Press Release September 16, 2024 | Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today on the sidelines of a renewable energy investor conference:Reply-Invest (External link)“A new metro line connecting the western Indian metropolis of Ahmedabad with the regional capital of Gandhinagar has been opened. Germany’s Minister of Development Svenja Schulze, who represented Germany as the guest country at the meeting, met Prime Minister Modi recently. The metro provides an environmentally friendly and safe transport route for the residents of the metropolitan area with a population of 9 million. Part of the €600 million project was financed under a loan from the German Development Cooperation. Siemens received the order for electrification.
Federal Minister for Development Svenja Schulze visits a metro station in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad.
copyright© Ute Grabowsky/photothek.de
Minister of Development Schulze: “Indian cities are growing like cities around the world. If we rely solely on cars, we will soon have more unbearable traffic and smog problems, and the world will face greater climate problems. So it is good that Ahmedabad is relying on an environmentally friendly metro. This example of German-Indian cooperation is good for the environment and for the Indian people. But Germany also benefits, because our prosperity is based on the fact that other countries are also investing in infrastructure and using technology.Made in Germany‘. German development cooperation is a successful pioneer for economic cooperation and sustainable development. This commitment is an investment that pays off for India, Germany and the world.”
Ahmedabad, one of India’s largest cities, is growing rapidly. Many of its residents work in nearby Gujarat’s administrative capital, Gandhinagar, where a new technology hub is being built. As a result, more and more people are traveling between the two cities. The current public transport infrastructure in this metropolitan area of more than 9 million people can barely keep up. This leads to traffic jams, heavy smog and road deaths.
The new Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar metro line now provides a climate-friendly and safe transport route between the two cities. The initial ridership is expected to be 120,000 per day, and is expected to increase to 330,000 per day over the next 30 years. Commuters from poorer areas of the city, who often cannot afford cars, and women who will now have access to safe transport will also benefit from the new metro line. The metro line will save 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. CO₂ Expected.
The metro line is a result of German-Indian cooperation. As part of this cooperation… BMZ About KfW– The Development Bank of India has provided a €100 million low-cost loan to finance the metro line. The total project cost is €611 million. Siemens, a German company that supplied the electrification technology, is also involved in the construction of the metro line.
More than 90 percent of the agreed cooperation between Germany and India is through loans, which India later repays with interest.
