Pune is aiming to build a 16.6km north-south line from Pimpri-Chinchwad to Swargate, which will be elevated up to Range Hills station and then run underground to the terminus at Swargate, and a 14.9km west-east elevated line from Vanaz to Ramwadi.

The projects are estimated to cost Rs 69.6bn ($US 991.9m) and Rs 32.24bn respectively, with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chichwad Municipal Corporation meeting 10% of this cost, and state and Indian government set to fund 20%. The remaining 50% will come from the private sector or loans, although the state government says it will not adopt a private-partnership model for the projects.

The state government has founded the Pune Mahanagar Metro Rail Corporation to manage the projects which are both expected to be completed by 2021. PMRC will be formed of 13 board members, while PMC will appoint engineers who will assist technical planning of both lines.

"Following the approval of the state government, the project file will pass to the Indian urban development minister and later to the Railway Ministry for technical work. After that it will be sent to the finance department. This is expected to take three months to complete," says Mr Shashikant Limaye, PMC officer for the Pune Metro. "The actual commencement of work is expected to begin after the monsoon season next year."

The Pune project was initially proposed in 2008 and a technical study for the lines was completed by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in 2010. However, problems over funding delayed approval of the project report until June 2012.

Pune Metropolitan area has a population of 5 million people and like many Indian cities suffers from chronic congestion. Several extensions of these initial lines are planned, although they are yet to receive approval from the state government.