India's economic engine is revving up, but navigating the global headwinds requires sharp strategy. The rupee's recent volatility against the dollar underscores the complexities facing Indian businesses, impacting everything from import-export trade to domestic inflation. This week alone, we've seen significant shifts in the IT sector, with major players announcing restructuring and a renewed focus on AI-driven solutions. Meanwhile, the burgeoning startup ecosystem continues to attract substantial funding, despite a cautious global investor sentiment. The government's recent policy announcements on infrastructure development and digitalization are poised to further shape the business landscape, creating both opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs and established corporations alike. Understanding these market dynamics is crucial for success in today's rapidly evolving Indian economy. Stay informed with Abtak.com for the latest insights and analysis on key sectors including finance, manufacturing, and technology – empowering your business decisions in a dynamic market. Explore the complete business news section now to stay ahead of the curve.
Vande Bharat train latest update: Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli-based Modern Coach Factory (MCF) has manufactured its first Vande Bharat Express train. With this, three Indian Railways production units are now producing the semi-high-speed trains. These are: the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala and the Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli. Vande Bharat train production This new-generation train has been designed and built indigenously by the ICF in Chennai. However, to meet rising demand, the Ministry of Railways has decided to ramp up production by manufacturing these trainsets at its other production units as well. Also Read | Punjab's Rail Coach Factory manufactures its 1st Vande Bharat train, trial run to begin soon Vande Bharat train made in UP Speaking to IndianExpress.com, a senior MCF official said the Vande Bharat train manufactured at the factory features several improvements. He added that the trial run of this semi-high-speed train will begin soon. "The trial run of the newly built Vande Bharat train will commence shortly," he said. Key features of Modern Coach Factory's Vande Bharat train * Rake Composition: 16 coaches * No locomotives required * No reversal requirement at terminals * Starting acceleration 0.7m/sec2 * Time to reach 160 kmph - 140 sec * Quicker acceleration * 50 per cent powered axles every alternate coach powered * Deceleration 0.8 m/sec2 * Maximum speed - 160 kmph * Test speed - 180 kmph * Maximum Axle load capacity - 17T * Fully suspended traction motors Since 2018, a total of 97 Vande Bharat chair car trains have been manufactured. All of these have been manufactured at the ICF, Chennai. At present, the Vande Bharat Express operates with three different coach configurations, comprising 8, 16 and 20 coaches.
Katra (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 7 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Minister Satish Sharma on Friday said that the railway bridge over the Chenab river, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was a long-pending project and demand. The Minister said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are development-oriented and that the much-awaited project would boost tourism. Speaking to ANI about the Chenab rail bridge inauguration, Sharma said a day earlier, 'Today, the Kashmir valley has been connected with the rest of the nation. This was a long-pending project and demand. I congratulate Prime M ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jul 19 (PTI) Hockey India on Saturday announced a 40-member core probable group for the upcoming senior women's national coaching camp, which will be held at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre here from July 21 to August 29. The camp holds significant importance as the Indian women's hockey team gears up for the women's Asia Cup, set to begin on September 5 in Hangzhou, China. The tournament will serve as a direct qualification pathway for the 2026 FIH Women's World Cup, with only the champion earning a guaranteed spot. All players from the previous camp have been retaine ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Union Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Coal minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday, July 19, inspected the ongoing construction of the Rail Coach Factory and Railway Manufacturing Unit in Kazipet, Warangal district. The ministers expressed satisfaction with the progress of the work, which they said "is fulfilling a long-standing aspiration of the people of Warangal." Speaking to the media after the inspection, Union Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the mega rail coach factory in Kazipet is being built at a rapid pace. "Production of railway coaches in Kazipet ...Read More >
Moradabad (UP), Aug 1 (PTI) The Moradabad district administration has cancelled the allotment of a government bungalow granted to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Samajwadi Party (SP) has been asked to vacate the premises within 30 days. The bungalow, located in the posh Civil Lines area near the Police Training College (PTC II), was allotted to the SP patriarch 31 years ago. Spread across nearly 1,000 square meters on Nazul land, the property serves as the local SP office. District Magistrate Anuj Singh said the property is needed for housing officers and other ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate a series of monumental infrastructure projects, including Chenab Bridge - the world's highest railway bridge and flag off the much-awaited Vande Bharat Express train from Katra to Srinagar. Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information & Publicity of the Railway Board hailed the occasion as one of the most historic milestones since India's independence. "On this historic day, by the grace of Mata Vaishno Devi, PM Modi is dedicating to the nation a project that is being discussed across the world. If we look ...Read More >
New Delhi (India) June 30 (ANI): In a move aimed at streamlining fare structures and enhancing the financial sustainability of passenger services, the Ministry of Railways has rationalised the basic fare of Passenger train services, effective from 01 July 2025. The revised fares are based on the updated Passenger Fare Table issued by the Indian Railway Conference Association (IRCA), the railways said in a release. As per the release, no change in Suburban single journey fares and Season Tickets (for both suburban and non-suburban routes). The fare hike varies across different classes and tra ...Read More >
