam and Kakinada.The government said the projects would improve access to tourist destinations including Dudheshwarnath Temple, Garhmukteshwar Ganga Ghat, Naimisharanya, Annavaram, Antarvedi and Draksharamam.The two projects are expected to lower logistics costs, generate employment, and reduce carbon emissions by 180.31 crore kg — equivalent to planting 7.33 crore trees, it added.

Mumbai: ICICI Bank reported a net profit of Rs 13,701.7 crore for the quarter ended Mar 31, 2026, up 8.5% from Rs 12,629.6 crore in the year-ago period following an improvement in asset quality. The full-year net profit for FY26 rose 6.2% to Rs 50,146.6 crore from Rs 47,227.0 crore in FY25.Interest income for the quarter increased 2.0% to Rs 43,275.4 crore from Rs 42,430.8 crore, while other income rose 0.7% to Rs 7,309.0 crore from Rs 7,260.1 crore, taking total income to Rs 50,584.4 crore compared with Rs 49,690.9 crore a year earlier. Interest expenses declined 4.4% to Rs 20,296.3 crore from Rs 21,237.9 crore, resulting in net interest income of Rs 22,979.1 crore compared with Rs 21,192.9 crore, an increase of 8.4%.Operating expenses rose 12.1% to Rs 12,089.0 crore from Rs 10,788.8 crore, leading to total expenditure excluding provisions of Rs 32,385.3 crore against Rs 32,026.6 crore in the corresponding quarter. Operating profit increased 3.0% to Rs 18,199.1 crore from Rs 17,664.3 crore. Provisions declined sharply by 89.2% to Rs 96.2 crore from Rs 890.7 crore, supporting profit before tax, which rose 7.9% to Rs 18,103.0 crore from Rs 16,773.6 crore. Tax expenses increased to Rs 4,401.3 crore from Rs 4,144.0 crore.On the balance sheet, deposits increased 11.4% to Rs 17,94,625.0 crore at end-Mar 2026 from Rs 16,10,348.0 crore a year earlier, while advances rose 15.8% to Rs 15,53,893.0 crore from Rs 13,41,766.2 crore. Total assets grew 12.0% to Rs 23,72,531.0 crore from Rs 21,18,240.0 crore.Asset quality improved during the quarter, with gross non-performing assets declining to Rs 23,051.9 crore from Rs 24,166.2 crore a year earlier. The gross NPA ratio improved to 1.40% from 1.67%, while the net NPA ratio declined to 0.33% from 0.39%.Capital adequacy ratio stood at 17.18% compared with 16.55% a year earlier, while return on assets was 2.40% against 2.52% in the corresponding period.For FY26, total income increased to Rs 2,00,703.7 crore from Rs 1,91,770.5 crore in FY25, while interest income rose to Rs 1,69,946.1 crore from Rs 1,63,263.8 crore. Interest expenses were broadly stable at Rs 81,870.9 crore compared with Rs 82,099.3 crore, supporting net interest income growth. Operating expenses rose to Rs 47,234.0 crore from Rs 42,372.3 crore, while provisions increased to Rs 5,380.4 crore from Rs 4,682.6 crore. Operating profit rose to Rs 71,598.9 crore from Rs 67,298.8 crore.The increase in quarterly profit was supported by lower provisions, while income growth remained moderate and operating expenses increased. Full-year profit growth reflected higher operating profit and stable credit costs. Asset quality improved with lower NPAs, supporting earnings during the period.