In a significant address to the Lok Sabha today, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the union interim budget 2024, outlining ambitious plans for economic growth and infrastructure development across various sectors. Sitharaman’s speech focused on key initiatives aimed at enhancing logistics efficiency, boosting connectivity, and promoting sustainable development.
Talking about the Railways sector, Sitharaman said that the government has outlined three major economic railway corridor programmes to be implemented across the country which include two port connectivity corridors and high traffic density corridors.
These projects, identified under the PM Gati Shakti initiative, aim to enhance logistics efficiency, reduce costs, and alleviate congestion in high-traffic corridors.
Focus on multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency
Sitharaman highlighted the importance of improving multimodal connectivity through the implementation of energy corridors and port connectivity projects. She said these projects will improve logistics, efficiency, and reduce cost. “The resultant de congestion of the high traffic corridors will also help in improving operations of passenger trains, resulting in safety and higher travel speed for passengers,” she said.
By converting 40,000 normal railway bogies to Vande Bharat standards, the government seeks to enhance safety, convenience, and comfort for passengers while improving operations of passenger trains.
The finance minister underscored the importance of promoting tourism in India by announcing a framework for rating iconic tourist centres based on the quality of facilities and services. She added that long-term interest-rate loans will be provided to states for comprehensive development and branding of these centres, fostering domestic tourism and attracting foreign visitors. Industry leaders and stakeholders welcomed the government’s initiatives and shared their reactions on the interim budget with ETTravelWorld. Read more…
Galvanising the aviation sector
The Finance Minister also underscored the remarkable progress achieved in the aviation sector over the past decade, with the number of airports doubling to 149. Emphasising the expansion of end connectivity to tier two and tier three cities through the UDAN scheme, Sitharaman noted the widespread success of 517 new routes, catering to 1.3 crore passengers. Indian carriers have proactively placed orders for over 1,000 new aircraft, signalling a robust expansion trajectory for the industry.Sustainable urban mobility and renewable energy
Addressing the challenges of rapid urbanisation, Sitharaman highlighted the role of metro rail and e-mobility in fostering urban transformation. The government aims to support the expansion of metro systems in large cities, focusing on transit-oriented development and green energy solutions. Measures such as mobility gap funding for harnessing offshore wind energy and the establishment of coal gasification and liquefaction capacity by 2030 are envisaged to reduce imports and promote sustainable energy alternatives.
Blue Economy 2.0
Sitharaman unveiled plans for ‘Blue Economy 2.0’, aiming to promote climate-resilient activities and restoration of marine ecosystems. The scheme will focus on supporting climate-resilient activities and sustainable development initiatives in the maritime sector, furthering India’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable growth.
Overall, Sitharaman’s budget speech outlined a comprehensive roadmap for economic growth, infrastructure development, and sustainable transformation, signalling the government’s efforts in fostering inclusive and sustainable development across various sectors of the economy.
Besides branding and marketing on a global scale, a framework for rating the iconic tourist centres based on the quality of facilities will be established. The Finance Minister also highlighted how local entrepreneurship can get a boost with the possible surge in spiritual tourism. She also acknowledged that the plans to expand the existing airports and develop new ones will continue expeditiously.
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During 2023, the government operated Bharat Gaurav Trains have undertaken 172 trips carrying 96,491 tourists. As per this latest update by the Ministry of Railways, these trips were operated covering various tourist destinations across the nation, spread in 24 States and Union Territories.
These trains have covered major tourist circuits like Shri Ram-Janaki Yatra: Ayodhya to Janakpur; Shri Jagannath Yatra; “Garvi Gujarat” tour; Ambedkar Circuit; North East tour.
Indian Railways had introduced the concept of operating tourist trains on theme-based circuits under the banner of ‘Bharat Gaurav’ Tourist Trains. These theme-based tourist circuit trains aim to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places.
Discussions during the event covered various aspects such as infrastructure, accommodation, tourist amenities, inflow of tourists, sustainability in travel and tourism, responsible tourism, community involvement, and training of service providers for the promotion and marketing of the Mahabharat Circuit.
