Himachal CM Sukhu Launches Water Sports Initiative at Gobind Sagar Lake to Boost Tourism

Himachal CM Sukhu Launches Water Sports Initiative at Gobind Sagar Lake to Boost Tourism

By Nishang Narayan

Published on November 3, 2024

In a significant boost for tourism in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated water sports activities at Gobind Sagar Lake in Bilaspur. This initiative introduces a variety of thrilling activities, including cruises, shikara rides, houseboats, hi-tech motorboats, jet skis, and water scooters, marking a new chapter for the region’s tourism landscape.

During the inauguration, CM Sukhu emphasized the initiative's potential to enhance tourism and generate substantial employment opportunities for local youth. "These activities will not only boost tourism potential but will also create ample employment and self-employment opportunities," he stated, highlighting the dual benefits for local businesses, especially for women and small entrepreneurs. By providing a new marketplace for local products, the initiative aims to foster economic stability and increase income for residents in the area.

A Vision for Bilaspur's Tourism Growth

Outlining an ambitious vision for Bilaspur, CM Sukhu expressed confidence that the development of water sports, coupled with initiatives in religious, rural, and eco-tourism, would position Bilaspur as a premier tourist destination, akin to popular locales like Kerala and Goa. He noted, "This comprehensive approach is expected to bring significant growth, attracting a broad spectrum of tourists and contributing to the region's economic development."

In addition to the water sports, the district administration has been instructed to initiate the tender process for introducing cruises and shikara rides on the Kol Dam reservoir. A scenic 30-kilometer cruise route is planned from Harnoda in Bilaspur district to Tattapani in Shimla district, promising tourists a unique and memorable travel experience.

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Empowering Local Communities
CM Sukhu further elaborated on the state government's plans to promote lake tourism, emphasizing the importance of empowering local communities through home stays, street food corners, restaurants, resorts, and hotels near artificial water bodies. "We intend to promote water-based attractions such as houseboats, cruises, yachts, and water sports in our reservoirs," he said, underlining the potential for vibrant tourist destinations around these artificial lakes.

During the event, CM Sukhu took an exhilarating jet ski ride and enjoyed a scenic cruise, demonstrating his support for the burgeoning tourism initiatives in the state. Interacting with media personnel, he reaffirmed that since the Congress government took office, there have been concerted efforts to enhance tourism. "Before the current government completes its two-year term, cruise and other water sports activities have already been initiated in Bilaspur. Who could have imagined two years ago that Bilaspur would have cruises, jet skis, and shikaras? But the Congress government has made it possible," he remarked.

Present at the inauguration were various dignitaries, including Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, HPTDC Chairman RS Bali, and former ministers and MLAs, who collectively celebrated this transformative step towards positioning Himachal Pradesh as a top-tier tourist destination.


SpiceJet Expands Festive Connectivity to Bihar with New Flights to Patna and Darbhanga

SpiceJet Expands Festive Connectivity to Bihar with New Flights to Patna and Darbhanga

By Hariharan U

Published on October 22, 2025

SpiceJet has announced a major expansion of its domestic network ahead of Chhath Puja and Diwali, strengthening connectivity to Bihar with new and additional flights to Patna and Darbhanga.

The airline has introduced new flights to Patna from Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, along with increased frequencies from Delhi and Mumbai. In addition, Darbhanga has gained extra services from Delhi and Mumbai, further improving accessibility for travellers heading home during the festive season.

These routes build upon SpiceJet’s existing operations to Patna from Delhi, Mumbai, and Guwahati, and to Darbhanga from Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi. The new flights commenced in a phased rollout from October 10, 2025, ensuring greater travel flexibility and convenience for passengers amid the festive rush.

Earlier this month, SpiceJet also introduced special daily non-stop Diwali flights to Ayodhya from Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad, enabling devotees and tourists easier access to the Shri Ram Temple during the celebrations.

Commenting on the development, Debojo Maharshi, Chief Business Officer, SpiceJet, said, “The festive season holds immense significance for millions of our passengers, and we are delighted to make travel home for Chhath Puja and Diwali more convenient and accessible. With enhanced connectivity to Patna, Darbhanga, and Ayodhya, SpiceJet continues to play a key role in bringing people closer to their loved ones for celebrations that matter most.”

The expansion underscores SpiceJet’s commitment to meeting evolving travel demand, particularly during high-traffic festive periods, by offering affordable, direct, and seamless connectivity across India’s key regional hubs.


