Kochi Metro has made a remarkable financial and operational turnaround during Loknath Behera’s five-year tenure as managing director of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL). When Behera took charge in 2021, the metro had only around 15,000 daily passengers. Today, daily ridership has risen to around 1.25 lakh.
Behera has now stepped down after his tenure was not extended. G Priyanka, Ernakulam district collector, has been given additional charge of KMRL managing director until a permanent successor is appointed.
The government is considering retired IAS officers GG Thomson, Biju Prabhakar and MP Joseph for the post.
Kochi Metro has been reporting an operating profit for four consecutive years. In 2025-26, KMRL recorded an operating profit of about ₹53 crore, marking a significant turnaround from the losses recorded in its early years. Independent reports put the operating profit at ₹52.64 crore.
The metro had reported an operating loss of ₹24.19 crore in 2017-18, its first year of operations. The loss narrowed to ₹5.70 crore in 2018-19, before rising to ₹13.92 crore in 2019-20 and ₹56.56 crore in 2020-21 amid the Covid crisis.
The turnaround began after the pandemic.
2022-23: First-ever operating profit of ₹5.35 crore
2023-24: Operating profit rises to ₹22.94 crore
2025-26: Operating profit reaches about ₹53 crore
One of the key strategies during Behera’s tenure was to increase revenue from sources other than ticket sales.
KMRL expanded advertising opportunities across stations and trains and monetised commercial spaces at important stations. The approach helped reduce the metro’s dependence on ticket revenue.
In 2025-26, KMRL generated total operational revenue of ₹224.65 crore, of which ₹76.33 crore, or nearly 34 percent, came from non-fare sources such as advertising, station commercialisation and property development.
According to KMRL’s 2024-25 figures, total revenue stood at ₹182.37 crore. Ticket sales contributed ₹111.88 crore, while advertising, station rentals and other non-ticket sources generated ₹55.41 crore.
The sharp increase in ridership has been another major achievement. KMRL has also introduced initiatives such as WhatsApp ticketing and ONDC integration to make ticket booking easier. Discounts have been introduced for students and regular passengers.
During Behera’s tenure, Kochi Metro also received the Union government’s award for the best sustainable urban transport system in the country, according to the Dhanam report.
The upcoming extension to SmartCity and Infopark is expected to give both ridership and revenue another boost.
The second phase connecting the city with Kakkanad is expected to bring more passengers into the metro network and strengthen both ticket and non-ticket revenue. Behera had earlier said the commissioning of the second phase would improve the metro’s financial performance.
With Behera’s tenure ending, the immediate responsibility has gone to Ernakulam district collector G Priyanka. An announcement on the new MD is expected shortly.
