India News

Railways on a rebranding drive

Published

10 years ago

January 10, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Some platforms may soon host shaadis

By Sujit Bhar

Indian Railways is on a rebranding drive it says, this process having started from its last financial year. It says it wants to look new, improved. Recent announcements, however, have taken the people by surprise.

Here are two news items that one may find a bit strange.

The first says that railway platforms may soon host wedding receptions. The railways want to rent out platforms at less busy stations for wedding receptions and even other functions. As a test case, the Indian Railways has chosen two “safe” locations, the Surat and Navapur stations, in Gujarat and Maharashtra, respectively.

A proposal to this effect has been sent to the ministry for approval, a report says.

A senior railway official has been quoted as saying: “Surat station is massive, and there are people there who would actually pay to have their wedding receptions or parties on platforms as well. We will propose platform No. 4 for the project as it has two-three booking offices, which is ideal for these kind of functions,” he added.

The second news item shows the capitalist motive within the somewhat socialist objectives of Indian Railways.

It says that the fourth largest railways in the world (after the US, China and Russia) will now be branding not only its trains but also the stations. Technically it is possible that multinational companies such as Pepsi or Coca-Cola could be in the fray, as well as Indian specials such as Reliance or Tata Motors, maybe.

The idea is to keep fares at its current levels (which have, anyway, become less poor-friendly with the introduction of surge pricing), while earning better returns from the branding exercise. Whether such branding exercises would be extended to freight trains is not clear.

The proposal, as reported, is not just for providing ad space. It would be a package, where the “sponsor” would be able to do its branding exercise inside as well.

These were probably necessitated when the railways were slipping into deep deficits, coming out of the once surplus era.

A quick look at its finances – as Railway Minster Suresh Prabhu has admitted in Parliament, the system itself remains unproductive – reveals the following.

The railways’ operating ratio was a sad picture today, explained the minister. He said that for every rupee gained, the railways was spending 92 paise on just operations. This was as steep fall from the days of railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav (2004-2009) when Indian Railways allegedly managed a massive surplus, inviting studies from Ivy League colleges. Yadav was invited to lecture at eight Ivy League schools including Harvard and Wharton.

So what happened suddenly? It seems that there was some number fudging involved, and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had refuted Lalu Prasad Yadav’s claims. The uplift of the railways, said the CAG was more of a “cosmetic exercise,” according to an agency report.

It was somewhat like the case of showing that single crocodile chick over and over again. It was, the CAG had said, a “new practice of issuing a statement of cash and investible surplus”. How did this happen? The CAG pointed out that the claim made by Lalu (in 2004), of a “profit” of Rs 25,000 crore, actually covered this “cash and investible surplus”.

It was just a fudging of the books, in which this was not included in the “net surplus”. Sadly, the so-called “cash surplus” included the money available for paying dividend, contribution to the Depreciation Reserve Fund used for renewal or replacement of existing assets. It also included other funds for investment, the agency reported.

It was a huge fall from grace for the Indian public sector behemoth. Now that the Railway budged is part of the main Union Budget, there will not only be a huge budgetary crutch provided, but also a leeway to escape [public scrutiny.

This branding process should also help.

Last year the railways had announced that 400 ‘A-1’ and ‘A’ category stations “shall be offered to interested parties for redevelopment on ‘as is where is’ basis.”

This is a large number and one has to wait and see how it works out.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Related Topics:Indian Railways Rebranding Union Budget Views On News VON

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3 dead, several trapped after six-storey building collapses in Delhi, rescue operations continue

Three people died and two were critically injured after a six-storey PG building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan. Several others are feared trapped.

Published

23 mins ago

September 6, 2026

APNLive Desk

Three people have died and two others are critically injured after a six-storey building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon. Several more people are feared trapped under the debris as rescue operations continue at the site.

Nine people have been rescued so far, while authorities are searching for others who may still be trapped. The building, which was being used as a 75-bed paying guest accommodation, collapsed at around 1:30 pm, according to officials.

