Yellow Line (Indore Metro)
The Yellow Line is the first primary rapid corridor line of the Indore Metro, which consists of a total of 29 metro stations from Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Terminal to Airport with a total distance of 33.53 km. However the priority section from Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Terminal to Radisson Square is under-construction with a distance of 16.21 km.
A 6 km first phase, linking Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Terminal to Veerangana Jhalkari Bai Station entered operations on 31 May 2025 and it was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conferencing from Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh.
History
The Indore Metro project was undertaken to meet the increasing urban transport demands of Indore, the largest city in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The process commenced with the submission of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) by Rohit Associates Cities & Rails Pvt. Ltd., which received approval from the central government in October 2018. Later, the foundation stone of the project was laid in September 2019, and construction work started.The project was initially intended to be financed partly by an official development assistance loan by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This financing was, however, rejected by JICA in March 2017. In turn, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) gave in-principle approval to finance the project in May 2019, on which the Union Government would be a guarantor for the loan. The New Development Bank also pledged $225 million for the project.
Construction of the Yellow Line was undertaken as part of the Phase-1 expansion of the Indore Metro, aimed to cover the city's most busy transport corridors. The project was supported by funding from institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). A 6 km section was opened in 2025, with the overall completion to be completed in 2026.
Funding
Indore Metro is a major infrastructure project to redesign the urban mobility of Indore. The estimated cost of the project is about ₹15,000 crore with the cost per kilometer at ₹182 crore. The project funding is taken from various sources:- Asian Development Bank : The ADB gave in-principle approval to finance the Indore Metro project in May 2019. The Union Government will be a guarantor of the loan.
- New Development Bank : The NDB pledged $225 million for the project.
- State Government of Madhya Pradesh: The state government allocated ₹262 crore in the 2021-22 budget for Indore and Bhopal metro project development.
- Central Government: Central government has also provided funding to the project.
- European Investment Bank : In October 2022, government officials from Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited stated that the initial tranche of a $250 million loan by the EIB was expected to be disbursed in the first quarter of 2023.