Bengaluru's New Metro Link, India's Digital Leap — Key Highlights Of PM Modi's New India Vision

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday kicked off a string of big-ticket connectivity and infrastructure projects in Bengaluru, inaugurating the Yellow Line of the city's metro from RV Road to Bommasandra and laying the foundation for the Orange Line under Phase-3.

Addressing a public gathering, Modi hailed Bengaluru as a symbol of New India's rise. Here are the key highlights from the Prime Minister's address:

The Prime Minister inaugurated the Yellow Line of the Bangalore Metro from RV Road to Bommasandra and also laid the foundation for the Orange Line under Phase Three. Together, these lines are expected to serve 25 lakh passengers daily, significantly improving ease of living and working in the city. Corporate partners such as the Infosys Foundation and Biocon contributed via CSR funds to develop multiple stations, which the PM hailed as a model of public-private collaboration for urban infrastructure.

Highlighting the pace of metro expansion, the PM noted that in 2014, only five Indian cities had operational metro networks. Today, 24 cities boast a combined network of over 1,000 kilometres, making India the world's third-largest metro-connected country. He positioned infrastructure development as a critical pillar of 21st-century urban planning to meet the needs of rapidly growing cities like Bengaluru.

The PM credited the Make in India initiative for transforming India's manufacturing and export landscape. Once a major importer of mobile phones, India is now among the top five mobile handset exporters globally, with Bengaluru playing a pivotal role. Automobile exports have doubled in 11 years, making India the fourth-largest automobile exporter. Overall exports have surged from $468 billion in 2014 to $824 billion today.

India now accounts for 50% of the world’s real-time digital transactions via UPI, a sign of its leadership in digital finance, said PM Modi. The PM stressed the goal of becoming 'tech aatmanirbhar' (self-reliant in technology), with Bengaluru's IT ecosystem at the heart of this transformation. He linked India's digital achievements to the empowerment of the poor and the democratisation of technology, stating that the benefits of the digital revolution should reach every citizen.

In healthcare, the number of AIIMS institutions has grown from seven in 2014 to 22, while medical colleges have nearly doubled from 387 to 704 in the same period. This expansion aims to meet the growing demand for doctors and medical professionals and provide better access to quality healthcare across the country.