Union Cabinet approves metro rail projects in Pune, Thane, Bengaluru
New Delhi, Aug 16: The Union Cabinet on Friday approved metro rail projects in Pune and Thane in assembly poll-bound Maharashtra, and in Karnartaka capital Bengaluru.
The Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved two corridors of the Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase-3, according to Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In a statement, the government said the Cabinet has also approved the Swargate-to-Katraj Underground Line Extension of the existing PCMC-Swargate Metro Line of the Pune Metro Phase-I project.
This new extension is known as the Line-1 B extension and will span 5.46 km. It will have three underground stations and connect key areas such as Market Yard, Bibwewadi, Balaji Nagar and the Katraj suburbs of Pune, the statement said.
"The project, aimed at providing seamless connectivity in Pune, is set to be completed by February 2029. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,954.53 crore, with funding to be equally shared by the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra, along with contributions from bilateral agencies, etc," it said.
The statement said the Union Cabinet also approved the Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail Project Corridor. The 29-km corridor will run along the periphery of the west side of Thane city with 22 stations.
The network is encompassed by the Ulhas river on one side and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park on the other, it said.
This will provide sustainable and efficient mode of transport, facilitating the city to realise its economic potential and ease traffic congestion. The project is also expected to contribute to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the statement said.
"The estimated cost of the project is Rs 12,200.10 crore, with equal equity from Government of India and Government of Maharashtra as well as part-funding from bilateral agencies," it said.
"Funds would also be raised through innovative financing methods such as by selling station naming and access rights for corporate, monetisation of assets, and value capture financing route," the statement said.
The approval for the metro projects in Thane and Pune comes a few months ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, the poll dates for which are yet to be announced.
On the approval of two corridors of the Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase-3, the government said the total completion cost of the project is Rs 15,611 crore.
"The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today approved the Phase-3 of Bangalore Metro Rail Project with two elevated corridors for a length of 44.65 Km with 31 stations," the statement said.
"Corridor-1 from JP Nagar 4thPhase to Kempapura (along Outer Ring Road West) for a length of 32.15 km with 22 stations and Corridor-2 from Hosahalli to Kadabagere (along Magadi Road) for a length of 12.50 km with 9 stations. On operationalisation of Phase-3, Bengaluru city will have 220.20 km of active metro rail Network," statement said.
The Phase-3 of Bangalore Metro Rail Project represents a significant advancement in the city's infrastructure development. The Phase-3 acts as a major expansion of the metro rail network in the city, it said.
Phase-3 will add approximately 44.65 km of new metro lines, connecting the western part of Bengaluru that were previously underserved, it stated.
"Phase-3 will integrate key areas of the city which includes Peenya Industrial Area, IT industries on Bannerghatta road and Outer Ring Road, Textile and Engineering items Manufacturing units on Tumkuru Road and ORR, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Major educational institutions like PES University, Ambedkar College, Polytechnic College, KLE College, Dayanandsagar University, ITI etc," the statement said.
Improved last-mile connectivity to commercial centres, industrial hubs, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities will facilitate better access for residents, it also added.
Happy to announce that the Union Cabinet has approved Phase-3 of the Bangalore Metro Rail Project.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) August 16, 2024
Bengaluru is set to elevate its connectivity with two new corridors spanning 44.65 km and 31 stations. This ₹15,611 crore investment will connect our city's industrial and IT… pic.twitter.com/xQwRPtZ3aE
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
