A month in the India Transport Sector (No 24)

May, 2013

FOCUS: METRO PROJECTS

DELHI METRO PHASE III GETS THE FINANCIAL GO-AHEAD The Budget 2013 brought good news for the Delhi Metro Phase III development infusing it with a fresh lease of life with a whopping 7700 crore INR. More information on ITP BANGALORE METRO GETS 110 MILLION INJECTION Financial issues have been largely assuaged for the Bangalore Rail Metro Corporation (BMRC) as it received approximately 110 million for its phase I constructions. The agreement was signed between the French Development Agency (AFD) and the BMRC as part of a long-term credit facility agreement. More information on ITP MUMBAI METRO The much awaited Mumbai Metro running through Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar might be delayed once again. Although planned to become operational by August 2013, it seems unlikely that the deadline will be met according to an announcement by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). More information on ITP KOCHI METRO TO BE COMPLETED IN THREE YEARS The city of Kochi should have its metro system operation in the next three years, according to E Shreedharan, who is widely accredited with the success of the Delhi Metro. More information on ITP ASSAM BUDGET PROPOSES METRO FOR GUWAHATI The Assam Government reiterated its seriousness for a rapid mass transport system in the capital city of Guwahati by proposing a budget for the metro system for the city. A Guwahati metro has been on the cards for a long time. More information on ITP

EDITORIAL

We are pleased to inform you that our Media Partnership with TyrExpo India 2013 allows us to offer the India Transport Portal audience a free entry ticket! Please find attached to this email the free ticket PDF that just need to be filled in and sent back to the Event organizer ECI International or through their website: www.eciinternational.com. TyrExpo is a great exhibition that we cover since its beginning in 2011. Hundreds of exhibitors tackle every aspect of the tyre industry: technology, wheel alignment, retreading etc. Do not miss this event based at the Chennai Trade Center, Hall 1, 9-11 July. And stay tuned at India Transport Portal, as several interviews with various TyrExpo exhibitors should be released. Since the beginning of India Transport Portal, we have been very committed to tyre issues. We aim to tackle and report on every challenge that is driving India tyre market. Interviews with Key Opinion Leaders, articles dedicated to major players and and a special issue regarding radialisation are part of our commitment. India Transport Portal is now coming over with a new special issue that will tackle rolling resistance regulation, studying European Union labeling case and how India should benefit from such thresholds. The magazine should be ready soon. Please contact us if you want more information on this initiative.

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A month in the India Transport Sector (No 24)

May, 2013 RAIL ENHANCEMENT

INDIAN RAILWAYS ONLINE Many have been pleased to hear about Indian Railways going digital. Standing in long queues and paying ticketing agents to obtain tickets are to be done away with the Indian Railways online portal. Booking tickets, viewing the latest timetables and other relevant information are now much easier for many rail users. More information in ITP COOL, COMFORTABLE TRAVEL THIS SUMMER WITH THE BANGALORECHENNAI AC DOUBLE-DECKER TRAIN Passengers have been eagerly awaiting the airconditioned double-decker train, linking Bangalore to Chennai, which had its trial run last week. Already, since 2011-2012, three other Indian railway routes (New Delhi Jaipur, Howrah Dhanbad, and Mumbai Ahmedabad) have had double-decker trains. More information in ITP MUMBAI COMMUTERS TO GET AIRCONDITIONED COACHES Commuting in Mumbai is not for the light hearted. During peak hours the suburban trains are full to the brim with passengers packed in very tightly. And Mumbais hot and humid climate doesnt help the problem. The demand for air-conditioned coaches for the travelling workforce therefore was not an unjustified one. Despite the demand, however, the issue has not been addressed in previous years' rail budgets. More information in ITP

RAILWAYS ISSUES
TOP FOREIGN COMPANIES VIE TO WIN INDIAN RAILWAYS PROJECT IN BIHAR Indian Railways intends to invite bids in March 2013 for purchasing power parity contracts to establish electric and diesel locomotive production facilities in Bihar at Madhepura and Marhoura to manufacture 8.94MW and 3.73MW locomotives, respectively. According to Indian Railways, it needs to produce 2,010 electric and 2,000 diesel locomotives over the next five years. Siemens, Alstom, GE, and EMD are the four companies that have been asked to bid for the project. The latter two are also in the running for involvement in the diesel factory. Together, the two ventures are expected to cost around Rs 40,000 crore. More information on ITP TRANS ASIAN RAILWAY NETWORK In the 1960s when air travel was not as developed as it is today, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific envisaged a railway network system to transport freight across Europe and Asia. The Trans Asian Railway had the goal of reducing the time and cost of shipping between in Asia and Europe. This initiative progressed slowly due to political problems that arose due to strained relations between the countries involved. More information on ITP LAUNCH OF FIRST ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE WITH AMUL BRANDING The brick red electric locomotive engines that Indian travellers grew up with may soon become a thing of the past. With the first electric locomotive engine carrying the unmistakable branding of one of the largest milk brands of the country, Indian Railways is set to step into a brand new future. In a first in the country, Amul the largest milk brand in India, has secured its place with the iconic Indian Railways to carry out is brand merchandizing and advertising. With a penetration as deep as that of the Indian Railways, Amul can hope to reach out to millions across the length and breadth of the country. More information on ITP

