On November 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched development projects worth over ₹15,600 crore in Bengaluru. The projects covers key sectors, including metro and railway connectivity, renewable energy, petroleum infrastructure and waste management.
Key highlights included the inauguration of Namma Metro’s Pink Line, dedication of an 80,000-metric-tonne underground LPG storage facility in Mangaluru, and the flag-off of a new Vande Bharat Express connecting Bengaluru, coastal Karnataka and Goa.
Major Energy and Petroleum Projects
Modi dedicated India’s largest underground LPG storage cavern in Mangaluru, built at a cost of over ₹850 crore, with a capacity of 80,000 metric tonnes and connected to New Mangalore Port through a 9.4-km pipeline. He also inaugurated the ₹330-crore Devangonthi Marketing Terminal of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) to strengthen petroleum product storage and distribution.
Additionally, he laid the foundation stone for GAIL’s Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant at Haralakunte, Bengaluru. The facility is designed to process 300 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily and produce 12.6 tonnes of compressed biogas.
Metro and Railway Infrastructure
PM Modi inaugurated the Bengaluru Metro Pink Line stretch between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere, built at a cost of ₹3,470 crore, taking Namma Metro’s network beyond 100 km and improving connectivity to IIM Bengaluru and major commercial hubs.
Modi flagged off the Bengaluru-Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express, connecting key destinations across Karnataka and Goa. He also dedicated the 45-km Bagalkot-Wandal railway doubling section and 55-km Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road electrification project, completing electrification of the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route.
Four redeveloped railway stations—Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Sakleshpur, and Subrahmanya Road—were also inaugurated under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
Renewable Energy and Power Transmission
The development package also includes major power transmission projects, including the ₹4,450-crore Koppal-II and Gadag-II scheme to evacuate around 2 GW of renewable energy and the ₹1,370-crore Bidar solar transmission project, which will support the evacuation of 2.5 GW of solar power.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also laid the foundation stones for two power transmission projects in the Davanagere, Chitradurga and Ballari renewable energy zones, with investments of over ₹3,450 crore and ₹1,100 crore, respectively. Modi also said India’s renewable energy capacity had crossed 300 GW, stressing the need to strengthen energy security amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Iran-Gulf region.
Solar Energy and Middle-Class Welfare
Pm Modi highlighted the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, under which over 60 lakh households nationwide, including more than 40,000 in Karnataka, have installed rooftop solar systems. He also highlighted the PM-KUSUM scheme, which promotes solar-powered irrigation to reduce farmers’ electricity costs and generate additional income.
Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the income tax relief for individuals earning up to ₹12 lakh annually, changes to TDS rules and GST reforms—including exemptions on personal health and life insurance premiums. These measures are aimed at improving household savings and purchasing power.
He said that these infrastructure initiatives will strengthen Bengaluru’s position as a hub for technology and innovation in India, while also creating opportunities for employment, industry and economic growth across Karnataka.
(PIB)
