ACTING MANAGING EDITORMohammed Salim Mohamed

ADVERTISING MANAGER Ali Wahba

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDr. Khalid M Al-Shafi

COVER / DESIGNAbraham Augusthy

AMBASSADOR’S MESSAGE

P. Kumaran

India celebrates its 70th Republic Day today. It was on this historic day, 69 years ago, that the Constitution of a newly independent India, adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949, came into force. This Constitution, the longest written constitution in the world, enshrines the ideals and aspirations that guided India’s peaceful

freedom movement. India, today a country of nearly 1.3 billion people, the world’s largest democracy and the third largest economy in purchasing-power-parity terms, is marching ahead on the path of development on multiple fronts.

My colleagues in the Embassy, and our families, join me in conveying our warmest greetings and best wishes to all fellow Indians in the State of Qatar on India’s 70th Republic Day. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Emir of Qatar, H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AI Thani, H H the Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa AI Thani and the Government of the State of Qatar for their continued patronage and support for the Indian community in Qatar.

India retained its position as the world’s fastest growing large economy in 2018. As per the World Bank, the Indian economy is expected to grow 7.3% in 2019-20 and by 7.5% over the next two years, driven by increased private spending and export growth. Based on these trends, our GOP is expected to rise to over US$5 trillion by 2030.

The large and diversified Indian economy, and the consistently high growth rates achieved over many years, offers significant opportunities for foreign investors, including from Qatar, in a number of sectors. India is now ready for business as never before. In the last four years, we have jumped 65 places in the Global Ranking of World Bank’s Doing Business Report. From 142 in 2014 to 77 now, but we are still not satisfied. Our target is to be in the top 50 by next year. We have also made impressive improvements to our rankings on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index and the Global Innovation Index (Gil) over the past few years. The implementation of the Goods and Services Tax and other measures of Simplification and consolidation of taxes have reduced transaction costs and made processes efficient. In Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), we are one of the most open countries now. Most sectors of our economy are now open for FDI and more than 90 percent approvals have been put on automatic route. Such measures have propelled our economy on to a high growth path. In the last four years alone, we have received FDI worth 263 billion Dollars.

India was the world’s top foreign remittance recipient in 2018, with inflows of US$ 80 billion, according to the World Bank. We were among the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world in 2017, with a growth of 14 percent over 2016, while the world grew at an average of 7 percent in the same year. We have also been the fastest-growing aviation market in the world, with double-digit growth in passenger ticketing terms, for over four years. As a result, India is expected to become world’s third largest aviation market by 2024. Our healthcare system is at the threshold of a transformation as a result of our new Medical Assurance Scheme called ‘Ayushman Bharat’. This is slated to benefit about 500 million people - which is more than the population of United States, Canada and Mexico combined. ‘Ayushman Bharat’ is expected to provide huge investment opportunities in the areas of health infrastructure, medical equipment manufacturing, and healthcare services. On the energy front, we are now the fifth largest producer of renewable energy in the world, being the fourth largest in Wind Energy and the fifth largest producer of Solar Energy.

The overseas Indian community is an integral part of India’s development journey. This is equally true in the case of Qatar, where the large and diverse Indian community has earned a well-deserved reputation for its cornmitment, hard work and law-abiding nature. While this is a time for us to celebrate India’s successes, it is also an occasion for us to re-dedicate ourselves to the task of contributing to India’s ability to scale greater heights. I am delighted

that this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, held from 21-23 January 2019 in Varanasi, again witnessed the presence of more than 150 representatives from Qatar, making us one of the largest delegations at this event. This year’s event was also special as Cdr. (Rtd) Purnendu Tiwari, Managing Director of Dahra Technologies and Consultancy Services, was accorded the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Sam man Award by the Hon’ble President of India, Shri Ramnath Kovind, for his valuable contributions to the India-Qatar defence relationship. He is the fourth recipient of this award from the Indian community in Qatar.

India-Qatar cooperation in diverse sectors has been steadily growing in an excellent framework provided by historically close ties and regular and SUbstantive engagement, including at the highest levels of the two Governments. It remains our constant endeavour to ensure that the Indian Embassy in Doha is fully geared to achieve the targets jOintly envisioned by the leadership of our countries.

