Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday, claimed that India has written a ”new chapter of development” despite the global crisis due to the disruption in supply chains for critical products and energy needs.

In these difficult times, even international experts were praising India’s achievements and the country has become ”the centre of hope” for the entire world, he said launching projects worth over Rs 10,500 crore at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

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This, Modi said, was possible because of the fact that “India is working while keeping in mind the aspirations and needs of its citizens. Every policy and decision is aimed at making the life of the common citizen better.”

The PM referred to the PLI scheme, GST and the national Infrastructure in the pipeline, among other things, as the cause of increased investments in India. At the same time, he said, schemes for the welfare of the poor were being expanded.

“Today in this journey of development, the areas that were earlier marginalised have also been included. Even in the most backward districts, development schemes are being run through the Aspirational Districts Programme,” he said.

He also listed many steps like free ration to the people for the last two and half years, Rs 6000 every year in the account of every farmer, and easing of drone, gaming and Start-up related rules.

“In this Amrit Kaal, the country is moving forward rapidly on the path of development with the objective of becoming a developed India,” he said, adding this path was multidimensional. It focused on the needs and necessities of the common citizen and presented a roadmap for advanced infrastructure.

He highlighted the government’s vision of inclusive growth.

The PM lamented the ”isolated approach” to infrastructure development of the previous governments which resulted in higher logistics expenses and created a dent in the supply chains. He informed that his government adopted a new approach to infrastructure development as supply chain and logistics depended on multi-modal connectivity while focusing on an integrated view of development.

Giving an example of the integrated view of development from the projects launched by him today, the PM  listed the 6-lane roads in the proposed economic corridor project, a separate road for port connectivity, the beautification of Visakhapatnam railway station and the construction of the state-of-the-art fishing harbour.

He credited this integrated view of development to the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and remarked that it has not only accelerated the pace of infrastructure development but also reduced the cost of projects. “Multi-modal transport system is the future of every city and Visakhapatnam has taken a step in this direction,” he added.

He said that Andhra Pradesh and its coastal regions would move ahead in this race of development with new momentum and energy.

Emphasising the importance of clear goals, the PM gave the example of the extraction of deep water energy through modern technology in Andhra Pradesh. He also underlined the government’s focus on Blue Economy. “Blue Economy has become such a big priority for the first time, he added. In this connection, he mentioned measures like Kisan Credit Cards for fishermen and the modernisation of the Visakhapatnam fishing harbour that started today. He highlighted that for centuries, the sea has been a source of prosperity for India and the country’s sea shores have acted as a gateway to this prosperity.

The PM said that the people of Andhra Pradesh have earned a prominent name for themselves in every field. He said the projects being launched today would further the pace of development in the state.