Ahmedabad, also called as Amdavad, is the largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. Situated on the banks of the Sabarmati river, Ahmedabad is the one of the most important cities of Gujarat and is famous for its cotton textiles. It was the capital of Gujarat from 1960- 1970 and has a strong association with the India's freedom struggle for independence.
Founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah in 1411 AD, Ahmedabad has a rich cultural heritage. It is famous for Sabarmati Ashram where Mahatma Gandhi lived with his wife Kasturba when he returned to India from South Africa. In 1930, he also started his Dandi Marcha, a major non-violent protest in India against the British monopoly, from the city.
Often labelled as the 'financial capital' of Gujarat, Ahmedabad has seen a tremendous growth in the industrial and economic sectors. In 2017, the Old Ahmedabad was named as India's first UNESCO World Heritage City. The thriving textile industry makes Ahmedabad an attractive business destination and is also called as the 'Manchester of India'.
People of Ahmedabad speak Gujarati and the city celebrates Uttarayan (an annual kite-flying festival in January) and Navratri with great pomp and show. Khakhra, Fafda, Khaman-Dhokla and Thepla are some of the mouth-watering dishes of the place.
Narendra Modi Stadium, the world's largest cricket stadium with a seating capacity of 1,32,000 spectators, is also in Ahmedabad. Sabarmati Ashram, Vastrapura Lake, Bhadra Fort, Parimal Garden, Auto World Vintage Car Museum are some of the best places to visit in the city.
In this edition of 'To The Point', the big talking point is the political confrontation in Lok Sabha following Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s references to an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief General MM Naravane.
On this Special Report, Vijay Doshi provides an update on a major security scare involving an IndiGo flight. The aircraft, en route from Kuwait to Delhi, was forced to make an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport after a threat was discovered. Vijay Doshi notes that the 'threat was conveyed via a tissue paper' and warned of both hijacking and bombing. Following the emergency landing, all 180 passengers and crew members were evacuated, and their luggage was thoroughly inspected by the police bomb squad and dog squad. Initial investigations have not revealed any suspicious items. The flight is expected to depart for its original destination, Delhi, shortly after receiving security clearance. The programme highlights the swift response of security agencies and the standard protocols activated during such mid-air emergencies.
On this Special Report, correspondent Amit Bhardwaj details the significant fallout of the IndiGo crisis following a Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) curtailment order. Amit Bhardwaj notes that '10% of the curtailment will now translate into 717 slots of IndiGo being freed' between January and March. This regulatory action follows the 'December mayhem' at airports, leading to financial implications and the redistribution of flight operations to other carriers like Air India, Akasa, and SpiceJet. The report highlights that 59 slots in Delhi, 12 in Mumbai, and 51 in Kolkata are among those affected. While IndiGo currently operates approximately 2,200 flights, the ministry is ensuring that destinations where IndiGo is the sole operator remain unaffected to maintain connectivity. The redistribution process to private airline operators has already commenced according to top sources in the ministry.
In this special report, Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor examines the escalating pollution crisis in North India and its detrimental impact on the nation's sporting aspirations. Kapoor highlights that the 'air emergency choking North India and several other parts of the country isn't just a health hazard anymore, it's a national liability.' The programme discusses how toxic air quality is jeopardising India's bid for the 2036 Olympics, with Ahmedabad as the frontrunner. Joined by colleague Nikhil Naz, the discussion covers instances where international athletes, including badminton star Anders Antonsen, have raised alarms or refused to play in Delhi. The report further details how pollution affects athlete training, lung capacity, and the overall feasibility of hosting global events like the Commonwealth Games and the ODI World Cup. Kapoor concludes that the environmental crisis is not only an economic burden but a significant hurdle to India's dream of becoming a global sporting powerhouse.
