You could say the state has doubled down on the metro link for Gurugram that has been in the making for some time. Back on May 18, 2026, the Cabinet went through with a revised tab of Rs 10,266.54 crore for the Millennium City Centre to Cyber City run – a far cry from the original Rs 5,452.72 crore. They also made the move to have the World Bank underwrite the entire soft loan after some hiccups with other lenders put the schedule at risk.
Scope and connections
It’s all about putting some certainty into the financing and not letting up on one of the most heavily used parts of the city. The plan is to tie in with the Rapid Metro and put in a new spur to the railway station.
Cost surge decoded
The Cabinet will tell you the extra cost is down to a few things: market forces and a wider scope. You have price hikes from 2019 to 2023, a change in GST, and then there are the new pieces of infrastructure, some rethinking of the alignment, and more to cover when it comes to the depot and rolling stock.
The revised structure allocates funds as follows:
– Rs 7,098.70 crore for price escalation and GST revision
– Rs 947.06 crore for additional standalone corridor requirements
– Rs 454.32 crore for the Sector-5 to Gurugram Railway Station spur
Then there is the new leg to the Gurugram Railway Station, which by itself put a dent in the overall envelope. It’s a case of inflation and some design calls to make the network work better.
Financing pivot to the World Bank
We had a soft loan of Rs 2,688.57 in the original sanction, with the European Investment Bank and the World Bank chipping in their share. But with the EIB not coming on board, the state has seen fit to put it all with the World Bank.
The Board of Gurugram Metro Rail Limited made the call in October 2025 that if we were to be kept waiting any longer, this was the way to go. The Chief Minister gave his nod in December and the Cabinet made it official on Monday so as not to let the project slip.
Key decisions taken on May 18, 2026 include:
– Revised cost set at Rs 10,266.54 crore
– World Bank to fund the entire soft loan
– Supplementary reports on integration and spur cleared
– Nodal Officer appointed and CM empowered for modifications
For the paperwork and agreements, the Administrative Secretary of the Town and Country Planning Department has been made the Nodal Officer. CM Nayab Singh Saini has the authority to sign off on any changes or to clear up any roadblocks that may come up in talks with New Delhi.
This 28.50 km line with 27 stations has been in the works since the Haryana Cabinet and the Government of India gave the green light in 2020. It’s meant to be a relief valve for the corridor between the job centres.
On the ground in Sector-33, we’re looking at a new depot and some facilities on 22.86 hectares of land to get the fleet in order and make for a more reliable service right out of the gate. And for those who like to switch between rail and metro, there’s a 1.80 km spur from Sector-5 to the station, costing in the region of Rs 454.32 crore.
Strategic implications for Gurugram
By dealing with one multilateral lender and sorting the numbers now, the state is trying to take the sting out of the execution process. A spokesperson called it a no-brainer for better mobility and a quicker start.
Now it’s a matter of following through. With the books and the funding in order, it’s all about the pace of work, getting the stations ready, and making sure the interchanges are as smooth as they should be.
