Chikkamagaluru-Tirupati train service soon
Chikkamagaluru: A new weekly train service connecting Chikkamagaluru to Tirupati, was announced on Saturday by Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna via a post on social media platform X.
This development promises to ease travel for devotees and strengthen ties between the coffee-rich hills of Karnataka and one of India's most revered pilgrimage destinations.
The rail link, routed through Bengaluru, is expected to reduce the current 12- to 14-hour road journey to approximately 8-10 hours, offering a more efficient and comfortable alternative to buses and private vehicles. The initiative leveraged the town's proximity to the Kadur Railway junction for seamless integration into India's rail network.
The new train service is anticipated to boost local commerce and tourism by improving accessibility, while providing safer travel options for those seeking blessings at Lord Venkateswara's temple. The town's railway station is also set for upgrades under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
Local sentiment has welcomed the announcement as a vital step toward recognising Chikkamagaluru's growing importance. As the region awaits further details on the service's schedule, the initiative is poised to foster both spiritual and economic connections, bridging the serene hills of Chikkamagaluru with the divine aura of Tirupati.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Ericsson's antenna manufacturing unit bolsters global confidence in India: Minister
New Delhi: The launch of Ericsson's manufacturing unit demonstrates global confidence in India's capabilities and the country's growing confidence in its future, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Monday. Inaugurating Ericsson's state-of-the-art antenna manufacturing facility at VVDN's Global Innovation Park in Manesar, Haryana, the minister said this is more than the launch of a manufacturing unit — it marks the birth of a facility that will power the networks of tomorrow and connect millions across the globe. Highlighting the broader vision of the government, the minister added, 'This is where global technology converges with Indian ingenuity. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the 'Make in India' mission is evolving into a 'Make for the World' movement.' Emphasising the transformative impact of global technology partnerships on India's telecom sector, the Union Minister noted that global investments from companies like Ericsson, Apple, Google, and Qualcomm go beyond financial contributions. 'They bring cutting-edge technology, world-class production standards, and extensive training capabilities for our engineers,' he said, adding that such collaborations have been instrumental in positioning Indian talent on the global stage. Highlighting Ericsson's contribution, Scindia said the company's initiatives — including network APIs, automation, and its Global AI Accelerator in Bengaluru — have significantly advanced India's role in the global value chain. 'As India transitions from its Amrit Kaal to its Shatabdi Kaal over the next two decades,' this journey will not only transform India, but through India, help transform the world,' said the minister. The facility, developed in collaboration between Ericsson and VVDN Technologies, is Ericsson's first to produce passive antennas in India for global markets. Shipments are expected to commence in July 2025. This facility is one of its kind, where more than 50 per cent of the passive antenna production, built to meet rigorous domestic and international standards, for the domestic market will be localised, reinforcing India's emergence as a trusted global manufacturing and innovation hub. Citing the success of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, he noted that it has attracted over Rs 4,000 crore in investment, generated Rs 80,000 crore in production output, and created more than 34,000 jobs. Liberalised FDI policies and sectoral reforms have further unlocked growth with over $39 billion in foreign investment since 2000, and telecom now contributing nearly 7 per cent of India's GDP. 'This facility is a long-term investment in Indian talent, engineering, and innovation. We are committed to building a full-spectrum antenna ecosystem here,' said Mikael Eriksson, Ericsson's Head of Antenna Systems.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
FTAs will bring more orders for MMF-based textiles, says Minister
The Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) concluded by India and the ones it is working on will bring opportunities for the manmade fibre (MMF) textile sector, Union Minister of State for Textiles Pabitra Margherita said in Coimbatore on Monday. Inaugurating the third edition of Confederation of Indian Textile Industry's (CITI) MMF conclave on the theme 'Global Trade Dynamics: Strengthening India's Position in the Manmade Fibre Value Chain', the Minister said the FTAs with the US and the European Union would bring more orders for MMF garments when they were signed. The government was also working on creating a green MMF value chain. The global textile industry was going through structural shift. Fibres such as polyester, viscose and other synthetics were leading demand. From active wear to technical textiles, the world was moving to high performance textiles. India cannot be on the side in this scenario, he said. India had set an ambitious target to cross $ 100 billion exports. MMF and its blends would be central in this increase in exports. In 2024-25, MMF exports were to the tune of $ 6 billion. This showed the world had confidence in India's MMF sector. India had the raw material, manpower, policy vision and eco system for MMF growth. According to Rakesh Mehra, chairman of CITI, said India could emerge as a hub for innovation-driven, sustainable, and value-added man-made fibre products. Though India had an impressive strength in the upstream arena, its downstream presence in MMF-based exports remained limited. Former chairman of CITI T. Rajkumar said that India must rapidly modernise its fibre mix, upgrade manufacturing capabilities, and adopt a market-responsive approach. Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Vice-Chairman A. Sakthivel reiterated the need for establishing a robust ecosystem for the MMF segment in India. The Minister visited the Netaji Apparel Park in Tiruppur and interacted with the members of the Tiruppur Exporters Association. Association president K.M. Subramanian pointed out that only 10% of Tiruppur's garment exports were MMF-based. The cluster was working to develop an ecosystem so that 70% of the exports were MMF-based by 2030. Mr. Margherita also visited the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International School of Textiles and Management in Coimbatore and interacted with the students and faculty members.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
India's April-May fiscal deficit at ₹13,163 crore—0.8% of annual target
New Delhi: India's fiscal deficit staged a marked improvement in the first two months of 2025-26, helped by strong growth in non-tax revenue even as the government's capital expenditure spending increased. The Union government reported fiscal deficit of ₹ 13,163 crore for April-May, amounting to 0.8% of the target for the whole of 2025-26, according to data released Monday by the Controller General of Accounts. For the same period last year, fiscal deficit was ₹ 50,615 crore. India's cumulative fiscal deficit at 0.8% of the full-year target is the lowest level since the Centre began publishing monthly fiscal data in April 1997. The government has maintained a strong commitment to fiscal consolidation, with the deficit for FY26 projected at ₹ 15.69 trillion, lower than the ₹ 16.85 trillion reported in FY25, and pegged at 4.4% of GDP. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman reiterated this target in her budget speech earlier this year, affirming the Centre's glide path to reduce fiscal deficit to 4.4% of GDP by 2025-26. The latest data appears to reflect front-loaded expenditure in early FY26, particularly a resurgence in capital spending, which had slowed during the first quarter of FY25 due to the national election. In April-May FY26, capital outlay surged to ₹ 2.21 trillion, or 19.7% of the annual target, a marked increase from ₹ 1.44 trillion in the same period a year ago. Overall expenditure rose to ₹ 7.46 trillion in the first two months of FY26, or 14.7% of the full-year target, compared to ₹ 6.23 trillion in the year-earlier period. Revenue expenditure, including interest payments, subsidies, and salaries, stood at ₹ 5.25 trillion, or 13.3% of the full-year estimate, up from ₹ 4.80 trillion. On the revenue side, net tax collections reached ₹ 3.51 trillion, accounting for 12.4% of the annual goal, while non-tax revenue jumped to ₹ 3.57 trillion, or 61.2% of the full-year estimate. Combined, total revenue receipts climbed to ₹ 7.33 trillion, covering 21% of the FY26 target, up from ₹ 5.73 trillion in April-May FY25. Fiscal deficit, or the shortfall between government spending and revenue, excluding borrowings, shows how much the government must borrow to meet its expenses. While moderate deficits can help sustain economic momentum, a sharp rise would raise concerns over inflationary pressures and rising public debt. Policymakers, therefore, face the delicate task of balancing growth-supportive spending with fiscal restraint. In July last year, Mint reported that the government was considering a shift in how it sets fiscal targets, moving from a fixed-point goal to a range of 3.7% to 4.3% beyond FY26, to provide greater flexibility in navigating economic uncertainties while maintaining long-term fiscal sustainability. While tax revenue growth lagged behind the pace projected in the Union Budget, strong gains in non-tax revenue and non-debt capital receipts more than offset the shortfall, they said. 'The revenue receipt growth in the first two months was 24.0%, more than double the growth in the FY26 budget (10.8%). This was due to strong growth of non-tax revenue, mainly due to RBI (Reserve Bank of India) dividend and non-debt creating capital receipts (asset monetization and disinvestment),' said Devendra Kumar Pant, chief economist at India Ratings and Research. Pant said that while tax revenue growth has been slower than budgeted, collections in April and May touched 13.7% of the full-year target, the highest on record for this period, largely due to a low growth target for FY26, with most tax heads except Union customs and excise falling short of their budgeted pace. He, however, warned that both domestic and global economic landscapes have changed since the beginning of FY26, with the Indian economy facing both tailwinds as well as headwinds. 'It is too early to conclude the achievability of FY26 fiscal deficit targets. While the slower tax collection growth is a concern, both non-tax collection and non-debt creating capital receipts have remained buoyant and may compensate for slippage in FY26 tax collection,' Pant added. Other fiscal aggregates, however, show mixed trends compared to the same period in FY25, economists said, with growth in personal income tax collections moderating to 6.4% during April-May FY26, down from 17% for the full year in FY25. 'We expect that the fiscal performance of the GoI (government of India) in the first two months is quite transitory and the situation would progressively move towards the budgeted growth rates of different fiscal aggregates,' said D.K. Srivastava, chief policy advisor, EY India. 'Another noticeable positive trend is that the annual budgeted capital expenditure growth of 10.1% is being frontloaded with the growth in GoI's capital expenditure in the first two months being 54.1%,' he added.
