Pune Metro expansion adds IT hub connectivity as ₹21800-crore projects advance

PUNE: Pune’s Metro network is set for a major expansion with projects worth around ₹21,800 crore inaugurated and taken up for implementation, including a corridor connecting the Hinjawadi IT hub with Shivajinagar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for the projects on November 3, 2026, through video conferencing. The initiatives are expected to strengthen connectivity between different parts of Pune and support the city’s growing economic and industrial activity.

The inauguration of the Hinjawadi–Shivajinagar corridor is significant for connectivity to one of Pune’s major IT hubs. The Prime Minister also referred to a new Metro line initiated as part of the expansion, which is intended to improve links between the older and newer parts of the city.

The Hinjawadi–Shivajinagar corridor has been developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, bringing together government and private-sector participation. The Prime Minister described it as a model that could provide further momentum to infrastructure development.

The projects form part of a wider expansion of urban transport infrastructure in Maharashtra. According to the Prime Minister, the state’s operational Metro network has grown from around 10–11 km in 2014 to nearly 175 km, while more than 680 km of Metro lines are under construction, involving investments exceeding ₹2.5 lakh crore.

At the national level, India’s Metro network has expanded to nearly 1,200 km across 26 cities over the past 12 years, serving more than one crore commuters daily, the Prime Minister said.

Modi highlighted the role of mass transit in reducing commuting time, improving ease of living and strengthening urban productivity. He said cities must increasingly be developed as centres of economic activity and called for smaller cities to emerge as growth hubs.

He also referred to the Urban Challenge Fund, approved in February 2026, with ₹1 lakh crore in Central assistance intended to mobilise larger investments in urban development. He urged urban local bodies and private-sector partners to participate in the initiative.

The Prime Minister linked infrastructure investment with employment generation and economic growth, noting that spending on transport, roads, railways, airports and other public infrastructure creates opportunities for workers, engineers, businesses and industries.

The Pune Metro expansion is expected to strengthen the city’s public transport network as it continues to develop as a centre for information technology, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, startups, innovation and manufacturing.