On this auspicious day, we also recognize and celebrate our deep-rooted, historical and multi-faceted ties with Qatar, and take this opportunity to thank the people of Qatar for their warmth and hospitality. Qatar’s progress in various areas, particularly in infrastructure, food security, transport, international trade, tourism and other sectors has been impressive. It is heartening to note that the Indian community, over the years, has played a significant role in contributing towards Qatar’s progress and in nurturing the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Our historical links serve as a solid foundation to our growing contemporary relationship. We have had three highly successful visits at the highest levels of the two Governments over the last three years, which have set the framework for enhanced cooperation across various areas. The Hon’ble External Affairs Minister of India, Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, visited Qatar in October 2018 for the first time. Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, H.E. Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman AI Thani, visited India in August 2017. We also held the Third Round of Foreign Office Consultations in August 2018. Besides these, we have had a number of other substantive visits by official and business delegations, which have added momentum to the growing engagement in trade and commerce. Both countries are keen to expand collaborations for their mutual benefit in the fields of energy, business, finance and investments, infrastructure development, education and research, sports, travel and tourism, and other areas. It is also heartening to note that Indian companies are playing an important role in various projects in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

India greatly values Qatar’s vital partnership in the energy sector. We deeply appreciate the role played by Qatar as a reliable and dependable source of energy to meet the growing demands of India. Qatar is the largest exporter of LNG and LPG to India, while it is the 12th largest exporter of crude oil to India. Qatar’s exports to India currently amount to over $10 billion, making India the third largest export destination for Qatari products. Our Petroleum Minister has indicated that India plans to increase the share of natural gas in India’s energy mix, currently at about 7%, to 20% by 2030. Qatar will therefore continue to be a key partner in our energy security calculus for many years to come.

The two new direct shipping lines established between Qatar and Indian ports in 2017 have facilitated strengthening of our trade links substantially. 24 fully-owned Indian companies and an estimated 6000 Qatar-India joint ventures operate in various sectors of the Qatari economy, underlining the depth of our economic links.

Qatar Petroleum’s decision to expand LNG output from the North Field to 110 million tonnes, liberalisation of visa regulations, changes introduced to Company Law, ongoing reform of labour laws and the proposed Permanent Residency scheme for longstanding foreign residents are developments that offer exciting new opportunities. A number of Indian trade delegations have visited Qatar in recent months, to participate in trade exhibitions and explore

business opportunities. Similarly, we welcome Qatari

companies to visit trade events in India to identify the best possible partners for collaboration. Defence and Security Cooperation is an important pillar of our bilateral agenda. Our cooperation in the area of training and human resources has been growing in recent times. India regularly participates in the biennial DIMDEX Expos in Qatar. Indian Naval and Coast Guard ships regularly visit Qatar as part of our bilateral cooperation and interaction. We look forward to convening the next meeting of the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) at a mutually convenient time in the near future.

Peace and security in the Gulf are of paramount importance for the continued progress and prosperity of the countries in the region. We are of the view that the countries concerned should resolve their differences through a process of constructive dialogue and peaceful negotiations based on well-established international principles of mutual respect, sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. We welcome the efforts of H.H. the Emir of Kuwait to promote a peaceful resolution of the crisis. We join other world powers in supporting Kuwaiti efforts to mediate a solution.

Cooperation in cultural and youth affairs is another important dimension of our bilateral relationship. There are regular cultural and sports exchanges between the two sides, under the provisions of the bilateral Cultural Cooperation Agreement. 2019 is being celebrated as the India-Qatar Year of Culture. We are happy to partner with the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Qatar Museums, National Tourism Council and Katara Cultural Village and look forward to organizing a number of cultural events during the course of the year, in a manner that effectively showcases the deep cultural roots and people-to-people links between India and Qatar over the years. We are already off to a flying start, with several fashion shows by prominent Indian designers and impressive musical performances by Indian artists since the beginning of the year. Forthcoming events will continue to cover a wide range of activities including dance performances, musical presentations, film festivals, painting and photography exhibitions, food festivals, fashion shows, calligraphy exhibitions, textiles exhibitions and yoga. The Embassy will be working closely with Indian community organizations in the coming months and looks forward to the support of the community to make the Year of Culture 2019 a grand success.

