New Delhi [India], February 1 (ANI): The Union Budget 2025 has received strong endorsements from key players in India’s aviation sector, highlighting its commitment to developing a world-class travel infrastructure and strengthening India’s position as a global aviation hub. Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO of Akasa Air, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the budget’s role in fostering sustained growth in the aviation industry. He stated, “The Union Budget 2025 marks a significant step in supporting the sustained growth of India’s aviation sector. We commend the government’s commitment to infrastructure, which will make air travel more accessible, thereby boosting tourism and the economy as a whole.”
Aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, this focus on aviation strengthens India’s position as a global hub, ensuring greater mobility for all and contributing to a more connected, inclusive nation. As India’s fastest-growing airline, we applaud the government’s continued efforts to fuel the sector’s growth and make air travel accessible to a greater number of Indians,” he emphasised. The budget’s emphasis on infrastructure development, regulatory improvements, and enhanced connectivity reflects the government’s strategic vision for transforming India into a global leader in aviation, paving the way for economic growth and increased global competitiveness. Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, lauded the government’s forward-looking approach, stating, “The Union Budget 2025 has outlined various great initiatives to further develop a future-ready travel ecosystem, with emphasis on people and infrastructure, and aviation as a key enabler.” He added, “Investment in developing world-class airports, enhancing regional connectivity, capacity upgrades, procedures, regulatory framework, and streamlined visa facilities will all play a critical role in bringing this vision of developing India into a global aviation hub to life.” He further said, “By strengthening both domestic and international connectivity, we are fueling economic progress, bridging communities, and reinforcing aviation’s role as a catalyst for national growth and collectively building India as a leading global economic powerhouse.” (ANI)
Lt col Sohan Roy (retd) of the 15th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment (Indore), who claims he will turn 77 in December this year, in August completed a solo motorcycle ride to Umling La in Ladakh, a journey he says was not just an adventure but a homage to fallen soldiers and a message to the younger generation never to give up. Recalling the experience, he said, “I stood… breath caught between thin air and a lifetime of memories. At roughly 19,024 feet, Umling La felt like the top of the world…”
This time, Roy paid homage at the Badgam memorial, remembering soldiers like the late major Somnath Sharma of 4 Kumaon, the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra whose company helped save Srinagar airfield in 1947-48. (HT)
Roy flew to Jammu on August 28, having shipped his motorcycle ahead. Collecting his bike in Jammu, he began his journey after an emotional sendoff from a regimental battalion there (name not disclosed for security reasons). He rode via Udhampur and Srinagar into Ladakh, passing locations such as Lamayuru and Hanle and requiring backup vehicles along difficult, offroad stretches.
“Umling La was last year’s plan but after returning from Siachen, I was unwell so I dropped it. This time I had to do it as age is catching up with me,” Roy said. Describing the heavy and unusual weather, intense rain and even snowfall that local residents said they hadn’t seen in Leh over five decades, Roy said, “Roofs just collapsed because they are all made of mud. At one point, a hut next to my hotel caved in. Even so, I rode on where the road permitted.”
Roy emphasised that his rides are not for thrill alone and that he uses them to lay wreaths at battlefield memorials from Siachen to the 1962 war memorials in Ladakh, and to encourage youngsters in villages to study hard and aim higher in life. “I always tell them, ‘Don’t think that your life is over because you were born in a village. Your intelligence can take you anywhere’” the Army veteran said. This time, he paid homage at the Badgam memorial, remembering soldiers like the late major Somnath Sharma of 4 Kumaon, the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra whose company helped save Srinagar airfield in 1947-48.
The entire Pune-Umling La round trip took Roy three days, with one night at Hanle before the climb. An experienced rider, he made tactical route choices on the final approach to Umling La, picking the shorter but tougher offroad Naurgula route (with a backup vehicle) instead of the longer metal road via Fatula Top owing to dead patches with no communication.
Roy has to his credit several national and international recognitions including a Limca Book of Records entry (2011) as the oldest person on Khardung La; an India Book of Records title (2016) for a solo east-west ride; and a World Stage recognition (2017), not to mention he has also traversed Thailand’s Mae Hong Son loops, a stretch of 4,088 bends, on a rented Honda 300 cc Rebel.
Roy spoke about the challenges he has overcome. “I underwent angioplasty in 2001 and had five stents. I also live with osteoarthritis in both the knees. Before this trip, I had a cardiology checkup and my doctor asked me to send a video from Umling La to show other patients that even after angioplasty, one can still lead a normal life,” he shared. “Don’t give up because of age or medical history,” he urged.
Roy’s family – his wife, daughter and grandson, 12 – remain supportive. Memories of a 2011 ‘dream ride’ with his son were with him when he rode to Umling La. “I don’t know if I will be able to complete another dream of mine to go on a ride to Ladakh with my grandson…” he said.
Roy regrets that he could not go to Galwan to pay homage at the memorial as the roads had been washed away. “That is the only memorial left where I still wish to pay my respects. I have already visited the Rezang La memorial in 2010 and 2012,” he said.
Roy joined the Army in 1972 after the 1971 war. The 15th Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment had a long, storied history tracing back to Indore. Roy recounted that his battalion captured Gadara city in 1971 as part of the unit’s wartime record.
About today’s generation, he said, “They are patriotic only at certain times like during wars or on August 15 but later, they soon forget about the country.”
About his future plans, he said, “I have plans to return to Umling La to spend more time in Ladakh and hope to visit the border posts near Demchok where my battalion was deployed in the mid-1990s.”
PERU-MACHU PICCHU/PROTEST (TV, PIX):Peru protest strands hundreds of tourists near Machu Picchu
LIMA, Sept 16 – At least 900 tourists were stranded near Peru’s ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu on Tuesday, the country’s tourism minister said, after a passenger train service was suspended due to a protest.
Peru protest strands hundreds of tourists near Machu Picchu
Train operator PeruRail said service had been suspended on Monday because the route in Peru’s mountainous Cusco region had been blocked by “rocks of various sizes” as local residents clashed with authorities and bus companies.
Protesters say there is a lack of transparency and fairness in the process of replacing tourist bus operator Consettur after its concession expired, paving the way for different local businesses to benefit from the vital industry.
Tourism Minister Desilu Leon told local radio that 1,400 tourists had been evacuated on Monday but some 900 remained stranded in Aguas Calientes, the closest town to the nation’s most-visited cultural site.
The protest began last week after the concession ended of Consettur, the bus company that ferries tourists from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of the 15th-century Inca citadel.
A neighboring district commissioned another bus company to provide services in its place, but protesters in Aguas Calientes prevented it from operating.
Meanwhile, PeruRail’s local unit said “third parties” had excavated part of its rail route, which affected the track’s stability and slowed down the evacuation of tourists.
New7Wonders, a campaign group which highlights global sites of major cultural heritage, said in a statement over the weekend that it had sent a letter to Peru’s government warning that if the conflict escalates, Machu Picchu’s credibility as one of the new Wonders of the World could be affected.
A global poll organized by the group had in 2007 selected Machu Picchu as a world wonder, alongside the Great Wall of China, India’s Taj Mahal and Mexico’s Chichen Itza.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics also realtime updates on Indonesia ferry fire.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics also realtime updates on Indonesia ferry fire.
