Nagpur: The success of the ever-expanding Nagpur Metro project appears closely tied to its ticket pricing. Maha Metro's records reveal that the city's price-sensitive commuters initially abandoned the Metro for other transport modes when fares were raised, only to return once prices were lowered.

After the Nagpur Metro project became fully operational in December 2022, daily ridership had surpassed one lakh. However, when Maha Metro officials increased fares by two to four times in January 2023, the number of users dropped sharply. By July 2023, ridership had plummeted to about 65,000 per day, roughly half of what it was at the end of December 2022.

Recognizing the issue, Metro officials reduced fares by 33%, resulting in a significant boost in ridership. According to Maha Metro, the average daily ridership of Nagpur Metro was over 72,000 in the first week of May. This figure rose to over 91,000 in August, marking a more than 25% increase.

In May 2024, Metro earned an average of ₹10.53 lakh per day from ticket sales. This figure increased to ₹11.64 lakh in July and ₹11.87 lakh in the first four days of August. The revenue growth in August compared to May was 12.7%, approximately half of the increase in ridership.