On this news bulletin, the focus is on a series of bomb threats received by schools in Noida and Ahmedabad. Shiv Nadar School in Noida, along with Saint Kabir and Saint Xavier schools in Ahmedabad, received threatening emails early in the morning, prompting immediate evacuations. The speaker noted, 'The bomb squad, dog squad has been rushed to the Noida school to in fact check for any security concerns.' School administrations quickly informed parents, redirected school buses, and declared a holiday to ensure student safety. While initial searches by the police, fire brigade, and bomb disposal units have not yielded any suspicious items, authorities are tracing the IP addresses to identify the source of the emails. The programme highlights that such threats are often hoaxes intended to disrupt school activities or exams, but protocols are being strictly followed to mitigate any risks.
On this Special Report, the focus is on Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to his constituency, Gandhinagar, to celebrate the harvest festival of Uttarayan. Reporter Brijesh Doshi highlights that 'This is the style of Amit Shah that he always spends the time on these festival days with his family and the Karyakartas of his constituency.' The visuals show the Home Minister participating in kite flying on a terrace in Narayanpura, surrounded by Bharatiya Janata Party members. The programme explains that while the festival is known as Makar Sankranti or Pongal in other parts of India, in Gujarat it is celebrated as Uttarayan, marking the transition from winter to the harvest season. The report emphasizes how this festival binds the nation together, with leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah participating in celebrations across different states. The broadcast captures the festive spirit and the Home Minister's annual tradition of engaging with local supporters during significant cultural milestones in Gujarat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who inaugurated the International Kite Festival 2026 at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, flew kites, a gesture symbolising the strong ties between India and Germany.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the media, reaffirming the deep strategic partnership between India and Germany. Marking 75 years of diplomatic relations, PM Modi stated, 'India is fully committed to friendship, partnership and cooperation with Germany.' The talks highlighted strengthening trade and investment, which has crossed the $50 billion mark, and enhancing collaboration in technology, renewable energy, and green hydrogen. Chancellor Merz, on his first visit to Asia as Chancellor, reciprocated the sentiment, saying, 'We want to elevate the relations between India and Germany to an even higher and a new level.' The leaders also discussed defence cooperation, a new roadmap for defence industries, and strengthening people-to-people ties through mobility and skilling partnerships.
In a special address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to India, highlighting the deepening strategic partnership between the two nations. The Prime Minister noted the significance of the visit, coinciding with the celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations. He stated, 'Close cooperation between countries like India and Germany is important for the entire humanity.' The address covered the robust economic ties, with bilateral trade crossing $50 billion and over 2,000 German companies operating in India. PM Modi also emphasized growing cooperation in technology, renewable energy, green hydrogen, and defence. He recalled the historical people-to-people connections, mentioning figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda, and looked forward to strengthening ties in education, mobility, and skills development.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday joined German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the International Kite Festival 2026 at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. Both the leaders were seen flying huge tricolour kites. Merz is on his first official visit to India, as New Delhi and Berlin look to step up cooperation across strategic, economic and security sectors. The trip followed their PM Modi's meeting with Merz on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, where both leaders agreed to widen the bilateral strategic partnership, with the Prime Minister extending a formal invitation for the visit.
