Business
Indian Railways promises an even better Vande Bharat 2.0 edition

The Ministry of Railways has been making constant efforts to make India’s first semi-high speed train, Vande Bharat better.
The project, which was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been the dream of the government and the Railways.
So far, 6 Vande Bharat trains are running, with the sixth one flagged off by Modi on December 11, 2022 to run from Nagpur to Bilaspur. The flag off was done at Nagpur railway station in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
According to information received, another Vande Bharat train is set to run from Kolkata’s Howrah station to Jalpaiguri at the end of the year, for which the Railways has started preparations.
As per the plan, the first five Vande Bharat trains have been running between New Delhi to Varanasi, New Delhi to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Gandhinagar to Mumbai, New Delhi to Ahmedabad and Chennai to Mysuru.
According to the Railway Ministry, vibration tests of the new train are underway at a speed of 115 km per hour to 180 km per hour.
Simultaneously, the Emergency Braking Distance (EBD) at 160 kmph, the brake system, fire, smoke and noise are also being checked.
Along with this, the version is also being tested by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety at a speed of 180 kmph.
The first edition of the new Vande Bharat train started running on September 30, 2022 from Gandhinagar, Gujarat to Mumbai Central, Maharashtra and has received the people’s approval.
The Railway Ministry has been trying to fix the shortcomings of the train to make it more efficient.
To increase domestic production of wheels and to promote Make in India, the Ministry has invited bids from prospective vendors for setting up facilities to manufacture and supply 1,540,000 wheels.
In the tender, vendors who use more than 60 per cent of local material will be prioritised, which will facilitate employment for more people along the lines of Make in India.
The tender will be opened on January 24, 2023.
Business
Mumbai’s Chembur & Malabar Hill To Undergo ₹4,800 Crore Redevelopment By Bengaluru-Based Builders

Mumbai: A Bengaluru-based real estate developer, Puravankara Ltd, has announced two major redevelopment projects in Mumbai, adding significant weight to its western portfolio in the first half of the current financial year. The company, which has also added two projects in Bengaluru, has recorded a total gross development value (GDV) of ₹9,100 crore across all four projects.
In Mumbai, Puravankara has bagged a marquee redevelopment project in the upscale Malabar Hill area of South Mumbai. Spread across 1.43 acres, the project will offer 0.7 million square feet of development potential, valued at around ₹2,700 crore.
The second project is located in Chembur and involves 1.2 million square feet of development on 4 acres of land, carrying an estimated value of ₹2,100 crore. Both projects are part of Puravankara’s strategy to strengthen its redevelopment footprint in Mumbai’s prime and emerging residential zones, according to a report by HT.
“Our growth momentum remains strong, supported by sustained demand and timely project execution,” said Ashish Puravankara, Managing Director of Puravankara Ltd. “In the first half of FY26, we expanded our portfolio with over 6.36 million square feet of developable area worth around ₹9,100 crore.”
The company reported pre-sales of ₹1,322 crore in the July–September quarter of FY26, up 4% from ₹1,270 crore last year. For the first half of FY26, total pre-sales stood at ₹2,445 crore, also reflecting a 4% increase. The average realisation improved to ₹8,814 per sq ft in Q2 FY26, up 7% year-on-year.
Industry experts note that Mumbai’s redevelopment market continues to attract strong interest from national developers, thanks to rising property prices and limited land availability. With its Malabar Hill and Chembur projects, Puravankara is positioning itself as a key player in the city’s high-value redevelopment segment.
Business
BLS International shares crash 17 pc after MEA bars company from new tenders for 2 years

Mumbai, Oct 13: Shares of BLS International Services plunged sharply on Monday after the Government barred the company from participating in future tenders of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Indian Missions abroad for the next two years.
The stock crashed as much as 17.85 per cent to hit a 52-week low of Rs 277 apiece on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
The MEA had issued the directive on October 9, restricting BLS International from bidding for new tenders.
However, the company clarified that the order will not affect its ongoing contracts or financial performance.
“This development does not impact the company’s current financials or ongoing operations. All existing contracts with Indian Missions across the globe remain valid and continue to operate as scheduled,” BLS International said in a regulatory filing.
“Additionally, the order will not have any significant bearing on the company’s financial outlook,” the firm added.
The company added that it is working to resolve the issue and considers it a procedural development within the visa outsourcing industry.
“We remain confident of a constructive resolution in due course,” the company stated.
In the first quarter of FY26, Indian Missions contributed around 12 per cent to BLS International’s consolidated revenue and about 8 per cent of its EBITDA.
Despite its recent fall, BLS International has been a strong long-term performer. The stock has declined 21 per cent in the past month, over 24 per cent in three months, and nearly 40 per cent so far in 2025.
However, it has still gained 17 per cent in two years and delivered a massive 1,455 per cent return over the past five years.
During the early trade, BLS International shares were trading 14.40 per cent lower at Rs 288.65 on the BSE.
Business
ED Seizes ₹42 Lakh, Luxury Cars In Mumbai Drug Money Laundering Probe

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized Rs 42 lakh in cash, three luxury cars, property papers, and several digital devices during a search operation on Wednesday targeting a drug trafficking and money laundering network. The agency also froze multiple bank accounts and a locker linked to alleged drug trafficker Faisal Javed Shaikh and his wife, Alfiya Faisal Shaikh.
Officials said the searches were conducted at nine locations across Mumbai under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The operation aimed to trace the drug sale proceeds generated by a well-established narcotics network allegedly operated by the couple.
The ED initiated its money laundering probe based on a case registered by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mumbai Zonal Unit, against multiple accused, including Faisal Shaikh, Alfiya Shaikh, and several others, including Ashik Varis Ali, Nasir Khan, Irfan Yusuf Faruqi, Azim Abu Salim Khan alias Azim Bhau, Faizan Mohd. Shafi Shaikh, and Mohd. Shahid Faridudin Chaudhary alias Baboos.
Investigators said Faisal Shaikh was procuring MD (Mephedrone) drugs from Salim Dola, a notorious drug kingpin who has been wanted by law enforcement agencies for his alleged role in large-scale narcotics trafficking. The NCB has announced a reward for information leading to Dola’s arrest.
After securing bail in the NCB case, Shaikh, described by officials as a habitual offender, was placed under preventive detention under the PIT-NDPS Act.
The ED’s probe revealed that Faisal and Alfiya Shaikh allegedly ran a structured network for the sale of MD drugs sourced from Dola. During Wednesday’s searches, the agency also covered premises connected to several individuals associated with shell companies with paper transactions exceeding Rs 100 crore, as well as firms involved in foreign outward remittances and financial dealings with the accused. Officials said these entities are being examined for their possible role in layering drug proceeds and routing the funds abroad through channels such as hawala, shell companies, and trade-based mis-invoicing.
Officials said the ED searches were critical to tracing both the “forward linkage” (movement of drug sale proceeds) and “backward linkage” (sources, beneficiaries, and conduits of funds), including whether the proceeds were channelled abroad via hawala, shell companies, or trade mis-invoicing. The seized and frozen assets including cash, bank accounts, lockers, vehicles, property documents, and digital devices are being examined under the lens of money laundering.
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