The Infrastructure Finance Secretariat (IFS) in the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance (MoF), organised a two-day workshop in hybrid mode on 26^th -27^th February,2024, in New Delhi.

The workshop sensitised stakeholders from water and sanitation sectoron structuring PPP projects by using the web-based PPP structuring toolkit. The workshop was attended by more than 70 representatives of Centre and State/UT Governments departments and private players and consultants.

Water andsanitation(W&S) is one of the prominent sectors where PPPs are the need of the hour. ‘PPP Structuring Toolkit’ is one among the initiatives that IFS has taken to support the Project Sponsoring Authorities (PSAs) and other stakeholders to structure their projects with objectivity and to boost private sector investment in the country.

This workshop, which is the third in a series catering to water and sanitation sector, was inaugurated by Shri Baldeo Purushartha, Joint Secretary, Infrastructure Support & Development (ISD) Division, DEA, MoF.

Shri Purushartha highlighted the importance of infrastructure and the need for creating a shelf of viable infrastructure projects to take India on a higher growth trajectory and further encouraged the participants to structure PPP projects in water and sanitation sector.

The workshop included sessions on demonstration of toolkit and further included hands-on sessions understanding of tools developed for evaluating projects in Water and Sanitation sector.

Ms. Preeti Jain, Director, DEA, highlighted how infrastructure development contributes to GDP growth and also stressed the necessity of appropriately structuring PPP projects due to their inherent complexities.

The workshop familiarised participants with the toolkit's overview and objectives through the case studies for practical understanding, detailing its five integral tools: -

• Suitability Filter
• Family Indicator Tool
• Mode Validation Tool
• Financial Viability Indicator, and
• Value for Money Indicator tool

The IFS also showcased the ‘Contingent Liability Toolkit’, which gives a hands-on approach to the PSAs for estimating probable pay-outs of the PSA due to occurrence of various contingencies.

The workshop witnessed active participation from officials representing Central Ministries/Departments, various State/UT Governments especially from Urban Local Bodies and stakeholders from other agencies dealing in W&S sector.

PPP project structuring toolkit guides objective assessment and structuring to mobilise private investment in water and sanitation. The IFS workshop introduced a web based PPP Project Structuring Toolkit for the water and sanitation sector, designed to enable objective structuring and assessment of bankable PPPs using five analytical modules-Suitability Filter, Family Indicator Tool, Mode Validation Tool, Financial Viability Indicator and Value for Money Indicator-and a Contingent Liability Toolkit to estimate probable PSA pay outs from contractual contingencies.