Business
What’s likely to be unveiled by the Railway Budget

The Rail Budget this year will focus on making long-distance travel comfortable, densening the railway network in the poll-bound states and enhancing the connectivity in metro cities as well as the Northeast region.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her fourth Budget on Tuesday (February 1).
This will be the sixth joint Budget after the merger of the Rail Budget with the Union Budget in 2017.
As per information, it is expected that the Centre will increase the Rail budget by 15 to 20 per cent this year.
With the Assembly elections in five states round the corner, the Centre can announce new railway facilities for the common passengers.
Although the Railways incurred a loss of Rs 26,338 crore in the last one year, this time the Rail Budget is expected to be enhanced to around Rs 2.5 lakh crore.
Last year, the Centre allocated a record budget of Rs 1,10,055 crore for the Railways.
The Centre can also propose the electrification of a record 7,000 km of railway track this time as part of its efforts to achieve complete electrification of broad-gauge railway lines by the end of 2023.
The lower and the middle class pay special attention to the Rail Budget as they share a deep connection with the railways, which is considered as the lifeline of the country. There is also a possibility of the announcement of high-speed trains in the Budget.
Plans are being made to strengthen the rail connectivity in the poll-bound states and metro cities. For this, the government can involve some private partners.
A bullet train between New Delhi and Varanasi can also be announced in the Budget. Significantly, the work of the first bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is already underway.
Similarly, announcement of a bullet train on the Delhi-Howrah route is also expected in the Budget.
Announcements regarding semi-high speed trains on the Golden Quadrilateral route, expansion of Vande Bharat Express and new dedicated freight corridors are also expected.
As per the sources, the special focus in the Rail Budget will be on the Golden Quadrilateral Routes, on which the government can announce to run semi-high speed trains having a speed of 180 to 200 kmph. These trains will be like the Vande Bharat Express.
The replacement of the old ICF coaches in all trains and installation of new LHB coaches, is another major announcement to be expected in the Budget.
About ten new light trains (aluminium ones), which are energy efficient, can be announced for long distance journeys. Similarly, a proposal to make 6,500 aluminium coaches, 1,240 locomotives and about 35,000 wagons can be proposed in the Budget.
Railways is also manufacturing several special trains replacing the traditional IPS coaches with the LHB coaches made of German technology. Also the coaches for a new ‘Deccan Queen’ are being manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.
For this new ‘Deccan Queen’, two specially designed coaches for guards, five AC chair car coaches, 12 non-AC chair car coaches and one pantry cum dining coach have been made. This train will have 20 coaches and each one will have its own specialty. On the same lines, other trains are also expected to be announced in the Budget.
In the Rail Budget, the Centre will also be focusing on the expansion of the rail network in the Northeast region.
In the last Budget also, the Finance Minister had announced plans to build new DFC corridors for routes like East Coast, East-West and North-South. Just before the Manipur elections, for the first time since Independence, a goods train reached Rani Gaidinliu railway station in Tamenglong district of Manipur.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has recently taken stock of the Jiribam-Imphal new line project in Manipur through an aerial survey. The project includes the longest tunnel in the country, which will connect Guwahati and Imphal. Vaishnaw had said that Rs 7,000 crore has been allocated this year for various rail projects in the Northeast.
Business
Jupiter Wagons’ net profit falls nearly 2 pc in Q4, revenue slips

Mumbai, May 19: Railway wagons and components manufacturer Jupiter Wagons on Monday reported a decline of 1.9 per cent in its net profit at Rs 103 crore in Q4 FY25, down from Rs 105 crore in the same period last fiscal.
The profit before tax (PBT) also declined by 8.26 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 127.47 crore from Rs 138.95 crore, according to its stock exchange filing.
The company’s consolidated total income also saw a decline, falling to Rs 1,057 crore from Rs 1,127 crore a year earlier — a drop of around 6.2 per cent.
Similarly, revenue from operations decreased by approximately 6.4 per cent, from Rs 1,115.41 crore in the year-ago period to Rs 1,044.54 crore in the last quarter of FY25.
Despite the revenue dip, Jupiter Wagons managed to reduce its total expenses to Rs 923.34 crore in Q4, down 6.4 per cent compared to Rs 986.41 crore in the same quarter last financial year.
However, on a sequential basis, expenses rose by about 1.56 per cent compared to Rs 909.16 crore in Q3.
The company’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) rose slightly to Rs 153 crore from Rs 147 crore last fiscal, with the EBITDA margin improving to 14.6 per cent from 13.2 per cent.
Shares of Jupiter Wagons Limited fell by Rs 13.1 or 3.1 per cent to close the intra-day trading session at Rs 408.95 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Monday.
Speaking about the full financial year, Managing Director Vivek Lohia described FY25 as a transformative year for Jupiter Wagons.
He highlighted several strategic wins, including major contracts with Braithwaite for wheelsets.
“The company also secured brake system contracts worth over Rs 215 crore,” Lohia mentioned.
Lohia emphasised the company’s push into electric mobility with the inauguration of a new facility in Pithampur.
“This state-of-the-art plant is expected to drive battery production and supply to Indian Railways and private partners, along with orders for complete Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS),” he said.
Business
Govt unlikely to renew IndiGo pact with Turkish Airlines

