In February of 2007, J.P. Batra, Railway Board chairman at the time, presented the idea of a high-speed rail to then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. A socialist inspired by Jayaprakash Narayan, Yadav said his principles would never allow a premium train only the bourgeoisie could afford.
Batra, already credited with the Deccan Odyssey, a luxury tourism train, was so keen on the project that he defied the minister and convinced Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to give the green signal. Batra and Finance Commissioner R. Sivadasan visited Gujarat and other states without even informing Yadav.
The Railway Board even considered a proposal to fund the project on the lines of the Cochin International Airport Ltd, the first airport in the country to operate under a public-private partnership with a robust stakeholder base of 19,000 investors, mostly non-resident Indians.
At that time, the estimated cost for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai route was ₹25,000 crore.
Sivadasan and his peers hail the Gujarat trip as the turning point for the project. The state government, under the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, not only promised its unconditional support but also approved ₹10 crore for a feasibility study in Gujarat within a matter of hours.
Railway veterans say this sowed the seeds of the flagship Bullet Train project of the Bharatiya Janata Party government under Prime Minister Modi when he took charge in 2014.
As Batra signed off from the Railway Board in 2007, the project went off track. Two years later, though, socialist leader Yadav took a bullet train journey between Tokyo and Kyoto.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 13, 2024-Ausgabe von Business Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 13, 2024-Ausgabe von Business Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Pioneer of parallel cinema dies at 90
Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who heralded the Indian parallel cinema movement in the 1970s and 1980s with films such as Ankur, Nishant and Manthan, died on Monday, his daughter Pia said. He was 90.
How tech is changing the landscape of elder care
The concluding part of the silver economy series looks at innovative apps and wearables that are empowering seniors and their families
ALGO RHYTHM AND BLUES
Can Sebi's draft rules on algorithm-based trading level the playing field between institutional and non-institutional investors?
AVOIDING MIS-SELLING BY MF DISTRIBUTORS Say no to NFOs, buy direct plans and seek advice from Sebi RIAs
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has implemented a new rule to curb unnecessary portfolio churn by distributors, usually done during the launch of new fund offers (NFOs) to pocket higher commissions.
Amber Enterprises posts sharpest rise in 2 mths
13% gains driven by block deal in which 1% equity changed hands
NEW LISTINGS ADD 3% TO INDIA'S MCAP IN 2024
New listings through initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2024 contributed nearly 3 per cent (₹14 trillion) to India's market capitalisation, surpassing last year's contribution of 1.4 per cent (₹5 trillion).
Weak management commentary weighs on Siemens stock
Siemens's share price has lost ground in the past few sessions following weak management commentary.
Mkts stage sharp recovery after five days of fall
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded sharply on Monday after five days of steep decline amid value buying at lower levels and a rally in global markets.
Public offers see investor rush
The five initial public offerings (IPOs) that closed on Monday attracted cumulative bids worth ₹1.4 trillion against ₹2,909 crore they were looking to raise. These offerings were subscribed between 11 and 195 times.
Zomato pips Maruti, HUL in Sensex weight
Becomes first new-age firm to join 30-share benchmark