Good morning, Bengaluru!
☁️ Today’s weather: High: 29 ℃ | Low: 18 ℃ | Partly cloudy sky towards afternoon or evening.
🧐 Did you know? Elgin, built in 1886, was the first theatre in Bengaluru. It closed down in 2012.
🛣️ Expressway open
The Karnataka stretch of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway, part of South India’s first greenfield expressway, is now open to the public.
What’s it about? Although construction on the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu stretches is ongoing, the 71-km operational section in Karnataka is attracting locals and Bengaluru residents for long drives.
- Villagers and urban dwellers are using the road for leisure rides, often taking U-turns at the end of the stretch since toll fees are not yet being collected.
- The ₹17,900-crore project aims to revolutionise travel between Bengaluru and Chennai by reducing the journey time from seven hours to just three.
Full route: The 260-km, four-lane, high-speed corridor, once fully operational, will connect the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, boosting regional economic activity and easing congestion on the existing highway to Chennai.
🚇 Metro@Infosys
The Infosys Electronics City campus will soon provide employees direct access to the Konappana Agrahara Metro Station, part of the Yellow Line (RV Road-Bommasandra), through a newly completed Metro Plaza.
What’s it about? This station, funded by the Infosys Foundation, features a 372-metre foot overbridge linking it directly to the campus. Employees can swipe their access cards at the plaza to seamlessly enter or exit the campus and commute via the Metro.
- The Metro Plaza, designed to enhance convenience and security for Infosys employees, also includes a separate entrance for public use.
- Infosys contributed ₹115 crore to this project, allocating ₹100 crore for the station’s construction and ₹15 crore for installing platform screen doors.
Salient features: The station boasts modern features such as half-height platform screen doors, an aesthetically designed façade, and exhibition space. It is also expected to receive green certification from the Indian Green Building Council, emphasising sustainability.
📃 Industrial corridor tender
The Hyderabad-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (HBIC), a collaborative venture between the Central Government and the Andhra Pradesh government, is progressing with plans to float tenders for selecting an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor.
What’s it about? The HBIC aims to enhance industrial connectivity and infrastructure between Hyderabad and Bengaluru. It will strategically link two major regional corridors: the Chennai-Bangalore Industrial Corridor (CBIC) and the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC).
- Union Minister Piyush Goyal shared updates regarding the project in the Rajya Sabha while addressing Congress MP Anil Kumar Mandadi’s queries regarding the corridor’s timeline and current status.
- Goyal alleged that while the project was first announced in 2007, it saw no real progress until 2014.
Project goals: Once operational, the HBIC and its pivotal Orvakal Node are expected to catalyse regional economic development, strengthening industrial ties and boosting connectivity in southern India.
🛵 Bengaluru first
Deliveries of the TVS X electric scooter are set to begin soon, starting in Bengaluru.
What’s it about? Launched in August 2023, the TVS X is the second fully-electric model listed by TVS, alongside the iQube, but its first unit is yet to reach customers. TVS has confirmed that the first dispatches will occur within a few days, with Bengaluru customers being prioritised.
- Post Bengaluru, deliveries will expand to cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Coimbatore.
- Priced at ₹2.50 lakh (ex-showroom), the TVS X was India’s most expensive electric scooter at launch, though it now faces competition from BMW Motorrad’s CE 04 and CE 02 scooters.
Early bird offers: Early adopters of the TVS X will enjoy exclusive perks, as the first 2,000 units will feature a “First Edition” insignia and include a free smartwatch and a concierge package worth ₹18,000.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you ever gone on a long drive?
- I have gone on a long drive.
- I have not gone on a long drive.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s the maximum number of hours per week you are comfortable working for (with due compensation)?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The BBMP is planning a 10-km expressway from Banashankari to NICE Road to alleviate traffic on Kanakapura Road.
- OnePlus was fined ₹5,000 by a city consumer panel for not providing a user manual with a smartphone.
- Shares of Biocon slipped up to 4.14% after the company received an Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) with a Voluntary Action Indicated (VAI) status from the USFDA for its facility located at the Bommasandra-Jigani link road.
- Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited (AISATS) has introduced the innovative Aerowash service at the Kempegowda International Airport.
- The Center of Excellence in Autonomous Mobility was inaugurated at MIT Bengaluru by Dr TG Sitharam, Chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have watched movies in a single-screen theatre: 78.6% 🏆
- I have not watched movies in a single-screen theatre: 21.4%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Which sports should India focus most on for podium finishes in the Olympics?
Simon: “Boxing, weight lifting, shooting”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!