India's Metro Boom: Transforms Urban Mobility, Boosts Household Finances

• India's metro network expanded from 248 km (2014) to 1,095 km (2025), covering 26 cities, making it one of the largest globally.
• Annual metro budget surged over five-fold, from Rs 5,798 crore (2013-14) to Rs 29,550 crore (2025-26), reflecting massive investment.
• An EAC-PM study, 'Golden Decade of Infrastructure Development in India with Special Reference to Metro Rail Network,' highlights metro's positive impact on household finances.
• Improved metro access leads to better loan repayment discipline and lower financial stress due to reduced transport expenses.
• City data shows significant declines in missed home-loan payments and increases in early repayments in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.