Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore’s Rs 7,500 crore “dream project” has within four months turned into a financial nightmare. The city’s pridethe Indore Metro has not only lost 97% of its riders since launch but is now spending several times more on electricity bills than it earns from tickets, raising serious questions about planning and viability.
When the metro opened on May 31, 2025, over 1.5 lakh people rushed in for the free rides. But that excitement faded instantly. Between June and September 25, the metro recorded just 95,146 paid passengers in total. With an average ticket price of Rs 20, that translates into barely Rs 19.02 lakh earned in four months.
But here lies the shocker, as per the sources, the metro’s monthly electricity expense alone exceeds Rs 20 lakh meaning in four months, it has already burned through nearly four times more on power than what it collected from passengers.
The metro operates on a 33 KV power supply station, and the empty coaches are guzzling energy while hardly serving commuters.
Month-or-Period - Footfall - Drop-from-Previous-Period
May-31-(Inaugural) - 1-50-000 - NA
June-1-7-(Free) - 1-43-301 - Minus-4-Point-5
June-8-30 - 57-667-Approx - Minus-59-Point-8
July - 21-009 - Minus-63-Point-6
August - 12-021 - Minus-42-Point-8
Sept-1-25 - 4-449 - NA
-63.0%This represents a 97% collapse in just four months, reducing the metro to little more than an empty showcase.
Timings that Kill Utility
Much of the blame lies in the erratic scheduling. Initially trains ran 8 AM–8 PM every 30 minutes, but timings kept shrinking:
June 23: 10 AM–6 PM (hourly).
Aug 4: 1 PM–7 PM (hourly).
Sept 22: Just 3 PM–7 PM (hourly).
Metro’s Financial Reality (June–Sept 25)
Total Paid Passengers: 95,146 approx
Average Fare (Rs 20): Rs 19,02,920 earned
Electricity Cost: Over Rs 20 lakh per month
Result: Metro spent more on power in one month than it earned in four months.
