Padmanava Dasgupta

Trying to make a sense of this chaos. XIC 22-23 | PR & CC. Account Executive @AvianWE

[The West Bengal Index @TheBengalIndex]

𝗗𝗩𝗖 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗨 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗘𝗩 𝗞𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝘅𝗶.

Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), in partnership with Jadavpur University, has unveiled a prototype of Kolkata’s iconic Yellow Taxi retrofitted into a fully electric vehicle (EV). The project also incorporates a swappable battery model, designed to better suit Indian urban mobility requirements.

Built on a 1.5DZ Yellow Taxi platform, the EV prototype integrates an electric motor-drive system, intelligent control interfaces and advanced sensor technologies. Preliminary testing has delivered encouraging results, including high city driving range, faster acceleration, air-conditioning capability and IoT-enabled monitoring systems.

[Bengal Lens @BengalLens_]

Kolkata Airport's ₹5000 Crore Makeover: What Changes by 2033?

Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport is undergoing a massive transformation that will increase annual passenger capacity from 26 million to 45 million and expand aircraft parking bays from 73 to 132 by 2033.

What Is Being Built?
The centrepiece is a new U-shaped international terminal with 21 aerobridges, modern immigration facilities and capacity for 9 million international passengers annually.
Once completed, all international flights will shift here, while the existing terminal will become a dedicated domestic hub capable of handling 34–36 million passengers every year.

Construction Timeline -
By 2026:
》Demolition of the old domestic terminal is underway.
》Site clearance is expected by early 2026.
》The new ATC tower is ready and awaiting final migration.
》Construction of the new terminal will accelerate as land becomes available.

By 2033:
》Full airport expansion completed.
》Passenger capacity reaches 45 million annually.
》Aircraft parking capacity nearly doubles from 73 to 132.

Major Challenges -
A key hurdle is the relocation of the 136-year-old Bankra Mosque and a nearby temple located within the secondary runway safety zone.
Resolving this issue will improve runway safety, enable advanced landing systems and strengthen operations during Kolkata's dense winter fog.
The cargo complex will also be shifted west of VIP Road, freeing land for terminal expansion and additional aircraft bays.

Better Operations, More Flights -
Recent upgrades have already increased runway capacity from 35 to 45 flights per hour, allowing airlines to schedule more services and improve connectivity.
Airport authorities are also using the expansion to attract more long-haul international routes to Europe, East Asia and beyond.

Metro Connectivity Gets a Huge Boost -
The airport will be served by the underground Jai Hind Metro Station, connecting two major corridors:

Orange Line (New Garia–Airport):
》Partially operational.
》 Sector V connection by late 2026.
》Airport connection is being targeted by 2028.

Yellow Line (Noapara–Airport–Barasat):
》Noapara to Airport section is operational.
》Completion of Northern extension is being targeted by early 2029.

#WestBengal #Bengal #Kolkata #KolkataAirport #AirportExpansion

[The West Bengal Index @TheBengalIndex]

𝗔𝗺𝘂𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 ₹𝟲𝟱𝟬 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹.

Amul, owned by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, is in advanced discussions to invest nearly ₹650 crore in Bengal, where it plans to establish its first fully owned dairy processing plant in the state. Amul’s milk sales in Kolkata alone are estimated at nearly 11 lakh litres per day (LLPD). In comparison, procurement in the Bengal belt has climbed to around 9 LLPD, reflecting the rapid growth of the cooperative’s eastern operations.

In Bengal, Amul Dairy is exploring multiple locations for the project. Sources said the company is evaluating whether it should establish one large central plant or a network of smaller feeder plants across the state, considering the geographically dispersed nature of the market.

[Populous @Populous]

The sky’s the limit for Eden Gardens.

Today we reveal visionary redevelopment plans for Eden Gardens, introducing enhanced hospitality, premium seating and new fan-focused experiences at one of the world’s most storied cricket venues.

[ISRO Spaceflight @ISROSpaceflight]

🚨 Gaganyaan IADT-02 Completed!!

