Maharatna CPSE and leading NBFC under the Ministry of Power, REC Ltd, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Rajasthan, to finance projects across power and non-power infrastructure sectors. Under this agreement, REC will provide loans of up to ₹20,000 crore annually for the next six years to various departments, undertakings, institutions and schemes of the Government of Rajasthan.
With this MoU, there is expected to be a rapid increase in projects related to the state’s infrastructure sector, such as power projects, metros, roads and highways, airports, IT infrastructure, oil refinery, steel infrastructure, ports & waterways, fiber optics, telecom, health sector, tourism infrastructure, agriculture and other infra projects. This collaboration underscores REC’s commitment to supporting the development of both power and non-power infrastructure in Rajasthan, thereby contributing to the state’s economic growth and prosperity, the ministry said in a press release.
The MoU was signed in Jaipur on Sunday in the presence of Chief Minister of Rajasthan Bhajan Lal Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, Minister of State for Energy, Government of Rajasthan, Heera Lal Naagar, Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan, Sudhansh Pant, Union Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena, CMD, REC, Vivek Kumar Dewangan and CMDs of NTPC, Powergrid, NLC India, and Director, Coal India.
Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy RK Singh and Union Minister for Coal Prahlad Joshi addressed the ceremony via video conference and extended their best wishes for the initiatives undertaken by the Government of Rajasthan.
Speaking about the agreement, CMD, REC, Vivek Kumar Dewangan said: “We are proud to collaborate with the Government of Rajasthan in its mission to enhance infrastructure development across the state. Through this partnership, we aim to support sustainable growth and address the evolving energy needs of the region, along with development of other infrastructure sectors.”
On the occasion, MoUs worth ₹1.6 lakh crore were signed with the Government of Rajasthan, by Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) under the Ministry of Power and Ministry of Coal. These agreements marked a substantial commitment towards bolstering infrastructure development and driving economic growth in the region, the ministry said.
REC finances the entire power infrastructure sector comprising Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Renewable Energy and new technologies like Electric Vehicles, Battery Storage, Pumped Storage Projects, Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia projects. Recently, REC has also diversified into the non-power infrastructure sector comprising Roads & Expressways, Metro Rail, Airports, IT Communication, Social and Commercial Infrastructure (Educational Institution, Hospitals), Ports and Electro-Mechanical (E&M) works in respect of various other sectors like Steel and Refinery.
REC provides loans of various maturities to state, Central and private companies for creation of infrastructure assets in the country. REC continues to play a key strategic role in the flagship schemes of the government for the power sector and has been a nodal agency for Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGAYA), Deen Dayal Upadhaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), National Electricity Fund (NEF) scheme which resulted in strengthening of last-mile distribution system, 100% village electrification and household electrification in the country. REC has also been made the nodal agency for certain states and Union Territories for the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). The loan book of REC stands at ₹4.97 Lakh crore and net worth at ₹64,787 crore as on 31st December, 2023, it added.
