Business
A ‘Pushpak’ On Land? This Rail Network Will Let Trains Zoom 1,000 KM In Just 4 Hours, Connecting Multiple Countries
Trans-European Transport Network: Europe is gearing up for a transformative high-speed train network that could change the way people travel across the continent. According to the European Commission, the plan aims to connect multiple countries with trains capable of reaching speeds of 250 kilometres per hour. By 2040, passengers will be able to cover long distances in nearly half the time it takes today.
At present, a journey from Berlin to Copenhagen takes roughly seven hours. Under the new network, the same trip will take just four hours by 2030. Similarly, the Sofia to Athens route, which presently requires 14 hours, will be completed in six hours by 2035.
Direct high-speed links are also proposed between Paris and Lisbon via Madrid and Warsaw to Tallinn via Riga, making international travel faster and more convenient than ever before.
The plan marks a renaissance for European rail travel, creating a modern, efficient and eco-friendly transportation era. Travellers moving from Prague to Rome will be able to complete their trip in just 10 hours, while Stockholm to Copenhagen journeys will shrink to four hours.
This network is expected to strengthen tourism, commerce and cultural exchange across the continent.
The project forms a key part of the European Commission’s ambitious Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), which seeks to integrate railways, roads, ports and air transport into a unified infrastructure.
Environmental experts are confident that this shift from air and car travel to high-speed rail could drastically reduce carbon emissions. If passengers prefer trains for long-distance journeys, thousands of tons of greenhouse gases could be avoided annually.
Although cost details are still being finalised, officials promise that the network will provide a budget-friendly alternative to flights. Faster travel times combined with affordability mean that high-speed trains could become a preferred choice for business and leisure travellers.
Europe is set to witness a new era where cities feel closer, journeys become faster and rail travel reclaims its place as the lifeblood of continental mobility.
With trains that promise efficiency, sustainability and seamless connectivity, this high-speed revolution is poised to reshape the way Europe moves.
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The NIPFP’s outlook positions India as one of the fastest-growing major economies in FY26, even amid global uncertainties.
The NIPFP projected retail inflation at 1.6 per cent in the current financial year, citing easing food inflation.
The Indian economy is likely to expand by 7.4 per cent in FY26, driven by the positive impact of goods and services tax (GST) rate rationalisation, a revival in domestic demand, and strong performance in the US economy, according to the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) in its latest mid-year economic review released on Tuesday.
The projection marks a significant upgrade from NIPFP’s April estimate of 6.6 per cent growth, and also surpasses the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) latest forecast of 6.8 per cent.
“Largely on the back of robust public sector investment, revival in domestic consumption demand in both rural and urban areas, goods and services tax (GST) rate rationalisation, and the external sector, especially the US performing to its potential, the economy is expected to clock this robust growth,” the review stated.
Alternate Growth Scenarios
The autonomous research institution, which functions under the finance ministry, presented two alternative scenarios based on the performance of the US economy.
If the US output stays 1 per cent above potential, India’s GDP could expand by 8.8 per cent in FY26. Conversely, if the US output remains 1 per cent below potential, India’s growth may slow to 6 per cent.
Inflation Outlook
The NIPFP projected retail inflation at 1.6 per cent in the current financial year, citing easing food inflation. However, it warned of rising core inflation, driven by higher prices of gold and silver, and persistently elevated edible oil inflation.
“Our inflation projection is quite lower than the 2.6 per cent estimated by the RBI. The inflation is expected to remain 1.1 per cent in Q3 and 0.8 per cent in Q4,” the review noted. It added that while buoyant domestic demand from GST rate restructuring poses an upside risk, moderating energy prices and Trump tariff-induced demand moderation could act as downside risks.
Trade Concerns and Diversification
On the external front, the NIPFP highlighted that most bilateral trade deals disproportionately benefit the United States, urging India to diversify its services exports to mitigate potential risks from widening US tariffs.
“Unlike some countries, India holds very little leverage in merchandise exports, which are concentrated in a few sectors. In the case of services, more than half of India’s exports are to the US, and they face real risk if the net of Trump tariffs widens. Hence, diversification is the key,” the review cautioned.
