PM Modi to launch rail and telecom projects worth ₹1,700 cr in Odisha on Saturday

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, SEPTEMBER 26, 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Odisha on September 27 to inaugurate a slew of major projects, including railway initiatives worth ₹1,700 crore and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’s (BSNL) indigenously developed 4G stack.

From Jharsuguda, the Prime Minister will also flag off the Amrit Bharat Express connecting Berhampur in Odisha with Udhna in Surat district of Gujarat via video conferencing. He will inaugurate a 5 km flyover at Sambalpur, built at a cost of ₹273 crore, and dedicate the doubling of key railway lines in southern Odisha — the 34-km Koraput–Baiguda stretch and the 82-km Manabar–Koraput–Gorapur section, executed at an investment of ₹1,400 crore. These rail upgrades are expected to boost mineral transportation and spur economic growth in the region.

Modi will further announce the expansion of eight IITs, confer super-specialty status on MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur and VIMSAR in Sambalpur, and launch a national skill development programme. Aid will also be provided to 50,000 beneficiaries under the Antyodaya scheme.

This will mark Modi’s sixth visit to Odisha in 15 months since the BJP assumed power in the state in June 2024, underscoring what the government describes as his commitment to Odisha’s development under the Purvodaya Mission. “The Prime Minister has not visited any other state so frequently in such a short span. This reflects his special focus on Odisha,” Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said.

Initially, the public meeting was scheduled in Berhampur, but was later shifted to Jharsuguda due to forecasts of heavy rain in southern Odisha. Ironically, the IMD’s Friday bulletin predicted thunderstorms with gusty winds in Jharsuguda as well. State officials, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, DGP YB Khurania, and several cabinet ministers, reviewed arrangements at the Amlipali Ground near Veer Surendra Sai Airport, where Modi will address the ‘Namo Yuva Samabesh.’ The Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive at 11:25 am and depart around 12:45 pm.

A senior minister confirmed that CM Majhi directed immediate corrections after spotting lapses during his inspection of the venue. “We have made all preparations keeping the weather in mind,” he assured.

The launch of BSNL’s ‘Swadeshi’ 4G stack will be another highlight of the visit, placing India among the select nations with indigenous telecom technology. The cloud-based system is designed to be future-ready and seamlessly upgradable to 5G.