The journeys undertaken on these trains are offered in the form of comprehensive tour packages wherein services like off-board travel and excursions by buses, stay at hotels, tour guides, meals, travel insurance and more are provided along with comfortable train journeys and allied onboard services, the ministry said. With introduction of these thematic trains under Bharat Gaurav Train scheme, the Ministry of Railways has given a concerted thrust for promotion of domestic tourism through provision of rail-based tourism with better quality coaches.
This is also in line with the Government of India initiatives ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ and ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ to encourage domestic tourism.
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The second Vande Bharat Express connecting the holy city of Katra with New Delhi was flagged off on December 30, 2023. With this, Katra is among the first lot of cities in the country to have two Vande Bharat Express trains.
While Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh joined the function from Katra railway station, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off the Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
The Minister informed that rail projects costing over INR 41,000 crore rupees are being run in Jammu and Kashmir, which is a record in itself as no other Union Territory or state in the country has earned such a distinction. Similarly, more than INR 6,000 crore rupees have been allocated for the development of Jammu and Kashmir in the Union Budget.
Speaking on the occasion, Singh said the government has accorded special attention and focus to the development of this region.
Singh said that the Prime Minister had stated that those areas of the country which remained not connected would see connectivity under his government for overall development of the country.
He said the way the web of rail connectivity has been unrolled in J&K, it will be testament to the changing face of the Union Territory.
Central to this development is the inauguration of the state-of-the-art airport constructed at an initial cost of more than INR 1450 crore. As per the sources, the airport will now be named as Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham. The airport’s terminal building will have an area of 6500 sqm, equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually. The airport will improve connectivity in the region, leading to a boost in tourism and other opportunities.
Singh said a record more than two crore tourists visiting the Valley, and over a crore pilgrims paying obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine is an example of that connectivity, the minister emphasised. The Minister said the role of J&K will have a critical importance in a developed India by 2047.Lieutenant Governor J&K, Manoj Sinha also joined the flag-off ceremony from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station. He also highlighted the unprecedented growth registered in the tourism sector and shared the efforts of the administration to strengthen the religious tourism circuit in the region.
“Several incredible tourist destinations of Jammu division are witnessing huge tourist influx and boost to the local economy of far off-the-beaten-track. Shiv Khori Shrine Board is committed to the development of Shiv Khori Shrine. I hope Heli service from Katra to Shiv Khori will start in the coming days,” the Lt Governor said.
J&K is witnessing fast-paced quality infrastructure development. Last-mile connectivity for inclusive development has also enhanced ease of living for citizens in far-flung areas, increased economic activities and livelihood opportunities, he said.
“We have undertaken road and railway infrastructure projects of unprecedented magnitude and they are being implemented at an unprecedented speed. It is also a symbol of our unshakable commitment to all-round progress of the Union Territory,” the Lt Governor further added.
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Indian Railways will run Bharat Gaurav train for tourists on November 17, starting from CSMT covering Mumbai-Pune-Solapur-Guntakal-Renigunta-Rameshwaram-Madurai-Kanyakumari- Kochuveli. The train will return to CSMT on November 25.
The Bharat Gaurav train run by IRCTC, will leave CSMT at 4.50 am on November 17 and return at 4.15 pm on November 25 after travelling on a circular route.
The halts for boarding / deboarding include Thane, Kalyan, Karjat, Lonavala, Pune, Daund, Kurduwadi, Solapur, Kalaburagi, Renigunta (to Rameshwaram, Madurai via Melpakkam to Kudalnagar), Kanyakumari, Kochuveli, an official said.
The Q2 performance report, announced during the board meeting, reflects a robust financial standing, with a 23.51 per cent surge in total revenue, reaching INR 995.31 crores compared to INR 805.80 crores in Q2 of FY 2022-23. The impressive margins of 28.54 per cent for EBITDA and 30.36 per cent for PAT underscore the company’s efficient financial management.
“These theme-based trains have been conceptualised to showcase the rich cultural and religious heritage of Bharat to the domestic tourists as well as to the international tourists,” said Central Railway‘s chief spokesperson Shivraj Manaspure. “This IRCTC tourist train will be an all-inclusive tour package offering 3 options-Economy, Comfort and Deluxe and includes train fare, meals, stay and transport,” he added.
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Southern Railway has operated 50 Bharat Gaurav trains to pilgrim centres. A total of 24,848 people have travelled on these trains since the first service was flagged from Coimbatore North to Sainagar Shirdi in June.