New Delhi, May 19: The government is unlikely to extend the commercial airline IndiGo’s leasing agreement with Turkish Airlines due to strained diplomatic relations following Turkey’s open support for Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor launched by India to avenge the killings of 26 tourists.
“The current pact, which enables IndiGo to operate wide-body aircraft on the Delhi-Istanbul route, expires on May 31. The government review is underway and the deal is unlikely to be renewed given the broader diplomatic context,” according to an Media report, citing people in the know.
IndiGo currently operates over 500-seater Airbus A330s on lease from Turkish Airlines for its Istanbul flights. The partnership also includes a codeshare deal that allows IndiGo to sell connections to over 40 destinations in Europe and North America via Istanbul.
On Thursday, IndiGo defended the collaboration, calling it “strategic” and essential for offering Indian flyers long-haul international access.
Apart from the vocal support during the heinous Pahalgam massacre, Turkey has also supplied drones to Pakistan, which were used to attack India during Operation Sindoor.
The issue of renewal of the IndiGo agreement with Turkish Airlines comes up at a time when India is already snapping ties with Turkish businesses and universities.
The government on Thursday revoked the security clearance for Turkish ground-handling firm Celebi Airport Services at Indian airports, due to national security concerns.
The Turkish company handled around 70 per cent of the ground operations at Mumbai airport, including passenger services, load control, flight operations, cargo and postal services, warehouses and bridge operations.
Adani Airport Holdings has also scrapped its agreement with Turkish company DragonPass to provide the latter’s customers access to its airport lounges.
“Our association with DragonPass, which provided access to airport lounges, has been terminated with immediate effect. DragonPass customers will no longer have access to lounges at Adani-managed airports. This change will have no impact on the airport lounge and travel experience for other customers,” the Adani Airport Holdings spokesperson said on Thursday.
Hundreds of Indian tourists have cancelled their trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan as part of the nationalistic backlash against these countries for supporting Pakistan in the conflict with India. Leading online travel booking platforms MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip have reported mass cancellations and a sharp drop in Indian tourists wanting to travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Similarly, many Indian universities, including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Maulana Azad National Urdu University, have suspended academic ties with Turkish institutions.
Business
DPIIT, GEAPP partner to boost opportunities for clean energy startups in India: Official

Mumbai, May 17: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) to enhance opportunities for clean energy startups in India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced on Saturday.
Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT said the collaboration will help startups scale technologies that support India’s long-term net-zero goals.
“India’s climate leadership depended on a strong entrepreneurial base. The partnership would open significant opportunities for clean energy startups to scale technologies that support the country’s long-term net-zero objectives,” he stated.
Under the two-year partnership, both organisations aim to boost innovation, sustainability, and entrepreneurship in the clean energy and manufacturing sectors.
The initiative will support early-stage climate-tech startups by helping them access funding, mentorship, pilot projects, and market connections. There is also a provision to extend the partnership beyond the initial term.
As part of the MoU, GEAPP will launch the Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge (ENTICE) — a platform that will offer up to $500,000 in rewards for impactful clean energy solutions.
Investment support will be provided through partners such as Spectrum Impact and Avana Capital.
DPIIT will help link the programme with the Startup India network and ensure its reach through various government schemes.
Sanjiv said India’s leadership in climate action depends on building a strong entrepreneurial base and added that this partnership is a step in that direction.
Saurabh Kumar, Vice President – India at GEAPP, called the MoU a key milestone to drive systemic change.
He said the combined strengths of GEAPP’s global experience, DPIIT’s institutional backing, and Startup India’s network would create new avenues for clean energy innovation in the country.
The agreement was signed by Dr Sumeet Jarangal and Saurabh Kumar in the presence of senior officials from both organisations.
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