Indore Metro books first b’day on wheels in revenue push

Indore: There will be the usual colourful decor, confetti shower and, of course, the birthday cake — but the setting will be different.Adding to candles and cake, the birthday celebration of an Indore child this Sunday will also feature gliding through the city in a metro coach, in what is being marked as a first for Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL).The corporation has confirmed its first-ever booking for a birthday celebration aboard the Indore Metro — a one-hour ‘joy run’ for 50 guests along the 6-km Super Priority Corridor, between Gandhi Nagar Station and Super Corridor Station Number 3.The booking was made under a newly launched initiative called ‘Celebration on Wheels’, through which MPMRCL is now renting out metro coaches for birthday parties, small get-togethers, pre-wedding shoots, and documentary filming.For the guests at the Sunday bash, it will be a party unlike any they have attended before — no banquet hall, no lawn, just a moving metro coach and the novelty of celebrating at speed.MPMRCL’s public relations officer Dheeraj Shukla said the response since the initiative’s announcement has been encouraging. “We booked a moving, undecorated coach for a child’s birthday party on Sunday,” he told TOI, adding that limited decorations are permitted for those who wish to personalise the experience.However, the corporation has drawn clear lines on what is not allowed. “Littering, flammable materials, fire-based decorations, alcohol, and smoking are strictly prohibited,” Shukla said. All participants must go through mandatory security screening before boarding and event organisers are to be held liable for any damages caused during the booking.Shukla also noted that the corporation is currently receiving an average of three to four inquiries daily for both Indore and Bhopal Metro networks, and the interest is expected to climb further during the ongoing summer vacation.For those interested in making a booking, applications must be submitted either through official email or in person — at the Gandhi Nagar office in Indore or the Subhash Nagar Depot in Bhopal.The initiative is not simply a creative offering — it is also a financial strategy. MPMRCL managing director S Krishna Chaitanya has acknowledged that addressing fiscal challenges was a significant driver behind the decision.The Indore Metro’s existing 6-km corridor has faced a revenue shortfall owing to low passenger footfall, making non-fare revenue streams a priority for the corporation.A longer stretch — the 17-km Priority Corridor from Gandhi Nagar to Radisson Station — has already received approval from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS). Its inauguration is expected to bring a significant increase in daily ridership.Until that happens, initiatives like ‘Celebration on Wheels’ are central to the corporation’s efforts to stay financially afloat.