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PM inaugurates India’s first-ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line

Published By : Admin | December 28, 2020 | 11:00 IST
Urbanization should not be seen as a challenge but used as an opportunity to build better infrastructure in the country and enhance Ease of Living : PM
Work is being carried out on different types of metro - RRTS, MetoLite, MetroNeo and Water Metro : PM
Lists out instances of integration of services in various areas
India joins select countries having Metro Rail without a driver : PM

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first-ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line today through a video conference. Today the National Common Mobility Card was expanded to the Airport Express Line of Delhi Metro, which was started in Ahmedabad last year. Union Minister Shri Hardeep Puri and Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister termed today's event as an attempt to make urban development future ready. He said preparing the country for future needs is an important responsibility of governance. He lamented the fact that a few decades ago, when the demand of urbanisation was felt, there was not much attention given to the needs of the future, half-hearted work was done and confusion persisted. He said unlike this, modern thinking says that urbanization should not be seen as a challenge but used as an opportunity to build better infrastructure in the country, an opportunity through which we can enhance Ease of Living. He said this difference of thinking is seen now in every dimension of urbanization. He added that in 2014, only 5 cities had metro rail and today, metro rail is available in 18 cities. By the year 2025, we are going to expand it to more than 25 cities. In 2014, only 248 km of metro lines were operational in the country and today it is about three times, more than 700 kilometers. By the year 2025, we are trying to expand it to 1700 km. He stressed that these are not just figures, they are proof of ease of living in the lives of crores of Indians. These are not just infrastructures made of brick and stone, concrete and iron, but are evidence of the fulfillment of the aspirations of the citizens of the country, the middle class of the country.

The Prime Minister remarked that the government formulated the metro policy for the first time and implemented it with an all-round strategy. Emphasis was on working according to local demand, promoting local standards, Make in India expansion and use of modern technology. He said it was noted that the expansion of the metro, modern modes of transport should be used according to the needs of the people of the city and the professional lifestyle there. This is the reason why work is being done on different types of metro rail in different cities.

The Prime Minister listed different types of metro rail on which work is being carried out. On the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) between Delhi and Meerut, the Prime Minister said it will reduce the distance of Delhi and Meerut to less than an hour. He said in cities where passenger numbers are less, work is being done on the MetroLite version. MetroLite version would be constructed at 40 percent cost of normal metro. He further added that Metro Neo is being worked in cities where the ridership is less. It would be built at the cost of 25 percent of the normal metro. Similarly, water metro would be an out of the box thinking. For cities where there are large water bodies, the water metro is now being worked on. This will provide last mile connectivity to the people near the islands.

The Prime Minister said the metro today is no longer just a medium of public transport but a great way to reduce pollution. Thousands of vehicles have been reduced from the road due to the metro network, which used to cause pollution and jam.

The Prime Minister said for the expansion of metro services, Make in India is important. Make in India reduces costs, saves foreign exchange, and gives more employment to people in the country itself. He stressed that standardization of rolling stock has reduced the cost of every coach from 12 crores to 8 crores now. Today, four big companies are manufacturing metro coaches in the country and dozens of companies are engaged in the manufacture of metro components. This is helping Make in India as well as the campaign for self-reliant India.

The Prime Minister said with the achievement of Metro Rail without a driver, our country has joined the select countries of the world where such facilities are available. He said a braking system in which 50 percent of the energy goes back into the grid when the brakes are applied are being used. Today 130 MW of solar power is being used in metro rail, which will be increased to 600 MW.

Talking about the Common Mobility Card, the Prime Minister said that providing the same standards and facilities for modernization is very important. The Common Mobility Card at the national level is a major step in this direction. This one card will give integrated access to the commuters wherever they travel, whichever public transport they take.

Taking the example of the Common Mobility Card, the Prime Minister dwelled on the process of consolidating all the systems. Through such consolidation of systems, the strength of the country is being harnessed in a more coordinated and efficient way. “Like One Nation, One Mobility Card, our government has done many things in the past years to integrate the systems of the country,” Shri Modi said.

One Nation, One Fastag has made travel seamless on highways across the country. This has saved commuters from jam and delays. One Nation, One Tax i.e. GST has ended the complications in the tax system and has brought uniformity in indirect tax system. One Nation, One Power Grid, is ensuring adequate and continuous power availability in every part of the country. Power loss is reduced.

With One Nation, One Gas Grid, Seamless Gas Connectivity is being ensured of the parts where gas-based life and economy used to be a dream earlier. One Nation, One Health Insurance Scheme i.e. Ayushman Bharat through which millions of people from India are taking advantage anywhere in the country. Citizens moving from one place to another have got freedom from the trouble of making new ration cards through One Nation, One Ration Card, Similarly, the country is moving in the direction of One Nation, One Agriculture Market due to new agricultural reforms and arrangements like e-NAM.