The welfare and well-being of the Indian community in Qatar is a matter of priority for the Embassy of India. Our interface with the community and our outreach to the blue collar workers in particular, is being continuously expanded both directly and through the medium of Indian community organizations. We remain in close contact with the authorities concerned in Qatar, to ensure the welfare and well-being of the Indian nationals. We deeply appreciate their cooperation and support in this regard. The Fifth Meeting of the India-Qatar Joint Working Group on Labour and Manpower Development was held on 14-15 January 2019. We welcome the recent policy reforms announced by the Government of Qatar to protect the rights of expatriate workers. These initiatives indicate Qatar’s willingness to address labour issues in a constructive manner. We look forward to the full implementation of these reforms, so that our blue-collared workers can benefit from them.

As we celebrate our 70th Republic Day, I again warmly congratulate the Indian community in Qatar for their contribution towards the development, progress and prosperity of our host country, and for further strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between India and Qatar.

P. Kumaran

OR’S MESSAGE hat this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held from 2

Narendra ModiPrime Minister

Ram Nath Kovind President

4

Visit of Minister of

External Affairs of India

Sushma Swaraj, the Minister of External Affairs of India, met her counterpart Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and discussed bilateral relations, regional and international issues. A joint declaration to establish a Joint Ministerial Commission was signed.

Industrial Security Directorate delegation visits India

3rd Cultural Diversity FestivalKatara Cultural Village launched the first show of its 3rd Cultural Diversity Festival for Qatari and

Indian bands on 18th October, which would be running till March 9, 2019. Bobby Dance Academy from Gujarat presented Dandiya, Garba and Agni bhavai.

Visit of Economic Relations Secretary

Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs, T S Tirumurti, accompanied by a

two-member delegation visited Qatar on 23 Septem-ber and met the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi and discussed bilateral relations in all fields and means of enhancing and developing them, in addition to a number of issues of common concern. This was the third round of Foreign Office Consultations between the two sides and the first one to be held in Qatar.

As part of enhancing cooperation between Qa-tar and India in the field of industrial security,

a delegation from the General Directorate of In-dustrial Security at the Ministry of Interior visited India on November 19 to exchange experiences in securing and protecting industrial facilities. The Qatari delegation headed by Lt. Col. Kha-lifa Mohammad A Al Atiyya, Director General of

Industrial Security held a meeting with the senior officers of the Central Industrial Security Force, India, led by its Director General Rajesh Ranjan.

The officials discussed mutual cooperation on the use of advanced technology in securing industrial installations, exchange of experiences and best practices, incident response and man-agement systems among other things.

Amir meets Sushma Swaraj

Sushma Swaraj, the Minister of External Affairs of India, paid an official visit to Qatar from October 28-30. She called on Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. She recalled with fondness the visit of H H the Amir to India in March 2015 that was reciprocated by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in June 2016 and discussed ways to move forward on the roadmap set by the leaders.

B i l a t e r a l v i s i t s

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E v e n t s h e l d b y t h e E m b a s s y

Embassy of India, Doha, celebrated the 72nd In-dependence Day of India

(15th August) at the premises of the Indian Cultural Center (ICC), an apex community organisation functioning under the aegis of the Embassy.

The celebration commenced with P Kumaran, Ambassador of India to Qatar, hoisting the national flag and the national an-them was then sung collectively.

The Ambassador thereafter read out the Hon’ble President’s message. The students from In-dian schools in Doha presented patriotic songs during the event which was attended by 1000 people including, members of the Indian community and local media personnel.

All the 14 Indian schools in Qatar also celebrated the Inde-pendence Day of India.

Sadbhavana DiwasAmbassador P Kumaran administered

the pledge to the officials of the Em-bassy (20th August), on the occasion of

“Sadbhavana Diwas” to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minis-ter Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi.

Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz The 1st round of the 2nd edition of

‘Bharat Ko Janiye’ Quiz of the Minis-try of External Affairs was held from 16 October to 15 November, 2018. The quiz was conducted to motivate overseas In-dian youth to enhance their knowledge about India. Rohit Birla, Marilyn Rego and Princy Joseph Solomon qualified for the 2nd round of the quiz from Qatar.

