NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for development projects worth over ₹7,600 crore in Maharashtra via video conference on Wednesday. These include the upgrade of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur and the New Integrated Terminal Building at Shirdi Airport. Modi also launched 10 new Government Medical Colleges and inaugurated the Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) in Mumbai and the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) of Maharashtra.
Addressing the event, Modi emphasized the rapid pace of development in Maharashtra, highlighting projects in sectors like metro expansion, airports, highways, and textile parks. He lauded the recognition of Marathi as a classical language, fulfilling a long-held dream of the state’s people.
The Prime Minister stressed his government’s commitment to supporting farmers, fishermen, and animal keepers, while also noting the importance of modern infrastructure for growth. He pointed out recent victories in state elections as an indicator of the people’s support for his administration and warned against divisive politics.
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Modi also highlighted healthcare initiatives, including the opening of new medical colleges and making education more accessible to the poor and middle class. He emphasized the government’s efforts to support the medical sector by increasing seats, offering courses in regional languages like Marathi, and reducing the costs of essential medicines and treatments.
Discussing youth empowerment, Modi introduced initiatives to align India’s workforce with global standards and provide paid internships to students. He stressed the importance of Maharashtra’s growing tourism economy, boosted by infrastructure projects like the new Shirdi terminal and the modernization of Solapur Airport.
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Concluding his speech, Modi reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the welfare of the poor, farmers, youth, and women, linking the ongoing development projects to this vision of a “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India). He noted that new initiatives in agriculture and the textile industry would benefit the state’s farmers, improving their ability to export products and raising incomes.