Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Pune Metro Line 3 through video conference. The corridor promises faster IT-hub travel and highlights women's role in operations.Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pune Metro Projects, virtually on Tuesday, November 3. (@NarendraModi/Yt via PTI Photo)Pune,Nov 3, 2026 17:18 ISTPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated Pune Metro Line 3, a 23-km corridor connecting Shivajinagar with the Hinjawadi IT hub, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the new line would reduce daily travel time for thousands of commuters.The corridor between Shivajinagar District Court and Maan in Hinjawadi has 23 stations and was inaugurated by the prime minister through video conference. Fadnavis said it would ease travel on the busy route and improve commuters' quality of life."This is a very important development for Pune, particularly for its IT hub, Hinjawadi.
It will save commuters' time and effort and provide relief from the heavy traffic congestion," Fadnavis said at the ceremony, according to PTI.The corridor was the first metro project approved under the Centre's 2017 public-private partnership policy on a model in which private partners design, build, finance and operate the project before transferring it. The project was awarded to a joint venture of Tata Realty and Siemens. "Despite several challenges, the metro line was completed and is now operational," the chief minister said.Highlighting women's participation in the project, Fadnavis said nearly 100 train operators on the new Pink Line were women.
Women also made up about 50 per cent of the overall metro staff, including train pilots, PTI reported. "Even during the construction phase, women held key engineering responsibilities. In that sense, this metro project is inspired by women's empowerment," he said.Foundation stones for four more metro corridors under Phase II were also laid on Tuesday.
Fadnavis said these corridors would expand connectivity across Pune and increase the city's total metro network to about 120 km, extending up to the proposed Purandar airport.Referring to infrastructure plans for Pune and the Pune Metropolitan Region, Fadnavis said the Mahayuti government had prepared an integrated development roadmap covering the Outer Ring Road, Inner Ring Road, High-Capacity Mass Transit Route, tunnels and essential civic infrastructure.He said the plan also included upgrades to drinking water supply and drainage facilities across the Pune Metropolitan Region. The Centre would provide Rs 5,000 crore for the region's Growth Centre to fund development projects, he added.The newly operational Metro Line 3 is expected to ease travel between Shivajinagar and Hinjawadi, while the planned corridors and infrastructure projects will expand transport and civic facilities across Pune and its metropolitan region.- Ends