Hindi PakhwadaThe Embassy observed “Hindi Pakhwa-

da” from September 14, 2018. A Hindi declamation and poetry recitation was held in the Embassy on 27 September, as a part of the Embassy’s endeavour to promote Hindi.

To commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Val-

labhbhai Patel, National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) was celebrated in the Em-bassy premises on 31 October. The life and achievements of Sardar Patel were highlighted by the Indian Ambassador who also administered a pledge to the officials. A doc-umentary on Sardar Patel was subsequently screened. Indian schools also organised events to spread the message of Sardar Patel by conduct-ing photo exhibitions, quiz competitions and screening of documentaries on Sardar Patel’s life.

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas

Independence Day celebrations

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150th Gandhi Jayanti Celebrations

The Embassy of India, in association with the Indian Cultural Centre, Doha, celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The Indian Ambassador P Kumaran paid floral tributes to Gandhiji. During the event,

special stamps to commemorate the event were released. The Indian community in Doha presented a cultural programme during the event. A quiz competition was conducted and winners were awarded by the Ambassador.

The Indian Schools in Doha also showcased hand-made models as part of the “Best Out of Waste” programme. A digital projection was screened in the hall of the Indian Cultural Centre, Doha. About 500 community members and community leaders attended the event. Indian schools in Doha also arranged the digital projection in their auditorium/classrooms for the benefit of the students.

The Ambassador of India, P Kumaran, along with Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager of the

Katara Cultural Village Foundation, inaugurated (16 - 31 October) “Experi-ments with Truth”, an Exhibition on Gandhiji jointly organized by the Em-bassy of India, Doha and Katara Cultural Village, as part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of the Father of the Nation “Mahatma Gandhi”.

The Ambassadors of Australia, Republic of Korea & Algeria attended the event. About 300 visitors from the Indian community were also present during the Opening Ceremony. More than 75 paintings, based on the life and teachings of Gandhi and his messages relevant in the contemporary world showcased at the exhibition, were contributed by Indian artists from Visual Arts Forum of India (VAFI), Indian schools and cultural centres in Qatar.

Exhibition “Experiments with Truth”

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Indian Naval Ship ‘Mumbai’ visited Doha from 18 to 20 September, 2018 as part of an

operational deployment. Dur-ing the ship’s stay in harbour, the Commanding Officer called on P Kumaran, Ambassador of India to Qatar, and Brigadier (Navy) Faisal Al- Binali, Head of Operations, Qa-tar Emiri Naval Forces. In addition, cross visits, sporting events, visit of Indian school children onboard and a yoga workshop cum demonstra-tion were also conducted.

To enhance interoperability

and imbibe best practices, a Pas-sage Exercise was conducted on 20 September 2018 between Indian Naval Ship ‘Mumbai’ and Qatari Emiri Navy Ships Huwar and Al-Ghariya. The exercise included joint maneuvers, force protection drills, transfer of personnel by boat, heli-copter operations and a steampast.

This comes within the frame-work of India’s efforts to enhance interoperability and share best practices with all its partner coun-tries in the region, for mutual benefit.

Visit of INS Mumbai

Indian Naval Ship ‘Tarangini’ visited Doha from 8 to 11 December. The ship had embarked six officers as ‘sea riders’ from the Qatar Emiri Naval Force for sail ship

experience. During the ship’s stay in harbour, the Commanding officer called on the Indian Ambassador. In addition, cross visits and visit of Indian school children onboard Tarangini were conducted.

Several senior officers of the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces also visited the ship and a walk-around and presentation was conducted for them.

The visit comes under the deep rooted and multi-faceted friendly ties between the two countries and is a testimony of growing maritime cooperation between India and Qatar.

Visit of INS Tarangini

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Inauguration of new Air India Express route

Air India Express inaugurated its full-fledged service between Doha and Kannur on December 10, 2018, a day after Kannur international airport was inaugurated on 9 December 2018.

Qatar-India Year of CultureQatar Museums officially announced India as

2019 ‘Year of Culture’ Partner Nation. An excit-ing array of exhibitions, festivals, competitions and events will be conducted over the next 12 months. These events will cover a wide range of activities including dance performances, musical presen-tations, film festivals, painting and photography exhibitions, food festivals, fashion shows, callig-raphy exhibitions, textiles exhibitions and yoga.

