Navi Mumbai: The much-anticipated inauguration of Navi Mumbai International Airport will not take place on September 30, as previously announced, with Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik confirming that the ceremony has been Delayed, ending weeks of speculation over whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would unveil the project this month.

According to reports, the inauguration of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), originally set for September 30, has been postponed due to heavy rainfall affecting the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and the Konkan area.

Officials cited loose soil and muck on roads leading to the airport in Ulwe as obstacles for visitor access, prompting the Prime Minister’s Office to inform the state government of the delay in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. This event was to coincide with the inauguration of the final phase of the Mumbai Metro 3 line, which may also have been rescheduled, according to reports.

Political discussions have arisen over the proposed naming of the airport after activist D B Patil, with support from local communities, particularly Agri-Koli. Local BJP leaders express concern over the delay in naming, and the airport’s inauguration date remains uncertain amid these debates.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Naik said, “I can assure you that it will bear the name of late D B Patil once the Centre grants its approval.” He added that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had already given his consent to the proposal to name the airport after Patil, a social activist who had advocated farmers’ rights.

Despite this delay, preparations for the operational launch of NMIA are progressing. Air India recently announced plans to initiate commercial operations, joining IndiGo and Akasa Air in committing to the new airport. Air India Express is set to operate 20 daily flights connecting 15 Indian cities during the initial phase, with plans to scale up to 55 daily departures, including up to five international routes, by mid-2026. Air India Chief Executive Campbell Wilson expressed excitement about NMIA’s potential as a major global transit hub for passengers and cargo.

Central Railway is enhancing suburban rail services on the Nerul/Belapur-Uran corridor by increasing daily services by 50% to improve access to NMIA. Two new stations are being added to connect with the airport.

Mumbai, Sep 24: The Indian benchmark indices opened marginally lower on Wednesday, on the back of weak global cues, with broad-based selling across all sectors, except PSU bank.

As of 9.21 am, the Sensex was down 289 points, or 0.35 per cent at 81,813 and the Nifty was down 87 points, or 0.35 per cent at 25,082.

Investor sentiments were weighed down by comments from US Fed Chair Jerome Powell about stagflation risks and elevated asset prices. Additionally, the impact of US visa curbs, ongoing foreign outflows, and persistent valuation concerns in domestic markets acted as headwinds for the stock exchanges.

The broad cap indices Nifty Midcap 100 dipped 0.45 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 lost 0.20 per cent.

Trent, SBI, Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki, and ONGC are among the major gainers on the Nifty pack, while losers include Hero MotoCorp, Titan Company, Tech Mahindra, Tata Motors, ICICI Bank.

Among sectoral indices, Nifty Auto, the top loser, lost 0.71 per cent. Nifty IT (down 0.66 per cent) and Nifty Consumer durables (down 0.70 per cent) also weighed down on the indices. All other sectoral indices were trading in the red except PSU Bank which gained 0.37 per cent.

Analysts said that the global market is fraught with concern due to the elevated asset prices. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell hinted that the prices of assets, including stocks, gold, silver, and bitcoin, are currently high. He also reiterated the risks to inflation and employment, indicating that the Federal Reserve’s policy will be difficult to navigate in the future.

In India, even though the Nifty is around 4 per cent down from the September 2024 peak, valuations continue to be higher than the long-term averages. But these valuations will become justifiable when the earnings growth picks up, hopefully in FY27, they said.

The US markets ended in the red zone overnight, as Nasdaq dipped 0.95 per cent, the S&P 500 dropped 0.55 per cent, and the Dow lost 0.19 per cent in the last trading session.

Most of the Asian markets were trading in the green during the morning session. While China’s Shanghai index edged up 0.45 per cent, and Shenzhen advanced 0.92 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei dipped 0.43 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.74 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi lost 1.21 per cent.

On Tuesday, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 3,551 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) were net buyers of equities worth Rs 2,671 crore.

Zeenat Shabrin has made history by becoming the first woman elected as president of the Mumbai Youth Congress. She secured the highest number of votes—10,076 in a fiercely contested election.

Following the directive of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Youth Congress office-bearers are now elected rather than nominated. Nine candidates contested the Mumbai Youth Congress presidential election, with voting held between May 16 and June 17. Zeenat’s victory marks a significant milestone for women’s representation in the organization.

A highly educated and socially active leader, Zeenat has been involved in social movements since her school days, campaigning for human rights and animal welfare. After joining the Youth Congress, she consistently raised her voice on youth-related issues and organized agitations for their welfare.

After her win, Zeenat said, “The Indian Youth Congress has given me, a person from a non-political background, a platform. I wholeheartedly thank the Indian National Congress, Mumbai Congress, Maharashtra Congress, and the Mumbai Youth Congress family for their guidance and trust. I eagerly look forward to working with the new committee. We will strive to become the voice of the youth of Mumbai.”

She further added that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Indian Youth Congress National President Uday Bhan Chimb, the Youth Congress will continue to strengthen the organisation while safeguarding democracy and the Constitution.