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said indigenously made 150 Vandebharat trains are slated for export with the first train set already flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. More railway rolling stock, including metro coaches, are getting export orders and the upcoming ₹521.26 crore mega Kazipet Railway Manufacturing Unit is going to play a key role once it is commissioned in 2026, he told the media at the factory site on Saturday (July 19, 2025). What will be manufactured the ...Read More >
Guwahati: Work on the second Saraighat rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra in Guwahati will start soon, with tenders to be opened next month, followed by work allotment, officials said on Saturday.While this major infrastructure project was sanctioned during the FY 2023-24 with an estimated cost of Rs 1,473.77 crore, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on Saturday said the bridge is targeted for completion by Dec 2029. This bridge at Saraighat has been sanctioned as part of the doubling of the Agthori-Kamakhya railway line under NFR."The geotechnical investigations have been completed for t ...Read More >
New Delhi, August 3: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said that India's first bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will commence operations "very soon," and it will reduce travel time between the two cities to just 2 hours and 7 minutes. Talking to reporters at the Bhavnagar terminus in Gujarat, after virtually flagging off three trains: the Ayodhya Express, Rewa-Pune Express, and Jabalpur-Raipur Express, Vaishnaw stated that the bullet train project is moving quickly. Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) will be connected to major cities of Gujarat, such as Vapi, Surat, Vadoda ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a major boost to connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, regular services of the Vande Bharat Express between Srinagar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra commence on Saturday. The Northern Railway has confirmed that the semi-high-speed trains will operate six days a week, significantly reducing the travel time between Kashmir Valley and the prominent pilgrimage hub in Katra. This development marks a transformative step in the region's transport infrastructure. The new Vande Bharat service will cut the travel time between Srinagar and Katra to just three hours, ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Based on the positive outcome of experimental installation of CCTV cameras in passenger coaches, Railways has decided to install CCTV cameras in all coaches, according to a press release from the Ministry of Railways on Sunday. "This move will significantly improve passenger safety. Miscreants and organised gangs take advantage of gullible passengers. With cameras, such incidents will significantly reduce. To preserve privacy of passengers, CCTV cameras will be installed in the common movement area near the doors." Also Read | Chennai Power Cut on July 15: S ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) Two people died and four others were injured after a fire broke out at a house in east Delhi's Old Govindpura area on Tuesday evening, an official said. Police have identified the deceased as Tanveer (28) and Nusrat. A call was received at Jagatpuri police station at 8.46 pm regarding a fire incident at Band Gali, Old Govindpura, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said. When a police team reached the spot, it found that 10 people were trapped inside a residential building that caught fire, the DCP said. With the help of police personnel and fir ...Read More >
New Delhi, The loco pilots union has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to refer their dispute with the rail administration over rest hours to the lower house's Petition Committee, and warned of a nationwide strike if the issue is not resolved. The All India Loco Running Staff Association and the rail administration have locked horns over clubbing weekly rest hours with daily rest hours. However, the Railway Ministry said that, of late, it has created several amenities for loco p ...Read More >
Guwahati, The construction of a second rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra at Saraighat in Guwahati is expected to commence soon, an official said on Saturday. The tender is likely to be finalised shortly, and construction work will start immediately after it, he said. This second bridge at Saraighat was sanctioned as part of the doubling of the Agthori-Kamakhya railway line under Northeast Frontier Railway . It was sanctioned in 2023-24 with an estimate of ₹1,473.77 crore, and is targ ...Read More >
The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is a long-term project by the Indian Railways aimed at transforming more than 1,300 railway stations across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is inaugurating 103 redeveloped Amrit stations across India on Thursday via video conferencing from Bikaner. The redeveloped stations are spread across 86 districts in 18 States and Union Territories and have been built at a cumulative cost of over Rs 1,100 crore, according to a release by the ministry of railways. ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Former head of Air India and chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani is the new Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) director. The official order for his appointment was issued on Wednesday. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME), Lohani is known for turning around various organisations during his illustrious career. Following his retirement from IRSME service, he joined the GMR Group as the CEO. According to the order dated June 4, his appointment to the post of director, Prime Ministers Museum and Library in the rank and pa ...Read More >
Samastipur (Bihar) [India], July 8 (ANI): In a continued effort to modernise and upgrade railway infrastructure in Bihar, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday laid the foundation stone and inaugurated several key projects worth Rs 17.30 crore at Karpoorigram Station under the Samastipur division. At the outset, Vaishnaw inspected the Digha Bridge Halt and thoroughly reviewed passenger amenities, safety, cleanliness, platform condition, drinking water, lighting, and security arrangements, according to a statement from the Ministry of Railways. He directed officials to work t ...Read More >
Katra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, inaugurating an alternative all-weather transportation system for Kashmir by connecting the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link with the national railway network. The train will commence commercial operations from Saturday, allowing passengers to travel in the two pairs between Srinagar and Katra except on Wednesdays. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail project in the tough Himalayan terrain has been referred to as a marvel. It is expected to be a game changer in the development of the mount ...Read More >