Indian Ambassador P Kumaran met

the CEO of Qatari Diar Company, Eng. Abdullah bin Ha-mad Alattiyah and discussed oppor-tunities to develop real estate invest-ments between the two countries. Eng. Abdullah also briefed on the company’s projects and invest-ments around the world.

Indian Ambassador met H E Sheikh Abdalla bin Saoud Al Thani, Governor of Qatar Central Bank, along with fellow Asian Ambassadors on 6 De-

cember and was briefed on the role and activities of QCB and the financial regulatory system in Qatar.

‘India Pavilion’ at Big 5 Qatar

Ambassador’s meetings

The Confederation of Indian Industry, with the support of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India and in collaboration with the Embassy of India, organised an “India Pavil-ion”, which was inaugurated by the Qatar’s Former Minister of Municipality and Environment,

H E Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi (24 – 26 September). The Indian business delegation comprised various segments such as plant machinery and vehicles, concrete, construction tools and building materials, MEP services, building envelope and special construction, construction technologies and innovations and building interiors and finishes.

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Community Cricket Festival

Gulf Lights Cricket Festival 2018 between Ambassadors XI & Commu-nity XI was played at the Asian Town Cricket Stadium on 7 December. Indian Community Won the toss and elected to field first Ambas-

sadors XI put up 95 runs in the allotted 15 overs. Community XI started very slow and lost wickets at regular intervals finally Ambassadors XI restricted Community XI to 88 runs, to become the Champions and lift the winning trophy for 2018.

ICBF Medical Camp

Indian Ambassador inaugurated the 36th free medical camp organised by the Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF), working under the aegis of

the Embassy, in association with the Ministry of Public Health on 21 December at the Medical Commission Department, Qatar. More than 800 workers benefited from the camp. A team of dedicated doctors from Indian Doctors Club (IDC) and other medical entities in Qatar, comprising general physicians, specialists in orthopae-dic, cardiology, dermatology and oral hygiene extended their services to the workers. The ‘Yoga in Doha’ group conducted yoga sessions for all the workers at the camp.

Indian Super League football club ‘Delhi Dyna-mos’ were in Qatar for pre-season training and the visitors held a cultural gathering in Doha

on 9 September. The event hosted at the Torch Hotel was an opportunity for the Dynamos camp to meet, interact and network while forming new

relationships with key stakeholders and players in the country and the Arab region. Speaking at the event, Ambassador P Kumaran said India and Qatar shared an important and historic partnership. Qatar and Aspire Academy have sound and proven record and ability to deliver excellence in sport and this partnership is set to strengthen further between our two countries, he said.

Visit of Delhi Dynamos to Qatar

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Ease of doing business: India now ranks 77, leapfrogs 23 spots in World Bank report

In a major boost to the government, India jumped to the

77th rank in the World Bank’s latest Ease of Doing Business rank-ings, jumping 23 places from last year.

It was ranked 100 in 2017, 130 in 2016. The jump draws signifi-cance as India always held a rank between 100 and 130 five years ago. India has improved its rank by 53 positions in the last two years, and 65 positions in the last four years (2014-18). When the NDA came to power in 2014, India stood 142nd in World Bank’s “Doing Business” list. The rank is based on a survey of industry in two cities -- Mumbai and Delhi, where par-ticipants provide a feedback.

In its annual ‘Doing Business’ 2019 report, the World Bank said India has improved on six of the 10 parameters on starting and doing business in a country. The checklist includes ease of starting a business, construction per-mits, getting electricity, getting credit, paying taxes, trade across borders, enforcing con-tracts and resolving insolvency.

The Commerce Minister gave out a list of tweets with graphics that say how India improved on many fronts including the ease of securing construction permits, getting an electricity connection, paying taxes and zero-fee for reducing under the shops and

establishments act. According to a statement issued by the finance ministry, India has registered huge improvement in 6 of the 10 indicators and has moved closer to interna-tional best practices.

The biggest improvements have been in the indicators related “construction permits” and “trading across borders”, the ministry added. In the area of construction permits, the country’s ranking has improved by a whop-ping 129 points, 66 in “trading across borders”, it added.

The consistent progress has paced India among the “top 10 improvers” for the second consecutive year, said the Secretary of the De-partment of Industrial Policy and Promotion. The country now ranks first among South Asian countries, compared to the sixth slot it held in 2014.