The 50th train “Ganga Snan Yatra‟ Diwali Special service from Kochuveli to Prayagraj-Varanasi started its journey on November 9.
The services, operated by private firms using rakes and crew provided by Railways, has covered popular tourist and pilgrimage destinations like Sai Nagar Shirdi, Kashi, Prayagraj, New Delhi, Mathura, Agra, Triveni Sangam, Varanasi Akshardham, Darshan of Krishna Bhoomi, Govardhan, Gokulam, Parlivaidhyanath, Somnath, Hyderabad, Mantralayam, Kumbakonam, Kochi, Gaya, Ayodhya, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kolkata, Puri, Mysuru, Hampi, Ajanta/Ellora caves, Goa, Ekta Nagar, Statue of Unity at Kevadia in Gujarat, Haridwar, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Rameswaram, Madurai and Kodaikanal.
Approximately 1,200 boats will operate in the Ganga on Dev Deepawali, offering tourists a spectacular view of the illuminated ghats. A meeting has already been conducted with boat operators to inform them about the guidelines for the event. To effectively manage the crowd, barricading will be set up at five key locations – Maidagin, Assi, Godaulia, Bhadau Chungi, and Ramapura.
Southern Railway has recorded a revenue of INR 34 crore from the operation of these 50 services, said a press release.
The zone has allotted seven Linke Hofmann Busch rakes to the four registered service providers, including IRCTC. Of the 11 companies that have registered to run the trains, four are operating the services.
With the success of Bharat Gaurav trains, Railways will leverage the potential of the tourism sector to run more theme-based trains for pilgrims and tourists.
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Travel assistance service provider India Assist has partnered with Moto GP Bharat to provide personalised assistance to spectators attending the Moto GP race, which is starting from Friday Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. As part of the partnership, India Assist team members will have a physical presence at the venue to help spectators and provide support and assistance.
The company has been appointed as the official assistant partner for the much-anticipated Moto GP Bharat 2023. Making the announcement about the exclusive partnership, the company’s senior leadership shared more details during press interactions.
In an interview with ETTravelWorld, Harish Khatri, Founder & MD, India Assist shared details on their partnership with Moto GP Bharat, highlighting the event’s potential to connect fans and establish the country as a multisport nation. He also discussed the potential of personalised assistance in the travel industry, highlighting the importance of catering to different types of travellers and the challenges of implementing such a system.
India Assist’s innovative mobile application provides a wide array of solutions to address the diverse challenges that travellers may encounter, ranging from issues like luggage theft and loss to sudden medical emergencies, unexpected conflicts, and various unforeseen circumstances.
Khatri said this level of customised assistance is intended to improve the experience for spectators and address concerns they have faced at past events in India.
“India Assist aims to address a wide range of issues spectators may face, such as help with seating, parking, medical issues, lost items and more. The company will have SOPs in place to quickly resolve any problems and also leverage its mobile app and call centre for technical support,” Khatri added.
Speaking at the Mastercard event in Delhi, the Director General Tourism said they are working to promote local experiences and empower women across India. She also highlighted initiatives to document cultural heritage and curate unique experiences involving local communities while complementing India’s rich diversity of culture, heritage sites, festivals, and cuisine across regions.
India Assist sees the Moto GP partnership as an opportunity to showcase its capabilities in providing personalised assistance and hopes it will lead to more collaborations with sports and tourism organisations going forward. “The partnership marks India Assist’s efforts to establish India as a nation that professionally handles major international sporting events. It also demonstrates that India is moving beyond just being known for one sport. The customised assistance model could be expanded to other large sports tournaments and events in India to further improve the spectator experience,” Khatri mentioned during the interaction.
He also shared his views on the adoption of Tourist Information Centers model by state tourism boards and the need for professionally managed centres to provide tourists with accurate and timely information.
Sharing more details about future collaborations, Khatri said India Assist also plans to expand its global reach through new market openings and the integration of services while also tapping into existing opportunities with various states. He mentioned they are in talks with a few state tourism departments to collaborate on tourist assistance services and manage their tourist information centres.
He added that India Assist is in talks with certain airlines and hotel chains as well to partner for personalised travel assistance.
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