PM Modi launches Kempegowda statue and airport terminal

Bengaluru: The BJP government sees speed as ambition and scale as a strength of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday in Bengaluru after unveiling a number of projects. Prior Indian governments saw speed as a luxury and scale as a risk that would hamper growth.

During his visit to Karnataka, the Prime Minister unveiled a semi-speed Vande Bharat train between Bengaluru and Chennai, a train for pilgrims to Ayodhya, Kashi, and Prayagraj, a new terminal at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, and a 108-foot-tall statue of Kempegowda, the founder of Bengaluru.

"India is functioning at a higher level right now, whether it's in discussions about governance or the development of physical and digital infrastructure. Could this have been envisioned eight years ago? Today the entire globe is surprised by digital payment systems in India like the BHIM UPI." During a speech at a public ceremony held after the string of inaugurations, the prime minister made the statement. "5G technology, developed in India, was unimaginable before. Bengaluru's youth and professionals have been crucial in all of these endeavours," said PM Modi. "These things could not have been conceived in the India of the year 2014." The reason for this is that prior governments operated in an antiquated manner. The previous governments viewed scale as a risk and speed as a luxury," the prime minister remarked. " We have altered this way of thinking. We believe that India's desire is speed, and its strength is scale," he added.

The PM listed a number of infrastructure and development projects that his administration presented during its eight years in office, including the PM Gati Shakti national plan for multi-modal connectivity and the expansion of the nation's rail, air, and road infrastructure.

According to PM Modi, the launch of the Vande Bharat train in Bengaluru marked the end of the country's previous history of sluggish progress.

"The programme here today is another example of Bengaluru's youthful spirit. In addition to being a brand-new train, Vande Bharat serves as a symbol of India's future," he said. The PM stated that the days of India halting progress are over and that the country now wants to advance quickly.

According to him, the Indian government intends to build freight corridors for the movement of goods trains and introduce over 400 Vande Bharat and Vistadome passenger trains over the next eight to ten years. The PM lauded Bengaluru's 16th-century founder Kempegowda and said that his foresight had contributed to the growth of the city. He claimed that Kempegowda had long ago considered commerce, culture, and convenience, and that Karnataka's people now benefited from his foresight.

PM Modi said the new terminal at Bengaluru International Airport appeared more magnificent in person than it did in the images he had previously shared on social media. The PM stated, "I had earlier posted pictures and now that I have visited, I feel it is far better in reality and very modern."