HIGHLIGHTS

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in-augurated the Bogibeel Bridge, India’s longest rail-road bridge, on the birth anniversary of the

late Atal Bihari Vajpayee — December 25 — ob-served as “Good Governance Day” by the Centre.

The bridge connects the south bank of the Brah-maputra river in Assam’s Dibrugarh district with Silapathar in Dhemaji district, bordering Arunachal Pradesh.

Modi, who flagged off the first train on the bridge, described its opening as a “historic” feat, and called it a lifeline for the people of Assam.

“This will usher in a new era of progress and development for the Northeastern states, with enhanced connectivity that will spur economic growth in the region,” Union Minister JP Nadda said.

INS Arihant, the indigenously-built nuclear-propelled submarine that completed its first deterrence patrol, is capable of firing ballistic missiles and can stay under water for months.

The Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine (SSBN) Arihant is a 6,000-tonne submarine with a length of 110 metres and a breadth of 11 metres. The un-derwater warship is capable of carrying 12 K-15 submarine-launched ballistic missiles having a range of over 700 km.

It can dive to 300 metres and is powered with a 83 MW nuclear power reactor.

SSBNs are usually bigger in size and are pow-ered by a nuclear reactor, as a result they can remain submerged for months without having to surface. This allows them to travel farther and with greater stealth.

They are supposed to be the best guarantee for a second-strike capability in a possible nuclear

exchange scenario. India follows the policy of not using nuclear weapons first.

INS Arihant was launched on July 26, 2009, the anniversary of Kargil War Vijay Diwas, by then

prime minister Man-mohan Singh. Four years later, in August 2013, the submarine’s atomic reactor was activated. Since then, it has undergone ex-tensive sea trials. It was quietly inducted in the Indian Navy in 2016.

It is another fine example of a joint mission of the scien-tists from the Defence Research and Devel-

opment Organisation (DRDO) and the country’s nuclear establish-ment. There are plans to induct Aridhaman, the second SSBN.

INS Arihant: A warship which can dive to

300 metres, remain under water for months

Bogibeel Bridge: Modi opens India’s longest rail-cum-road bridge

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India to construct 100 airports worth $60bn, says Suresh Prabhu

India plans to construct 100 airports at an estimated cost of $60bn (about Rs 4.2 lakh crore) in the next 10 to 15 years, Civil Aviation

Minister of India, Suresh Prabhu said..The country’s aviation sector is one of the

fastest-growing in the world and has recorded 50 months of double-digit traffic growth.

As many as 100 new airports would be built in the next 10 to 15 years for about $60bn. These air-ports are to be constructed through public private partnership, Prabhu said. He said the government is also working on a cargo policy. According to global airlines’ grouping IATA, India is expected to overtake Germany, Japan, Spain and the UK within the next ten years to become the world’s third largest air passenger market.

Train 18, India’s first engineless train, also became the fastest train in the country when it crossed the 180 kilometers per hour (kmph) mark dur-

ing a trial run in the Kota-Sawai Madhopur section. Sharing a video of the trial run in his tweet, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said, “Train 18, manufactured domestically under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, seen scorching the tracks at a phenomenal 180 kmph dur-ing speed trials in Rajasthan.”

According to an IANS report, Train 18 will start its operations from 25 December from New Delhi to Varanasi. “Christmas Day also happens to be the birthday of late prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and it would be a tribute to the great statesman of the country if we manage to launch the next-generation train on that day,” a senior railway official told IANS.

1. The 16-coach train will have two executive compartments with 52 seats each and trailer coaches will have 78 seats each.

2. Train 18, the Rs 100 crore train, when made operational, will become the country’s fastest train.

3. Train 18 will have onboard WiFi, a GPS-based information system, touch-free bio-vacuum toilets, LED lighting, mobile charging points, and a climate control system that adjusts the temperature accord-ing to occupancy and the weather.

4. This high-tech train will provide a major boost to the government’s Make in India campaign. More than 80 per cent of the train’s components have been manufactured in India.

5. The train was designed by Integral Coach Fac-tory (ICF), Chennai.

Train 18, India’s fastest, to replace Shatabdis