The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited to build 125 Hirkani rooms at bus stands across the state over three financial years, creating dedicated spaces for nursing mothers and caregivers travelling with infants.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, along with Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, were also present at the event.
The proposed Hirkani rooms are intended to provide breastfeeding mothers with a clean, safe and private place to care for their babies during journeys. The initiative is being positioned as a facility for the safety, health and dignity of women passengers using Maharashtra’s state transport network.
Under the agreement, the rooms will be installed at MSRTC bus stands in different parts of Maharashtra over three financial years. Each unit is expected to measure approximately 3 metres by 3 metres. The rooms will be prefabricated or ready-built units designed specifically for infant care and nursing requirements.
The project will be supported by Toyota Kirloskar Motor under its corporate social responsibility programme. The proposed CSR support will cover the creation of the rooms and the facilities required for their use. The announcement did not specify the individual bus stands where the first units will be installed or provide a district-wise rollout schedule.
The rooms are expected to include furniture, electrical work and electronic equipment in addition to the private space required for mothers to care for their children. By including these elements in the project scope, the agreement goes beyond the construction of an enclosed room and sets out a basic facility package for use at bus stations.
MSRTC bus stands serve passengers travelling across urban centres, smaller towns and rural parts of Maharashtra. For women travelling with infants, the absence of a private and hygienic space can make long-distance journeys more difficult, particularly when passengers have to wait between services or change buses. The proposed facilities are intended to address that specific gap within the public transport network.
The announcement also places responsibility for implementation across two institutions. MSRTC will provide the bus-stand locations and oversee the transport-side rollout, while Toyota Kirloskar will participate through CSR assistance. The agreement therefore links a public transport operator’s passenger-facility requirement with private-sector social funding.
The state transport corporation has not yet announced the construction sequence, completion dates for individual locations, operating arrangements or the process through which passengers will access the rooms. Details of those steps will determine how quickly the proposed 125 facilities become available to women passengers.
The project’s stated timeline is three financial years. Further implementation details, including the selection of bus stands and the schedule for installing the first Hirkani rooms, are expected to follow from the MSRTC and the participating institutions.