With strong fiscal support, GST-driven efficiency gains, and resilient domestic demand, the NIPFP’s outlook positions India as one of the fastest-growing major economies in FY26, even amid global uncertainties.
Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h…Read More
Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h… Read More
November 12, 2025, 08:26 IST
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Osmond ChiaBusiness reporter
Getty ImagesApple has confirmed that it has removed two of China’s most popular gay dating apps – Blued and Finka – from its app store in the country following an order from authorities.
“We follow the laws of the countries where we operate. Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only,” an Apple spokesperson said.
The move has raised concerns amongst the LGBT community in the country.
The BBC has contacted the Chinese embassy in Washington and the companies behind both apps for comment.
A “lite” version of the Blued app remains available on Chinese app stores, according to checks by the BBC. Some other gay and bisexual dating apps are also still available in the country, like Jicco and Jack’d.
Blued is one of the most widely-used gay dating apps in China, with tens of millions of downloads.
Apple runs a separate app store in China, in accordance with the country’s strict internet laws. Popular apps like Instagram and WhatsApp are not available in China.
Android device users there use locally adapted versions of the operating system as the Google Play Store is also blocked in China.
Members of the LGBT community expressed concerns about the removal of Blued and Finka, with one saying, “I hope those heterosexual policymakers can understand that love is rare – it’s not something shameful or unspeakable.”
Screenshot from Huawei AppGalleryIn 2022, popular US-based gay dating app Grindr was removed from Apple’s App Store in China shortly after the Cyberspace Administration of China began a crackdown on content it viewed as illegal and inappropriate.
The following year, the Chinese government announced new rules requiring all apps serving domestic users to register for licenses, resulting in a slew of foreign apps being removed online.
The online regulator said the rules were designed to “promote the standardised and healthy development of the internet industry.”
Homosexuality was decriminalised in China in 1997, though same-sex marriages remain unrecognised.
Advocacy groups, including the Beijing LGBT Center and the ShanghaiPride, have ceased operations in China in recent years.
Mumbai: Tata Trusts on Tuesday inducted Neville Tata, son of Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, and group veteran Bhaskar Bhat, to the board of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) — with effect from November 12 for a period of three years.
The Board of Trustees of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) also decided to appoint Venu Srinivasan as Trustee for a period of three years, with effect from November 12, “in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and to designate him as Vice Chairman of SDTT”.
“The Board of Trustees of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) held a meeting today and unanimously approved the induction of Mr Bhaskar Bhat and Mr Neville Tata as Trustees with effect from 12th November 2025 for a period of 3 years,” according to a Tata Trusts statement.
Neville Tata, 32 and a Bayes Business School graduate, currently serves on the boards of JRD Tata Trust, Tata Social Welfare Trust, and RD Tata Trust, and could also be inducted into Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), which, together with SDTT, holds more than 51 per cent of Tata Sons.
Meanwhile, Bhat, 71, began his career at Godrej & Boyce in 1978 before joining the Tata Watch Project which later became Titan.
As managing director from 2002 to 2019, he expanded Titan’s portfolio beyond watches into eyewear, jewellery, fragrances, accessories, and more.
Established in 1892, the Tata Trusts are India’s oldest and amongst Asia’s largest philanthropic institutions.
They have played a pioneering role in bringing about an enduring difference in the lives of the communities they serve, advancing equity, resilience, and shared progress.
Inspired by the vision of the Founder Jamsetji Tata and guided by a legacy of proactive philanthropy, the Tata Trusts work to catalyse systemic and sustainable change across diverse areas by building institutions, strengthening public systems, and accelerating socio-economic development in a wide variety of areas.
Earlier this month, Mehli Mistry announced to step down as a Trustee of Tata Trusts. In a letter addressed to Noel Tata, he recalled a commitment he made to the Trusts’ late former chairman, Ratan Tata.
“My commitment to Mr. Ratan N Tata’s vision includes a responsibility to ensure that the Tata Trusts are not plunged into controversy. I believe that precipitating matters would cause irreparable harm to the reputation of the Tata Trusts,” he wrote in the letter.
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