 

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Visit of Prime Minister to UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy (May 15 - 20, 2026)
May 11, 2026

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to the United Arab Emirates on May 15, 2026, where he will meet the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two leaders will have the opportunity to exchange views on bilateral issues, in particular energy cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. They will also discuss ways to advance the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership underpinned by strong political, cultural, economic and people-to-people links. The visit will serve to promote the significant trade and investment linkages between the two countries. The UAE is India’s third largest trade partner and its seventh largest source of investment cumulatively over the past 25 years. With the UAE hosting over 4.5 million - strong Indian community, the visit will also be an opportunity to discuss their welfare.

For the second leg of his visit, at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Rob Jetten, Prime Minister Modi will pay an official visit to the Netherlands from May 15-17, 2026. This will be Prime Minister’s second visit to the Netherlands after his previous visit in 2017. During the visit, Prime Minister will call on Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, and hold talks with Prime Minister Rob Jetten. Prime Minister’s visit will build on the momentum of high-level engagements and close cooperation spanning diverse sectors, including defence, security, innovation, green hydrogen, semiconductors and a Strategic Partnership on Water. Prime Minister’s visit early in the tenure of the new Government will provide an opportunity to further deepen and expand the multifaceted partnership. Netherlands is one of India's largest trade destinations in Europe, with bilateral trade worth USD 27.8 billion (2024-25); and India's 4th largest investor with cumulative FDI of USD 55.6 billion.

For the third leg of the visit, at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden, H.E. Mr. Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister will travel on 17-18 May 2026 to Gothenburg, Sweden. Prime Minister had earlier visited Sweden in 2018 for the first-ever India-Nordic Summit. PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with PM Kristersson to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and explore new avenues of cooperation to enhance bilateral trade, which has reached USD 7.75 billion (2025), and Swedish FDI into India which has reached USD 2.825 billion (2000 – 2025), as well as collaboration in green transition, AI, emerging technologies, startups, resilient supply chains, defence, space, climate action and people-to-people ties. The two Prime Ministers will also address the European Round Table for Industry, a leading pan-European business leaders forum, along with H.E. Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

In the fourth leg of his visit, Prime Minister will pay an official visit to Norway from 18 - 19 May 2026 for the 3rd India-Nordic Summit and bilateral engagements. This will be the first visit of Prime Minister Modi to Norway, and will mark the first Prime Ministerial visit from India to Norway in 43 years. Prime Minister will call on with Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja, and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre. Prime Minister will also address the India-Norway Business and Research Summit along with the Norwegian Prime Minister. The visit will provide an opportunity to review the progress made in India-Norway relations and explore avenues to further strengthen them, with a focus on trade and investment, capitalizing on the India – EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, as well as on clean & green tech and blue economy. The visit will also be an opportunity to induce momentum in bilateral trade worth around USD 2.73 billion (2024), and investments by Norway’s Government Pension Fund (GPFG) of close to USD 28 billion in the Indian capital market.

The 3rd India-Nordic Summit will take place in Oslo on 19 May 2026. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be joined by the Prime Minister of Norway, H.E. Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre; Prime Minister of Denmark, H.E. Ms. Mette Frederiksen; Prime Minister of Finland, H.E. Mr. Petteri Orpo; Prime Minister of Iceland, Ms. Kristrún Frostadóttir; and Prime Minister of Sweden, Mr. Ulf Kristersson for the Summit. The Summit will build upon the two previous Summits held in Stockholm in April 2018 and in Copenhagen in May 2022, and will impart a more strategic dimension to India’s relationship with the Nordic countries, especially in technology and innovation; green transition and renewable energy; sustainability; blue economy; defence; space and the Arctic. The visit will also provide an impetus to India’s bilateral trade (USD 19 billion in 2024) and investment ties with Nordic countries as well as help build resilient supply chains following the India-EU FTA and India-EFTA TEPA.

In the final leg of his visit, at the invitation of Prime Minister of the Italian Republic, H.E. Ms. Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister will undertake an official visit to Italy from 19–20 May 2026. Prime Minister had last visited Italy in June 2024 for the G7 Summit. During the visit, he will call on the President of the Italian Republic, H.E. Mr. Sergio Mattarella and hold talks with Prime Minister Meloni. The visit takes place in the backdrop of a strong momentum in bilateral ties with both sides proactively implementing the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, a comprehensive road map for cooperation in various sectors including in bilateral trade which reached USD 16.77 in 2025; boosting investment, which has recorded a cumulative FDI of USD 3.66 billion (April 2000-September 2025); defence and security; clean energy; innovation; science and technology; and people - to - people ties.

Prime Minister’s upcoming visit will further deepen India’s partnership with Europe across sectors, particularly trade and investment ties in light of the recently concluded India-EU FTA.