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NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Nitin Gadkari's Mega Mobility Plan: Hyperloop, Electric Buses, Ropeways On Fast Track
Ranchi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has unveiled an ambitious roadmap for next-generation mass mobility in the country, which includes electric rapid transport, hyperloop in urban areas and ropeways, cable buses and funicular railways in inaccessible terrains. In an interview with PTI, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways said India's transport sector is undergoing a major transition, with initiatives like tree bank, mobile-based driving tests, and flex-fuel engines by 11 leading automakers in the pipeline. Also on the agenda are plans to upgrade 25,000 km of two-lane highways to four lanes, establish an electric mass rapid transport network across major routes and scale up road construction to 100 km per day. 'We are driving innovation. A revolution in mass mobility is underway,' Mr Gadkari said. 'Work is progressing at a war footing to transform how India travels, with a focus not just on metropolises but also on remote, inaccessible rural areas. We're building ropeways, cable cars and funicular railways across 360 locations, including Kedarnath. Work has already started on 60 of these projects,' he said. Funicular railways are a system that combines elevator and railway technologies to efficiently transport people and goods up and down inclines. These are particularly useful in mountainous or hilly areas. Mr Gadkari said the cost of these projects ranges from Rs 200 crore to Rs 5,000 crore and once completed, they will change the face of India. The minister added that improved road infrastructure will not only boost the economy but will also help in propelling growth and creating jobs. 'I am more than confident that in a year's time, our highways will match the standard and quality of US roads that I have been emphasising,' he said, adding that days are not far off when metropolises will have cable-run buses, electric rapid mass transport buses with aeroplane-like facilities. Mr Gadkari said pilot projects like Metrino pod taxis, hyperloop systems, and pillar-based mass rapid transport are in the pipeline for cities like Delhi and Bengaluru. 'Technology and investors are both coming in. It will be a revolution,' he said. The minister said, 'Eleven companies, including Tata, Toyota, Hyundai and Mahindra, have agreed to build flex-fuel engine vehicles that will reduce dependence on fuel imports as well as fossil fuel." Flex-fuel vehicles are equipped with internal combustion engines that can operate on more than one fuel. They are primarily meant to run on ethanol and methanol or a blend of biofuels and on conventional fuels such as petrol or diesel. Mr Gadkari said India is working on 25,000 km of road upgrades for converting two-lane roads into four-lanes and 'we plan to build 100 km of roads per day – this is our target, not a declaration,' he clarified. The length of national highways was 91,287 km in 2013-14 and there has been an increase of about 60 per cent in the length of NHs to 1,46,204 km, he said. The length of National High-Speed Corridors (HSC) has expanded from 93 km in 2014 to 2,474 km at present, he said. New technologies, like precast construction, three-ft road barriers, and AI-based road safety tools, including drones and camera monitoring systems, are being introduced to boost efficiency and safety. 'We plan to plant 20–25 crore trees along highways, with an aim to transplant old trees and replant five for every one cut.' Talks for a tree bank are in advanced stages with the Ministry of Environment and once a go-ahead is received, full-fledged work will start, the minister said. Speaking about electric rapid transport, Mr Gadkari said a tender has been floated for a 135-seater electric bus in Nagpur as a pilot project. The bus will feature executive-class seating, air-conditioning, and airline-grade amenities, capable of running at speeds of 120–125 km/hr. It will recharge in 30–40 minutes at designated stops and is expected to cost 30 per cent less than traditional diesel buses while offering significantly lower emissions, he said. 'Once the trial is successful, we plan to introduce similar buses pan-India, including on routes like Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Dehradun, Delhi-Meerut, Delhi-Jaipur, Mumbai-Pune, Mumbai-Aurangabad and Bangalore-Chennai, among others," he added. As many as 670 roadside amenities have already been approved, aimed at providing world-class facilities for both travellers and drivers across national highways, he said. The minister said India's transport sector contributes nearly 40 per cent to the country's air pollution, and emphasised that green mobility initiatives will not only help curb emissions but also significantly reduce the nation's annual fuel import bill of around Rs 22 lakh crore. He further claimed that improved road infrastructure will help bring down logistics costs from 14 per cent of GDP to 9 per cent by the end of the year, enhancing overall economic efficiency.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Union Minister Goyal meets trade, commerce delegations in Srinagar, lauds locals for support during Op Sindoor
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 6 (ANI): Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, during his visit to Srinagar on Sunday, thanked people for their support during Operation Sindoor. 'We are indebted to the people of Kashmir for the way they supported Operation Sindoor and stood firm against terrorism. Like we have decided to end Naxalism by 2026, I am confident that together we will eradicate terrorism from its roots,' Goyal told ANI. Operation Sindoor was initiated on May 7 this year in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed. The Union Minister said he met with trade and commerce delegations today. 'Today, I met many delegations. The state government and the central government are jointly paying attention to all their issues and will give a boost to the industry and trade here like the Modi government brought a Rs 28000 crore scheme earlier,' Goyal said. Addressing reporters, Goyal said that tourism in Kashmir will boom due to the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, which will lead to a growth in the economy. 