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By:

Kaustubh Kale

10 September 2024 at 11:37:15 pm

Nine Financial Tips for a Prosperous Navratri

As Navratri draws to a close, I wish you and your family happiness, prosperity, and continued success. Festivals are a time of celebration, but they also serve as a valuable reminder to reflect on our financial habits and strengthen our financial discipline. In the spirit of the nine days of Navratri, here are nine essential financial tips to help you stay on track with your financial goals and make your journey towards financial freedom smoother and more secure. Build an Emergency Fund Make...

Nine Financial Tips for a Prosperous Navratri

As Navratri draws to a close, I wish you and your family happiness, prosperity, and continued success. Festivals are a time of celebration, but they also serve as a valuable reminder to reflect on our financial habits and strengthen our financial discipline. In the spirit of the nine days of Navratri, here are nine essential financial tips to help you stay on track with your financial goals and make your journey towards financial freedom smoother and more secure. Build an Emergency Fund Make sure you have at least six months of living expenses saved in a bank fixed deposit or a debt mutual fund. This reserve will serve as your emergency fund for unforeseen situations and ensures you are prepared for any rainy days. Review Your Asset Allocation Revisit your investments to ensure they align with your goals. For short-term goals within three years, bank fixed deposits, recurring deposits, or debt mutual funds are appropriate. For long-term goals beyond three years, a diversified combination of hybrid/equity mutual funds, direct equities, and gold should be preferred. Do Sufficient SIPs Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) are the backbone of disciplined investing. At least 25-30 percent of your in-hand monthly income should ideally be invested through SIPs in mutual funds, equities, and gold. This consistent approach will steadily build wealth over time. Make Lumpsum Investments Along with SIPs, voluntary lumpsum contributions into long-term assets whenever you have surplus funds can accelerate wealth creation. Even occasional lumpsum additions make a significant difference to the overall corpus. Increase Your SIPs Annually As your income increases, make sure your investments grow as well. Increasing your SIP amounts every year helps your wealth stay in line with inflation and your rising lifestyle needs. Increase your SIPs yearly and anchor them to at least 30 percent of your monthly income. Stay Invested Remain invested until your financial goals are achieved. Avoid redeeming investments unnecessarily. Frequent withdrawals disrupt compounding. If liquidity is required, consider taking an overdraft loan against your investments rather than breaking them prematurely. Health Insurance Safeguard your family with adequate health insurance. Opt for a minimum cover of 25 lakhs per family member with comprehensive features. Remember that relying only on employer-provided insurance is risky. Independent health insurance is essential. Term Life Insurance Protect your loved ones with a pure term life insurance policy. Ensure a cover of at least ten times your annual income, along with provisions for any outstanding loans. Stay away from mixing insurance with investments. A simple term plan is the most effective solution. Consult a Financial Advisor A full-time, well-qualified financial advisor can simplify your financial journey. Professional guidance ensures disciplined planning, correct product selection, and proper execution of your financial strategy. May this festive season bring abundance and lasting financial peace. (The author is a Chartered Accountant and CFA (USA). Financial Advisor. Views personal. He could be reached on 9833133605.)

Metro 5 corridor to be MMR’s largest

Minal Sancheti
May 28
3 min read

Mumbai: Mumbai is to get the Mumbai Metro Region’s largest metro corridor, Metro Line 5, at 34.21 km, following the approval of its extended phases. At the same time, Phase 1 of the project is progressing towards the CMRS inspection stage. This can be seen as a major boost to regional connectivity across the MMR.


Extension of Line 5, which is Metro Line 5A, will increase connectivity across Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Ulhasnagar and surrounding growth centres. Earlier, Metro Line 5 was 22.38 km long, and with the addition of the 11.83 km long Metro Line 5A, the total corridor length will become 34.21 km. The estimated cost of the Metro Line 5 corridor is Rs 18,130 crore.


Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “Metro Line 5 is a critical intervention for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, especially for Bhiwandi and the Kalyan–Dombivli belt, which are among the most important economic centres of the region. Bhiwandi, home to one of Asia’s largest textile and warehousing hubs, and the Kalyan–Dombivli region with a population of over 35 lakh, require fast, high-capacity connectivity to unlock their full potential. This expanded corridor will seamlessly connect these growth centres with suburban rail and key highways, enabling faster, safer and more efficient mobility for lakhs of citizens. I am confident that Phase 1 will be opened for the public by the end of this year.”


Deputy Chief Minister & Chairman, MMRDA, Eknath Shinde, said, “By integrating with suburban rail and major highways, Metro Line 5 will serve lakhs of workers, traders and citizens, and act as a key enabler of regional economic growth.”


Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner, said, “Metro Line 5 Phase 1 has reached an advanced stage of execution, with station infrastructure steadily taking shape. We are now preparing for the CMRS inspection, which is a critical milestone towards commissioning. Once operational, the corridor will play a key role in advancing the ‘Mumbai in Minutes’ vision by significantly reducing travel time across the region.”


AC locals saw 1.5 crore passengers in five months: CR
AC Local services by the Central Railway saw an increase in the number of passengers travelling. In five months, from January 26 to May 20, around 1.5 crore passengers travelled in the AC locals. The average comes down to 1.30 Lakh passengers per day. This was an increase when compared to the same time period in 2025.  

This is because the Central Railways increased the number of AC locals in 2026 more than it had last year in 2025. Last year, the number of Local AC trains operated was 6,834. The number increased to 8,991, causing an increase of 31 per cent.

As a result of the increase in services, daily average passengers grew from 87,596 in 2025 to 1,30,075 in 2026, a jump of 48.5 per cent. The passengers per service also improved from 1,474 in 2025 to 1,664 in 2026, indicating that trains are running fuller even with more services on track.

Overall occupancy for 2026, as per AC local figures for the period, stood at an average of 1664 passengers per service, higher than the average of 1474 passengers per service in 2025, reflecting a 12.9 per cent increase in average passengers carried  per service.

The number of the total passengers carried during the period rose to 1.5 crore in 2026 from 1 crore in 2025, a 50 per cent growth. Due to this reason, the daily average revenue correspondingly increased to Rs 56.00 lakh in 2026 from Rs 38.50 lakh in 2025, while total revenue for the period touched Rs 64.40 crore against Rs 44.27 crore last year.

AC local services on Central Railway increased from 66 to 80 with services running on the CSMT-Kalyan, Badlapur and Titwala main line in May 2025. With the introduction of AC local services on the CSMT-Panvel section with effect from January 2026, AC local services totalled 94. Further enhancement by an additional 14 services with effect from May 2026 has taken the total AC local services on Central Railway to 108.

Dr. Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railway said, “The sustained occupancy across all months of 2026, peaking in March and May, shows the increasing demand for AC locals. The introduction of additional services and expansion to new sections has been well received by commuters seeking safe, fast, and comfortable travel.”

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