In a significant diplomatic engagement in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to review and advance the strategic partnership between the two nations, which now spans 25 years. The discussions centered on enhancing cooperation across a wide array of sectors including trade, investment, technology, defence, and sustainable development. A correspondent on the broadcast highlighted the economic aspects of the visit, stating, 'India and Germany are the world's third largest and the fourth largest economy, and that is the realization that if both third largest and the fourth largest economy can come together, they can form a very robust and a strong partnership'. The meeting, which included a forum with top German CEOs, also touched upon a potential multi-billion dollar submarine deal and joint efforts within the G4 for UN Security Council reform.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz inaugurated the International Kite Festival 2026 at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, marking a significant moment in India-Germany relations. The visit focuses on strengthening the 25-year strategic partnership between the two nations. According to India Today's Pranay Upadhyay, this is a meeting between the world's third and fourth-largest economies, aimed at expanding collaboration from 'agriculture to auto sector, from dairy to defence'. The discussions are set to cover enhancing the current $51 billion bilateral trade, technological cooperation in clean energy and defence, and geopolitical issues. The leaders also addressed a CEO forum at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre, underscoring the visit's strong economic and investment agenda.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is on his first official two-day visit to India, meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad to commemorate 25 years of the India-Germany strategic partnership. The two leaders visited the Sabarmati Ashram, Mahatma Gandhi's former residence. According to India Today Global's Pranay Upadhyay, this is a pivotal meeting, noting, 'This is also a meeting between the two big economies of the world, the world's third largest economy and world's fourth largest economy.' Bilateral discussions are scheduled to take place at Mahatma Mandir, focusing on strengthening economic ties, clean energy, and defence cooperation ahead of the India-EU summit. The visit also includes participation in a local kite flying event, underscoring the cultural and people-to-people connections between the two nations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meet in Ahmedabad, inaugurating the International Kite Festival 2026. This significant visit is aimed at expanding the business relationship between India and Germany, Europe's largest economy. According to India Today's Pranay Upadhyaya, this is not just a meeting of two leaders but a 'meeting between the world's third largest and fourth largest economy'. The discussions are set to cover collaboration in sectors from agriculture to defence. The visit also highlights Germany's efforts to attract more Indian talent and professionals by liberalising visa schemes, building on the existing migration and mobility agreement between the two nations. The talks occur amidst global geopolitical and geoeconomic turbulence, underscoring the strategic importance of the partnership.
In a candid reflection on India Today's UnPolitics podcast, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, reveals the profound personal cost of his historic 2008 Beijing Olympics victory. The decorated shooter details his obsessive and unconventional training methods, which included recreating the Olympic shooting range in a marriage hall and undergoing laser surgery for stability.
On this Special Report, the focus is on the rising incidents of moral policing and vandalism by vigilante groups. The programme explores whether banning such outfits is a legal or practical solution. A senior legal expert argues that bans are difficult to sustain and calls for stronger political will. A former police officer highlights the failure of law enforcement to act swiftly. An activist emphasizes the need for social awareness over bans. The anchor concludes by calling for strict implementation of the law.
On this broadcast, India Today's Anjali Istwal and Senior Special Correspondent Piyush Mishra report on the severe weather conditions gripping the national capital. Dense fog has shrouded Delhi NCR, reducing visibility and severely impacting flight operations at IGI Airport. The programme highlights a specific incident where an Air India Express flight, which took off from Goa's Mopa airport at 11:55 pm, was diverted to Ahmedabad because Jaipur Airport was already congested due to earlier diversions. Piyush Mishra provides ground updates, noting that flight operations are being conducted under 'category conditions' and that the Delhi airport has issued an advisory for passengers. Additionally, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi has breached the 'severe' category, crossing the 400 mark, creating a 'double whammy' for residents.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on the Congress and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Ahmedabad, Gujarat. While inaugurating development projects worth Rs 330 crore, Shah predicted that the Congress would face further defeats, specifically losing the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Senior journalist Rajesh Joshi reports that Shah accused the opposition of being 'disconnected from the masses' and blaming the 'SIR' (Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls) and EVMs for their electoral losses. Shah further asserted that the BJP's winning streak would continue, declaring that Narendra Modi would be Prime Minister again in 2029. The Home Minister emphasized that the opposition's rejection of government laws and development politics has alienated them from the public.
A dramatic rescue operation was carried out by the fire brigade after a father and his daughter fell into a 60-foot deep, water-filled borewell in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation K. Ram Mohan Naidu addresses the ongoing IndiGo airlines crisis in an exclusive interview with India Today. Speaking to Rajdeep Sardesai, Naidu terms the operational meltdown a "IndiGo mistake" and emphasizes that his "first priority" is passenger welfare over corporate interests. He confirms that the airline's flight operations have been cut by 10% as a deterrent and that temporary exemptions from FDTL norms will only last until February 10, 2026. The Minister also defends the DGCA's staffing, citing the hiring of 190 personnel in the last four months, and references the tragic June 2025 Ahmedabad air crash to highlight the importance of safety. Naidu asserts that the government will not allow airlines to prioritize profitability over pilot and passenger safety.
