Kolkata Port to Repurpose Three Pilot Launches for Tourism

21 May 2025 CW Team

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, is inviting proposals to convert three of its historic pilot launches — PL Rupsa, PL Hooghly, and PL Gopal — into floating venues for tourism, culture, and leisure along the Hooghly River.

Originally built in the 1990s to guide ships, these vessels are now positioned to serve as floating cafés, mobile museums, heritage cruises, wedding venues, or performance spaces. The initiative seeks to preserve maritime legacy while promoting economic and community development.

PL Rupsa and PL Hooghly, constructed in 1997 with steel hulls, offer one thousand to two thousand square feet of space, accommodating fifty to one hundred guests. PL Gopal, built in 1994 with a fibreglass hull, offers up to one thousand square feet for thirty to fifty people.

Kolkata Port will provide free berthing for repairs and retrofitting, as well as complimentary jetty access for operations. The plan draws inspiration from the earlier restoration of paddle steamer P.S. Bhopal into Bengal Paddle, now used for cruises and cultural events.

Source:Millennium Post

Infrastructure Transport

13 Oct 2025

Tata, Airbus to Build India’s First Private Helicopter Line

In a landmark development for India’s aerospace sector, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus will establish the country’s first private-sector helicopter assembly line in Vemagal, Karnataka. The facility will manufacture the Airbus H125 and H125M, marking a significant milestone in India’s push for self-reliance in aviation and defence manufacturing. The new Final Assembly Line (FAL) will produce the H125, the world’s best-selling single-engine helicopter, known for its versatility and performance in extreme environments. The first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected to ro..

NeGD to Support Bharat Taxi in Building Cooperative Ride Platform

In a significant move for India’s digital and mobility transformation, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Digital India Corporation, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has entered into an advisory partnership with Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, the company behind Bharat Taxi — a first-of-its-kind, cooperative-led national ride-hailing platform. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NeGD and Sahakar Taxi to provide strategic advisory and technical support covering key areas such as platform integration, cybersecurity..

MeitY Hosts Pre-Summit for India–AI Impact Summit 2026

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, hosted a series of Pre-Summit events for the upcoming India–AI Impact Summit 2026 at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 in New Delhi. These sessions mark a key milestone ahead of the main summit, scheduled for 19–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Delivering the inaugural address, S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, highlighted India’s innovative and frugal approach to AI development. “We have adopted innovative means by learning from others’ experiences to build projects and products that..