Mumbai: The work on India’s ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project is progressing at full pace, and the Centre has now announced a long-awaited timeline. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said that the country’s first bullet train will begin operations on August 15, 2027, marking a major milestone in India’s railway modernisation journey.

The announcement has brought clarity to a question many citizens have been asking, when will India finally see its first bullet train in operation. The high-speed rail project, which is currently under construction, is expected to majorly reduce travel time between Mumbai in Maharashtra and Ahmedabad in Gujarat and introduce global standards of rail infrastructure in the country.

Meanwhile, Vaishnaw also introduced India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train, which will soon begin service on the Guwahati–Kolkata route. The train will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming days, the minister said.

Vaishnaw said the Vande Bharat sleeper train has successfully completed its testing and certification process. Highlighting its importance, he said the new service will offer world-class facilities, enhanced safety and a modern travel experience for passengers undertaking long-distance overnight journeys.

“The complete testing and certification of the Vande Bharat sleeper train has been completed. Its first route is proposed to be Guwahati–Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat sleeper train on this route in the coming days. This achievement is a major milestone,” Vaishnaw said.

On December 30, 2025, the railway minister shared a video on social media platform X showing the sleeper version of the Vande Bharat train undergoing high-speed trials. The video demonstrated the train’s stability as its speed increased from 178 kmph to 180 kmph within seconds.According to the Railway Ministry’s year-end review, the Vande Bharat sleeper trains are expected to revolutionise long-distance rail travel in India. Initially, the trains will be introduced on busy routes and later expanded across the network, significantly cutting travel time.

The Vande Bharat sleeper trains are manufactured by BEML Limited using technology developed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF). Each train consists of 16 coaches, including AC First Class, AC 2-Tier and AC 3-Tier coaches, with a total passenger capacity of 1,128. With a top speed of 180 kmph, the Vande Bharat sleeper ranks among the fastest overnight trains in the country.

Currently, Indian Railways operates semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains with a design speed of 180 kmph and a maximum operational speed of 160 kmph. The sleeper version aims to combine the comfort of the Rajdhani Express with advanced modern technology, offering a new standard for overnight rail travel in India.

Mumbai, Jan 1: Shares of major cigarette makers fell sharply on Thursday after the government announced to slap a fresh excise duty on cigarettes next month, a move that is expected to push up prices and impact sales.

Stocks of ITC and Godfrey Phillips dropped by as much as 19 per cent during the intra-day’s trade on Thursday.

According to a government order, the new excise duty will come into effect from February 1.

The duty has been fixed in the range of Rs 2,050 to Rs 8,500 per thousand cigarette sticks, depending on the length of the cigarettes.

This additional tax is likely to make cigarettes more expensive, which could hurt demand and weigh on the earnings of cigarette companies.

Following the announcement, ITC shares fell up to 10 per cent on the BSE and hit a 52-week low of Rs 362.70.

The stock also came under pressure due to a large block deal reported during the session, which added to the selling momentum.

Over the past one year, ITC shares have declined 17 per cent and are down 9 per cent in the last six months.

The company remains one of the heavyweight stocks in the benchmark indices, with a market capitalisation of over Rs 4.75 lakh crore.

Godfrey Phillips shares saw an even steeper fall. The stock tumbled nearly 19 per cent to touch the day’s low of Rs 2,230.15 on the BSE.

Despite the sharp fall on Thursday, the stock is still up nearly 49 per cent over the past one year.

The new excise duty on cigarettes will be levied over and above the goods and services tax. As per the new structure, cigarettes, tobacco and similar products will attract a GST rate of 40 per cent from next month.

The excise duty will replace the compensation cess that was earlier imposed on these products.

The change follows Parliament’s approval of an amendment law in December that replaces the temporary levy on cigarettes and tobacco products.

Mumbai, Dec 30: Indian benchmark indices ended Tuesday’s session almost flat, but with a slight negative tone, as gains in PSU banks, metal and auto stocks were offset by selling pressure in IT, FMCG, realty and pharma shares.

The Sensex closed at 84,675.08, slipping 20.46 points or 0.02 per cent, while the Nifty settled marginally lower at 25,938.85, down 3.25 points or 0.01 per cent.

“The Nifty has also slipped below the 21 EMA, reinforcing the short-term downtrend. Immediate support is placed in the 25,850–25,870 zone,” market watchers stated.

“A decisive break below this level could intensify bearish sentiment, while resistance is placed at 26,000,” analysts mentioned.

Markets witnessed a cautious mood as investors balanced sector-specific buying against profit booking in select heavyweights.

On the Sensex, stocks such as Eternal, Infosys, Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement and Bajaj Finance ended among the top losers, weighing on the index.

On the other hand, M&M, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finserv and Axis Bank provided support and closed higher.

The broader market also saw mild weakness. The Nifty Midcap 100 index ended lower by 0.15 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 declined 0.28 per cent.

Sector-wise, real estate, IT and pharma stocks remained under pressure. The Nifty Realty index fell 0.84 per cent, while the Nifty IT and Pharma indices declined 0.74 per cent and 0.17 per cent, respectively.

In contrast, strong buying was seen in PSU bank, metal and auto stocks. The Nifty PSU Bank index jumped 1.69 per cent, the Nifty Metal index rose 2.03 per cent, and the Nifty Auto index gained 1.08 per cent.

Analysts said that the market ended the day on a flat note as investors preferred selective buying, with sectoral trends driving movement rather than broad-based participation.

“Fresh buying at lower levels, along with short covering in banking, auto, and metal stocks following the expiry of monthly derivative contracts, helped the Nifty recoup most of its intraday losses and close the session largely flat,” market watchers mentioned.