IndiGo Integrates with Digi Yatra for a Seamless Digital Boarding Experience

IndiGo Integrates with Digi Yatra for a Seamless Digital Boarding Experience

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on October 20, 2025

IndiGo and Digi Yatra have announced a new app-to-app integration that allows IndiGo flyers to share boarding passes directly with the Digi Yatra app. The collaboration enhances contactless, biometric-enabled travel while ensuring user consent, data privacy, and faster passenger processing at airports.

IndiGo, India’s leading airline, has partnered with Digi Yatra, the Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)-based ecosystem that uses facial biometric technology for contactless passenger processing, to enable this direct integration between their mobile applications. The initiative eliminates the need for passengers to manually scan or upload boarding passes on the Digi Yatra app.

After completing web check-in, IndiGo flyers can now simply click “Share with Digi Yatra” within the IndiGo app to securely transfer their boarding pass. This process ensures that passenger consent is obtained at every step and that only essential data is shared with authorised Digi Yatra verifiers at airports.

Designed with privacy by design principles, the transaction occurs entirely offline through deep linking between the two apps, without involving any cloud or server processing. This ensures data integrity, authenticity, and enhanced security while improving convenience for travellers.

Commenting on the development, Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, said,

“Our mission is to transform air travel into a seamless, secure, and paperless experience for every passenger. This collaboration with IndiGo marks a significant milestone in that journey. By integrating our technology directly with IndiGo’s app, we are enabling travellers to enjoy faster check-ins, smoother boarding, and enhanced convenience. As more airlines and airports embrace our ecosystem, we will continue to innovate and support India’s vision for digital transformation in travel.”

Neetan Chopra, Chief Information and Digital Officer, IndiGo, added,

“Every year, we fly millions of customers who trust us for our promise of safe, on-time, and hassle-free travel. This partnership with Digi Yatra takes our commitment to customer convenience a step further by enabling a smooth, contactless boarding journey. We are thrilled to be among the first airlines to adopt this technology and remain focused on leveraging innovation to make air travel simpler, faster, and more enjoyable.”

This collaboration underscores the aviation industry’s shared commitment to digital innovation and highlights growing confidence in Digi Yatra’s secure, paperless travel ecosystem as India moves closer to a fully digital airport experience.


Etihad Leverages Premium Service and Partnerships to Grow in India

Etihad Leverages Premium Service and Partnerships to Grow in India

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on October 14, 2025

Etihad Airways is focusing on premium travel and customer segmentation to boost its business in India, one of its top three global markets, while operating at full capacity under a bilateral seat agreement with the country.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has been upgrading its services with new aircraft and enhanced cabin experiences to attract high-value travellers. Since relaunching flights to Kolkata in March 2023, Etihad increased its weekly frequency from four to eight flights by 2025. Across India, the airline now operates 185 flights a week to 11 cities.

“We fly all the seats that the bilateral agreement allows us,” said Javier Alija, Etihad Airways Vice President for Global Sales and Distribution. The agreement caps 50,000 weekly seats for Abu Dhabi-based carriers, shared between Etihad and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. Until the agreement changes, the airline cannot add more frequencies or destinations.

To overcome these capacity constraints, Etihad is building partnerships, including a tie-up with Akasa Air, connecting four Indian cities to Abu Dhabi. The airline is also enhancing the passenger experience for long-haul travellers, especially to the US, with Abu Dhabi’s new terminal and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pre-clearance. This allows passengers to arrive in the US as domestic travellers, saving time at immigration.

Kolkata is the first Indian city to receive Etihad’s new A321 LR aircraft, featuring a redesigned cabin with just 160 seats, two first-class suites, 14 business, and 144 economy seats, offering a widebody-like experience in a narrow-body aircraft. “This reflects Kolkata’s strong premium travel potential,” Alija said.

Etihad’s focus on yield optimisation and operational efficiency has helped the airline achieve record financial results. For the current year, it expects 21–22% growth in seat capacity, 22–23% increase in revenue, and a 30% rise in absolute profit, supported by expansions in other markets. The airline plans to launch 13 new international routes by year-end, aiming to serve nearly 90 destinations worldwide.

Alija added, “Even if our frequencies and destinations remain static, these customer-focused and operational efforts ensure Etihad continues to be the preferred airline for Indian travellers. We are very conscious that our rapid growth should not compromise the financial gains we have achieved.”

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