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A month in the India Transport Sector (No 24)

May, 2013 TRUCK ISSUES

NOBODY IN INDIA SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND THE FUNCTIONAL UTILITY OF A TRUCK-TRAILER. PRADEEP G. S. HEAD OF SALES AND MARKETING JOST Pradeep G. S. has over 18 years of experience in the Auto ancillary industry. 12 years with Bosch (electrical division) and 6 years with Jost (www.jostworld.com coupling and chassis devices for truck-tractors and trailers). He has dealt with most of the Indian 2 wheeler, 3 wheeler, Tractor, passenger car and commercial vehicle OEMs in India in his career so far. He is currently, Head of Sales and Marketing (OE, Aftermarket, Service) with Jost looking after business development, project management, branding, dealer management, warranty administration, service and all related functions. More information on ITP NEW LOW FOR TRUCK SALES Truck sales in the country remain severely affected due to the less-thanbuoyant economic environment. According to reports in February, the sales of trucks in the 5 49 tonne category bore the brunt of the economic slump. According to reports from the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training, sales in this category of heavy commercial goods vehicles dropped by 37% on last year. The situation is unlikely to improve as truck owners remain doubtful about an imminent economic recovery. More information on ITP

AUTO INDUSTRY
CAR SALES DOWN The once booming Indian automobile industry witnessed its steepest fall in 12 years this February. Car sales growth rate fell by almost 26% as the industry was hit by multiple adverse factors. More information on ITP VOLKSWAGEN SEES DROP IN FEBRUARY SALES Volkswagen India sold 5,800 passengers cars in January 2012 and managed to sell only 4,600 units in January 2013. More information on ITP PRODUCTION SLOWDOWN FOR TATA MOTORS The slowdown seems to have affected several domestic and foreign players who have cut down on their production volumes. Tata Motors slashed its production for various models of cars due to the backlog of unsold units. More information on ITP

GOOD START TO THE YEAR FOR RENAULT INDIA It finally seems that the long dry spell for Renault India is finally over with the company witnessing record sales in February 2013. From extremely modest sales figures of 673 in February last year, Renault India posted a ten-fold increase in the number of sales of its units this year. More information on ITP NEW NISSAN LAUNCHES IN THE PIPELINE FOR 2013 Japanese car giant Nissan, which has had a fruitful year in sales, has plans to introduce as many as four new cars this year. More information on ITP VOLVO BIG PLANS FOR INDIA Swedish based auto giant, Volvo Car Corporation, has big plans for India and is looking into setting up an assembly unit in the country. Despite current slow economic growth, Volvo Auto India expects to increase its sales in the country in 2013. More information on ITP

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A month in the India Transport Sector (No 24)

May, 2013 ADVERTISE WITH US

CONNECTIVITY PROJECTS
MUMBAI LOOKING FORWARD TO UNINTERRUPTED CONNECTIVITY BY END OF THE YEAR Mumbai's longest elevated urban road to completed by the end of the yearMumbai is a teeming city of millions, a bustling metropolis where travelling anywhere can take the best part of the day, and 24 hours never seems like enough! The city can now take a breather with India's longest elevated urban road being constructed in Mumbai. The first phase of the Eastern Freeway Project (EFP) almost 9.3km long was completed in the second week of March. An initiative of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), this 16.4km controlledaccess stretch is being built at an estimated cost of INR8.88 billion. More information on ITP KISHANGARH UDAIPUR AHMEDABAD HIGHWAY PROJECT Infrastructure needs to be upgraded constantly to meet the growing demands of industrialisation and development of India. The Kishangarh-UdaipurAhmedabad stretch of highway, a four-lane highway, is part of the Delhi Mumbai Golden Quadrilateral. GMR Infrastructure, one of the largest developers of roads, utilities and airports in India, had been awarded the ambitious project in 2011 to upgrade the 555 kilometre stretch of highway from four lanes to six lanes. However, the plan has now gone into limbo as GMR has cancelled the contract with NHAI. More information on ITP INCREASING PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN NEW DELHI The government of Delhi recently announced it would increase its fleet of low-floor busses across the city. As a substantial number of old DTC busses are about to complete their run of 5 lakh kilometers and prepare to retire, they will be replaced by the swanky low-floor AC busses. More information on ITP

More information on ITP

ABOUT US
Indian Transport Portal is an online news center covering the most critical industrial issues related to transport markets in India. India Transport Portal is edited by Digital Bizzline Ltd. a UK based press agency recently launched by a group of freelance journalists. Digital Bizzline Ltd. is registered at the Companies House UK: 07301455 contact@indiatransportportal.com

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3RD ANNUAL MODERN RAILWAYS May 29 31, 2013 Singapore TRANSPORT LOGISTIC June 4- 7, 2013 Messe Mnchen TYREXPO July 9 13, 2013 Chennai

2ND ANNUAL ROAD AND HIGHWAYS July 9 13, 2013 Chennai

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