Prime Minister Modi Launches Bengaluru Metro Pink Line and Vande Bharat Express

UPDATE - follow-up to Modi in Bengaluru: PM flags off elevated stretch of Namma Metro Pink Line | LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the newly built elevated section of the Bengaluru metro Pink Line at Tavarekere station on November 13, 2026.

Launch Events

Mr. Modi also launched the Bengaluru-Mangaluru-Goa Vande Bharat Express and opened four redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. He arrived at HAL Airport where he was received by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Governor Sudha Yadav, Union Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna, and Bengaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje. The Prime Minister then traveled to S-VYASA university to take part in the golden jubilee celebrations of Prashanti Kutiram, which also marked the birth centenary of former RSS general secretary H.V. Sheshadri.

Project Details

During the visit, Mr. Modi laid foundation stones and inaugurated development projects worth over ₹15,600 crore in Bengaluru. He took a train ride from Tavarekere to the IIM Bangalore metro station. Governor Dr. Sudha Yadav, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byregowda, and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya also attended the inauguration. The Prime Minister paid tribute to late former Union Minister Ananth Kumar on his death anniversary, noting his strong ties to Bengaluru. He stated that the new metro line will improve connections to educational institutions like IIM Bengaluru as well as major business and technology hubs, helping commuters save time and money. However, the opening of this elevated section offers only limited relief to city traffic because the underground section connecting the Central Business District to north Bengaluru remains pending.

State Demands

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar submitted a formal representation asking the Prime Minister for financial aid and policy changes. Mr. Shivakumar requested ₹22,000 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund to help deal with severe drought conditions that affected 246 taluks across Karnataka after the state received its second-lowest rainfall in 70 years, damaging nearly 85 lakh hectares of crops. The Chief Minister also asked the Centre to address sugarcane farmers' demands for ₹5,500 per tonne against the Fair and Remunerative Price of ₹3,650, urged a revision of the sugar minimum selling price which has stayed at ₹31 per kg since 2019, and called for a fair share of ethanol allocation. Furthermore, Mr. Shivakumar raised concerns about metro project funding, noting that Karnataka bears 84% of project costs and requesting fairer financial sharing, operational loss-sharing, and faster approvals for pending projects like the Red Line.

Context

Infrastructure expansions like the Namma Metro and Vande Bharat trains aim to ease congestion in growing urban centers while improving regional connectivity. Large-scale transport projects typically involve complex funding agreements and land acquisition processes shared between central and state governments.