'Now, the Amarnath Yatra has also started, and tourists have also come to Gulmarg. People have done home stays here. Today, home stay will start in thousands of houses, their income will increase, and Kashmir's economy will also grow,' he said. Goyal said that he will try to reduce GST on handicrafts to 5 per cent. 'We have discussed with the people about handicrafts here. Give me its draft. I will try to reduce the GST to 5 per cent so that the production of handicrafts here can increase. There has been a discussion about opening an assembly centre. We will open that too,' he said. On minimum support prices for apples, the Union Minister said, 'We have talked about apple, so its MSP should be Rs 50 and duty Rs 25, and after that a lot of tax is levied, after which the consumer has to pay more than Rs 125-150. For this, I will talk to the Agriculture Minister.' Sharing posts on X, Goyal wrote about his meetings with various delegations. In an X post, he wrote, 'Today, I met with representatives of the Jammu-Kashmir Fruits and Vegetable Processing and Integrated Cold Chain Association (JKPICCA) in Srinagar. During this, discussions were held on strategies to sustain industrial development in the cold chain and agro-processing sectors, which are extremely important for strengthening J&K's agricultural economy and boosting exports.' He also met the representatives of the MSME Development Forum, Jammu and Kashmir and discussed the ease of doing business. 'In Srinagar, a detailed discussion was held with the MSME Development Forum, Jammu-Kashmir, regarding various suggestions to promote local enterprises. During this, measures to enhance the competitiveness of MSMEs, improve Ease of Doing Business, and connect them to the national supply chain were discussed,' Goyal wrote on X. The Union Minister also met a delegation from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Srinagar. 'Today, I met with a delegation from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Srinagar. During this, meaningful discussions took place on empowering local industries, accelerating economic development, and creating a favourable environment for business,' an X post read. Meanwhile, the Union Minister also extended greetings to the 14th Dalai Lama on the occasion of his 90th birthday. 'I praise the Dalai Lama. 140 crore people of this country respect him and pray for his long life. All of us wish that the injustice done to the people of Tibet must be resolved in the future,' the minister said. Goyal also enjoyed a 'shikara' ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar. (ANI)
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Will recommend reducing GST to 5 per cent on J-K's handloom, handicraft products: Piyush Goyal
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 6 (ANI): Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday promised to recommend a reduction in the Goods and Services Tax imposed on handicrafts and handloom products to help promote the sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing the FTII: Traders Conclave - 2025 in Srinagar, the Union Minister said, 'The issue of GST levied on handicrafts and handlooms was brought to my attention by two or three system delegations. I have suggested that they submit an application regarding this matter to the Finance Ministry as well as to me so that we can explore what relief can be provided. We will try to reduce the GST rate from 12 per cent to 5 per cent on these items, which would help promote the handloom and handicraft sectors -- especially in Jammu & Kashmir. We will make efforts to find a way forward in this regard.' 'One of the topics raised was the need for packaging units where new designs and technologies could be introduced to better promote local products such as handicrafts, horticulture items, pashmina shawls, and handlooms,' Goyal said. The Union Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir will soon get a Centre of Excellence for Packaging and Design. 'I have directed officials to explore possibilities in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Packaging to initiate a project focused on quality packaging and design. They have been requested to identify a suitable location where this initiative can be launched at the earliest,' he said Further, the Union Minster Goyal said that representatives have discussed setting up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) focused on storage technology, cold chain infrastructure, and encouraging startups and new talent. 'The aim is to support those shifting from traditional trades to entrepreneurship, offering assistance through innovation and research. The Centre of Excellence would work on developing new products, technologies, and even new seed or fruit varieties. I will also engage with the Ministry of Agriculture to explore how they can contribute by enhancing productivity and supporting these efforts,' Goyal assured the traders of Jammu and Kashmir. Goyal also assured that he will discuss with the NTPC and Solar Energy Corporation to establish a solar lighting or power generation facility in the area to help producers to export their products as a green product to get a greater prices. Goyal also assured that he would hold discussions with Public Sector energy unit NTPC and the Solar Energy Corporation to explore setting up a solar lighting or power generation facility in the region. The initiative aims to support local producers in exporting their goods as green products, thereby enabling them to fetch better prices in international markets. Separately, in an X post, Goyal added that a detailed discussion was held with the MSME Development Forum, Jammu-Kashmir, regarding various suggestions to promote local enterprises. During this, measures to enhance the competitiveness of MSMEs, improve Ease of Doing Business, and connect them to the national supply chain were discussed, he added. The Minister said he had also met with a delegation from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry and discussed on empowering local industries, accelerating economic development, and creating a favourable environment for business. Goyal also met with representatives of the Jammu-Kashmir Fruits and Vegetable Processing and Integrated Cold Chain Association (JKPICCA) in Srinagar. 'During this, discussions were held on strategies to sustain industrial development in the cold chain and agro-processing sectors, which are extremely important for strengthening J&K's agricultural economy and boosting exports,' Goyal's X post read. (ANI)
