Bengaluru Metro Pink Line: Centre approves renaming of 3 stations ahead of Modi inauguration
Synopsis
Just hours before PM Modi is set to inaugurate the 7.5-km Pink Line extension, the Centre greenlit a renaming of three stations — replacing colonial-era and mismatched names with locally anchored ones. The move takes Bengaluru past the 100-km Metro mark, making it India's second-largest network.
Key Takeaways
The Centre has approved renaming three Namma Metro Pink Line stations in Bengaluru ahead of the 13 November inauguration by PM Narendra Modi .
IIMB becomes Bilekahalli-IIMB , JP Nagar 4th Phase becomes NS Palya-JP Nagar 4th Phase , and Tavarekere becomes SG Palya (Sadduguntepalya) .
The new 7.5-km elevated section between Kalena Agrahara and the former Tavarekere station will expand Bengaluru's Metro network from 96.1 km to 103.6 km .
Bengaluru will become India's second-largest Metro network once the section is operational.
Commercial services on the new corridor are expected to begin on Saturday, 15 November .
The Centre has approved the Karnataka government's proposal to rename three stations on the elevated section of Bengaluru's Namma Metro Pink Line, just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled inauguration of the new corridor on Friday, 13 November. The approval was confirmed by Minister for Bengaluru Development Krishna Byre Gowda on Thursday.
The Three Renamed Stations
Under the approved order, IIMB Metro Station will be renamed Bilekahalli-IIMB, with the prefix drawn from the name of the revenue village in the area. JP Nagar 4th Phase Metro Station will become NS Palya-JP Nagar 4th Phase, similarly prefixed with the name of the local revenue village. The existing Tavarekere Metro Station will be renamed SG Palya (Sadduguntepalya) — the name of the Greater Bengaluru Authority ward — as the Tavarekere revenue village is located some distance from the station, making SG Palya the more popularly recognised designation for the area.
How the Decision Was Reached
A State Government Committee examined public representations regarding the naming and renaming of stations under Bengaluru Metro Rail Project Phase-2, Corridor-4, and submitted recommendations to the Centre. The proposals were discussed and finalised in the presence of Minister of Forest, Ecology and Environment of Karnataka Ramalinga Reddy, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, and MLAs Satish Reddy and Uday Garudachar.
The Centre's formal approval was communicated by Surya Narayan Jha, Deputy Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, to the Additional Chief Secretary of Karnataka's Urban Development Department.
Stations Left Unchanged
The committee chose to retain the name of Kalena Agrahara Metro Station, as it corresponds to the name of the local revenue village. No representations were received seeking changes to the names of Hulimavu and Jayadeva Metro stations, so those remain as they are.
What This Section Means for Bengaluru's Metro Network
The three renamed stations form part of the 7.5-km elevated section of the Pink Line between Kalena Agrahara and the station previously known as Tavarekere. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to flag off the Metro service at 12.30 pm near Dairy Circle and travel by Metro to the Bilekahalli-IIMB station for the main inauguration event.
Once operational, the new section will push Bengaluru's total Metro network from 96.1 km to 103.6 km — taking the city past the symbolic 100-km mark and placing it as India's second-largest Metro network. Commercial services on the newly inaugurated section are expected to begin on Saturday.
Point of View
While procedurally routine, reflects a broader political dynamic: revenue-village names and ward identities matter deeply to local constituencies, and aligning station names with lived geography can reduce commuter confusion over time. The more consequential story, however, is the milestone itself — Bengaluru crossing 100 km of Metro network just years after Delhi's dominance seemed insurmountable. The pace of network expansion in India's tech capital will now be watched closely by urban planners and rival city governments alike. Whether ridership scales to match infrastructure ambition remains the open question.
NationPress
12 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Bengaluru Metro Pink Line stations have been renamed?
Three stations have been renamed: IIMB is now Bilekahalli-IIMB, JP Nagar 4th Phase is now NS Palya-JP Nagar 4th Phase, and Tavarekere is now SG Palya (Sadduguntepalya). The Centre approved these changes on 12 November 2024, ahead of the corridor's inauguration.
Why were the Bengaluru Metro station names changed?
A State Government Committee examined public representations and recommended prefixing station names with revenue village or ward names to better reflect local geography. In the case of Tavarekere, the revenue village was located some distance from the station, making the ward name SG Palya a more accurate identifier.
When will PM Modi inaugurate the new Bengaluru Metro section?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the 7.5-km elevated Pink Line section on Friday, 13 November. He is set to flag off the service at 12.30 pm near Dairy Circle and travel to the Bilekahalli-IIMB station for the main event.
How does the new Metro section change Bengaluru's network size?
The addition of the 7.5-km elevated section will expand Bengaluru's total operational Metro network from 96.1 km to 103.6 km, taking the city past the 100-km mark and making it India's second-largest Metro network. Commercial services are expected to begin on Saturday.
Which Metro stations on the Pink Line were left unchanged?
Kalena Agrahara, Hulimavu, and Jayadeva Metro stations were left unchanged. No public representations were received for Hulimavu and Jayadeva, while Kalena Agrahara was retained as it matches the name of the local revenue village.