Building was being used as a PG accommodation

According to police, the building was around 40 to 50 years old and consisted of a basement and five upper floors. It was being used as a paying guest accommodation, with repair work reportedly underway in the basement when the collapse occurred.

The building was located in Satya Niketan, near Delhi University’s South Campus, an area with a large student population.

An eyewitness said at least 50 students were believed to have been inside the building when it collapsed. A student at the scene also reported hearing cries for help from beneath the rubble.

Rescue operation underway

Teams from the Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Disaster Management Authority have been deployed for the rescue operation.

At least 12 fire tenders have been sent to the spot. An excavator has also been deployed, while additional machinery is being brought in to remove concrete slabs and girders from the debris.

Locals were also seen helping with the initial search before rescue teams and machinery reached the site.

The adjacent building has been vacated as a precautionary measure, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said. She added that rescue work was being carried out on a war footing and that authorities were coordinating efforts to assist those affected.

Government agencies coordinate rescue efforts

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu said concerned agencies, including the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service and DDMA, had been directed to work together to ensure swift rescue operations.

Local BJP MLA Anil Sharma, who was at the site, said some students were still believed to be trapped and that some were reportedly making calls from inside the collapsed structure.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj blamed alleged corruption for the incident and raised questions about building safety and inspections. His comments were political allegations and no official cause for the collapse has been established in the report.

India News

PM Modi takes aim at critics with Dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC centenary address

PM Modi revived his dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC’s centenary celebrations and spoke about India’s development journey.

Published

9 hours ago

September 6, 2026

APNLive Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived his ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark while addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi on Saturday, using the term to criticise his opponents.

Speaking to students at the Delhi college, PM Modi described the phrase as a “homeopathic pill” and said it had prompted those he described as “dimagi Naxals” to come forward and reveal their views.

The prime minister also used his address to speak to Gen-Z about India’s development journey and asked students to consider the challenges the country had faced in the past.

PM Modi recalls past crises

During his speech, PM Modi referred to the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and the 2008 global financial crisis while criticising the handling of national emergencies by previous governments.

He said the government at the time of the Kedarnath disaster was shaken and questioned its ability to respond to the crisis.

Referring to the 2008 banking crisis, PM Modi alleged that the government of the time failed to effectively deal with the situation and claimed that India’s banking system was pushed close to collapse.

Prime minister lists challenges faced by his government

PM Modi also highlighted several major global crises that occurred during his government’s tenure.

He mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, disruptions to global trade and supply chains, and the crisis in West Asia.

The prime minister said there had been concerns that India would struggle during these crises but argued that the country had continued to move forward.

PM Modi’s earlier SRCC visit

PM Modi had earlier visited SRCC in 2013, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. His speech at the college received significant attention, particularly on social media, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

His latest visit came during the college’s centenary celebrations, where his address focused on young people, India’s development ambitions and the challenges faced by the country.

India News

India Metro Rail Network May Overtake US in 2 Years

India’s metro rail network has reached 1,170 km across 26 cities. Union minister Manohar Lal said the country could overtake the US in network length within two years.

Published

23 hours ago

September 5, 2026

APNLive Desk

India is on track to become the country with the second-largest metro rail network in the world after China, with Union Minister Manohar Lal saying the country could overtake the United States within the next two years.

India’s metro rail network has now expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities. The network is only 216 km shorter than the US metro rail network, which stands at 1,386 km, according to figures cited by the minister.

India’s metro network expands rapidly

Speaking after the inauguration of an extended metro service in Indore, Manohar Lal highlighted the pace at which metro connectivity has grown in India.

He said metro services were operational across just 245 km in five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014. The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities.

The minister said India could overtake the US in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years and become the world’s second-largest country in this segment after China.

China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, according to the figures cited by the minister.

Indore metro extension inaugurated

The minister made the remarks after inaugurating an extended section of the Indore metro. The project was built at a cost of around Rs 2,850 crore.

The Indore metro was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations. Following the extension, the service will operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the metro service would mark a new phase in Indore’s development. He also said the network would eventually be extended to Ujjain and other nearby areas.