Officials say the train will help the troubled region, but many Kashmiris see it as a tool to entrench the Indian government's control. After decades of highly complex engineering work and billions of dollars in investment, India has finally connected the Himalayan region of Kashmir by rail to the rest of the country. The train link, which was officially inaugurated on Friday, fulfilled a dream dating back to the British colonial era. Indian officials called it a transformative leap for the res ...Read More >
Katra (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 7 (ANI): The first Vande Bharat Express train on the Katra-Srinagar route began its journey on Saturday morning, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged it off from Katra Railway Station. Passengers were seen gathering excitedly to board the train for the inaugural ride. Also Read | Bihar Police Constable Recruitment 2025: CSBC Rejects 33,042 Applications for Post of Police Constable, Know Reasons Here. Sheetal, one of the passengers, told ANI, " It's a great thrill and will be a good experience for us that Modi ji paved the way for us to vis ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: In a significant development, Indian Railways has proposed to prepare and release the reservation chart eight hours before a train's departure, replacing the current practice of releasing the chart four hours before departure. This new timeline is expected to come into effect from 1st July this year. The decision follows a series of meetings between railway officials and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, aimed at improving convenience for passengers, particularly those holding waitlisted tickets. Confirming the development to this newspaper, a senior railway official said on Sun ...Read More >
The Indian government has announced a 375km rail network expansion, aimed at enhancing economic growth and connectivity in North Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. With a total cost of approximately Rs79.27bn ($1.05bn), these projects are aimed to be completed within four years. Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, detailed the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs' approval of three railway infrastructure projects. The projects include the Jalgaon-Manmad fourth line (160 km), Bhusawal-Khandwa third and fourth lines (131km), and the Prayagraj (Iradatganj)-Manikpur thir ...Read More >
Credit: AP | The Vande Bharat Express train arrives at Srinagar railway station during a trial run ahead of its inauguration, which will connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India, on the outskirts of Srinagar Katra to Srinagar Vande Bharat Express: The upcoming Katra to Srinagar Vande Bharat Express is set to revolutionise travel in Jammu and Kashmir. This semi-high-speed train service will offer faster, more efficient connectivity between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) and Srinagar, reducing the travel time drastically compared to road journeys. The Vande Bharat Express will co ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday described the Chenab Bridge built on the Jammu and Srinagar railway line as an engineering marvel, saying that it has been designed to tackle winds up to 260 kilometres per hour and falls in Seismic Zone 5. Talking to reporters about the unique features of the bridge, the Union Minister said its design is very complicated and its foundation is equal to half a football field. About 30,000 tonnes of steel have been used to build this bridge, which is now touted as the world's highest railway arch bridge. Prime Mini ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 1: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched on Tuesday the RailOne mobile application, which can help passengers get easy access to multiple services such as ticket booking, train and PNR enquiry, journey planning, rail help services and meal booking. Vaishnaw inaugurated the app, available on both Android Play Store and iOS App Store platforms, at the 40th Foundation Day celebrations of the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). "RailOne App is a one-stop solution for all passenger needs. Through this app, passengers get easy access to the following services: Ticket ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) The Ministry of Railways has decided to prepare reservation charts for long-distance trains eight hours in advance, instead of the current four hours, to help passengers travelling from remote locations plan their journeys better. The decision was taken during a recent review meeting chaired by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, a statement issued by the ministry said. Also Read | Kolkata Fatafat Result Today: Kolkata FF Result for June 30, 2025 Declared, Check Winning Numbers and Result Chart of Satta Matka-Type Lottery Game. Under Vaishnaw's guidance, officials are ...Read More >
Srinagar- Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has written to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, requesting an enhancement of Vande Bharat train services in the Union Territory. The demands include increasing the frequency of the trains, augmenting coach capacity, rescheduling timings for better public convenience, and providing onboard internet connectivity. In a letter sent last week, Omar Abdullah welcomed the recent launch of the Vande Bharat Express between Katra and Srinagar, describing it as a "landmark initiative" that has brought modern, comfortable, and time-efficient travel to the pe ...Read More >
Hyderabad, Jul 19 (PTI) India's electronics exports have soared past USD 40 billion, marking an eight-fold growth during the last 11 years, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday. He also highlighted that the domestic electronics production has gone up by six times. Addressing the 14th Convocation of IIT Hyderabad, near here, Vaishnaw also emphasised the rapid progress of India's first bullet train project, which is expected to become operational by August or September 2027. Looking ahead, Vaishnaw said the first Made in India semiconductor chip, on a commercial scale, will be man ...Read More >
A visually animated video showing three high-speed trains seamlessly crossing paths at a railway junction has gone viral across social media platforms. The video, often shared with patriotic captions, has been widely mistaken for real footage showcasing India's railway capabilites, with some users attributing it to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's leadership. However, the clip is entirely computer-generated. The animation depicts an elaborate X-shaped junction where three trains pass each ot ...Read More >