ISRO has successfully conducted the 2nd Integrated Air-Drop Test (IADT) of Gaganyaan on today morning after the first one in August 2025! 🔥

The aim of this test was to validate the parachutes and other recovery systems on board Gaganyaan that are necessary for safely landing the Crew Module on Earth upon its return from orbit.

In this test, the Crew Module, weighing in at 5.7 tons, was lifted by a Chinook aircraft and dropped from an altitude of 3 km over the Bay of Bengal near the Sriharikota coast. The Crew Module subsequently slowed itself down autonomously using a series of drogue and main parachutes, followed by a soft splashdown in the sea.

[NASA @NASA]

Clocking in ⏱️

Moon joy is in full swing as the Artemis II crew begins seven hours of lunar observation. Crewmembers will photograph both the near and far sides of the Moon and describe what they see. Watch live:

[NASA Earth @NASAEarth]

New record🥇

The Artemis II astronauts are now farther from Earth than humans have ever been! At 1:57 p.m. EDT, they broke the record set by Apollo 13 in 1970.

Their journey around the far side of the Moon today will take them a maximum distance of 252,752 miles from Earth.

[NASA @NASA]

1972 ➡️2026
Apollo 17 ➡️ Artemis II

[Subhayan Chakraborty @CricSubhayan]

The most I am looking forward to is the Eden Gardens museum, and the walking concourse. Renovation projected to end in 2028. To start after IPL 2026.

[Bengal Cartel @BengalCartel]

🚨 BIGGEST TRANSFORMATION IN EDEN HISTORY 🔥

Eden Gardens Kolkata set for a mega revamp post IPL 2026 by Populous (designers of Wembley & Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)

Capacity: 85,750
Sky Deck + Premium Gallery
6 seating categories
12% more F&B than MCG
Completion by 2028 🏟️

[The West Bengal Index @TheBengalIndex]

𝗘𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲.

The gross capacity of Eden Gardens will increase to 85,750 seats from its present capacity of 68,000 by redeveloping blocks A, D, E, F, G, H, and J while giving a facelift to the remaining stands. The design introduces six new seat categories, including 1,530-seat Sky Deck and 4,500 Premium General Admission seats, alongside significantly expanded food and beverage facilities.

The Cricket Association of Bengal plans to start the on-site construction immediately after the conclusion of the IPL 2026 season.

[CNBC-TV18 @CNBCTV18News]

🌞SUNLIGHT, INDOORS!
From sunrise to sunset, wellness lighting startup #SUNROOOF is bringing natural #sunlight indoors

Co-founder Ishat Jain tells @ShrutiMishra_ about the tech behind ‘sunlight on demand,’ wearable integration for personalised lighting and global expansion plans

[NASA's Johnson Space Center @NASAJohnson]

Mission accomplished, Suni. 🚀

After 27 years at @NASA, astronaut Suni Williams retires following a career that helped redefine human spaceflight. With 608 days in space, three missions to the International @Space_Station, and a record-setting 62+ hours of spacewalks, her legacy will inspire generations to come. Thank you, Suni. 🌍✨ https://t.co/vT77K6OjCO

[Kolkata — The Crown of the East @KolkataTCOE]

A top view of the Kolkata Maidan showing the iconic Eden Gardens, the East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Grounds, the Victoria Memorial, the 42 and the Fort William beside the Hooghly river!

😍

[Metro Railway Kolkata @metrorailwaykol]

Tunnelling Milestone for #PurpleLine! 🚇
Second Tunnel Boring Machine ‘Divya’ begins its journey from #Khidderpore, marking another big step towards faster and smoother #Metro connectivity.

@RailMinIndia
#AamarMetro #KolkataMetro #PurpleLine #Tunnelling #Progress #Urban #Connectivity #Metro #RailVikas #MetroDevelopment

[Sreyashi Dey @SreyashiDey]

#Kolkata’s iconic ambassador taxis get a #DurgaPuja makeover!

To mark 40 years of Asian Paints Sharad Samman, 40 yellow taxis have been transformed into moving artwork that you spot on the streets this pujo season.

[Narendra Modi @narendramodi]

Landed in Tianjin, China. Looking forward to deliberations at the SCO Summit and meeting various world leaders.