PM announces Rs 100 lakh-crore Gati Shakti national infrastructure plan

In his address to the nation from the Red Fort on the 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 100 lakh-crore Gati Shakti national infrastructure plan.

He said, “Gati Shakti will be a national infrastructure master plan for our country which will lay the foundation of holistic infrastructure and will lead to an integrated and holistic pathway to our economy. Right now, there is no coordination between our means of transport. Gati Shakti will break the silos, and will remove all these obstacles. This will reduce the travel time for the common man and the productivity of our industry will also increase.”

Gati Shakti will also go a long way in making our local manufacturers globally competitive and this will also develop new possibilities for the creation of future economic zones, he said. “In this decade, the power of speed will form the basis of India’s transformation.”

Emphasizing the importance of manufacturing and exports, the Prime Minister said, “Treading ahead on the path of development, India will have to augment both its manufacturing and exports. You have witnessed, just a few days ago, India launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant for trial in the sea. Today India is making its own indigenous fighter aircraft, its own submarine. Gaganyaan is also slated to hoist India’s flag in space. This itself is evidential of our immense capabilities in indigenous manufacturing.”

The country has also announced a production-linked incentive to consolidate our Make in India campaign in the wake of the new economic conditions that have emerged due to corona, he said. “The electronic manufacturing sector stands as an example of the change that is enforced through this scheme. Seven years ago, we used to import mobile phones worth about $8 billion. However, now the import has reduced considerably, and today we are also exporting mobile phones worth three billion dollars.”

Today, when our manufacturing sector is gaining momentum, our focus should be that whatever we make in India should be of highest quality standards so that we sustain in the global competition, the Prime Minister said. If possible, we should aim at going a step ahead and take proactive steps to prepare ourselves for the global market. “We have to target that. I want to say emphatically to all the manufacturers of the country that you should never forget that the product you sell overseas is not just a product made by your company, it is the identity of our nation, India’s prestige and the faith of all the citizens of our country.”

Talking about start-ups, he said, “They also have a big role to play in getting entry of their Indian products into the inter-state market. The government stands with all its might, with these start-ups. Whether it is giving them financial help, cash discounts, rules simplification for them, the government is fully with them. We have seen that thousands of new start-ups have emerged in this difficult period of corona.”

These are new types of wealth creators in our country today, the Prime Minister said. “They are standing on their feet with the power of their unique ideas, moving ahead and walking with the dream of conquering the world. They are new kinds of wealth creators. They are moving by the force of their unique ideas and a dream to win over the world.  In this decade, we need to relentlessly work towards making India’s startups and the startup ecosystem the best in the whole world.”

Political will is needed to bring about major changes and reforms, he said. “Today the world is witnessing that there is no dearth of political will in India. Good and smart governance is required to implement the reforms. Today the world is also a witness to how India is writing a new chapter of governance here.”