Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched several connectivity and infrastructure projects in Kerala and said his government believed development of states holds the key to the nation’s prosperity.

Speaking at the foundation laying and inauguration of various projects at Thiruvananthapuram, including the State’s first Vande Bharat train, Modi said cooperative federalism was a high priority for his government, and it worked with the belief that if Kerala develops, so will India, and at a faster rate.

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India has worked at an unprecedented speed and scale in the field of connectivity and infrastructure in the last nine years, the prime minister said. Even this year’s Budget has provided Rs 10 lakh crore for infrastructure expenditure, he said.

Public transport and logistics sector is currently undergoing a complete transformation, the Prime Minister said. The Indian Railway is moving towards its golden age. Kerala’s average rail budget before 2014, has been increased more than five times.

Several projects of doubling tracks, gauge conversion and electrification have been completed in Kerala in the last nine years, he said. Work on modernization of three railway stations including Thiruvananthapuram started on Tuesday itself. These stations will not be just railway stations but turn into multi-modal transport hubs, the Prime Minister said.

Congratulating the state on the new projects, he said people of Kerala are enlightened and familiar with national and international state of affairs. Even when the world is facing difficult situations, India is considered a bright spot, and its potential for progress is accepted, he said.

There were quite a few reasons for the strong trust the world had now in India, he said. The first was a decisive Government in office which dared to take major decisions in national interest; the second was its unprecedented expenditure on modern infrastructure; the third was investment in skilling of youth; and the fourth was the commitment to ease of living and ease of doing business.

 “If India’s goodwill has gone up internationally, a major role has been played by the Government’s efforts for global outreach, and people of Kerala living abroad have been beneficiary of this,” the Prime Minister said. He said during his tours abroad he often met people from Kerala and could see that India’s growing clout and influence was helping the Indian diaspora.

Modi said Vande Bharat trains represent Aspirational India’s identity. These semi-high speed trains have been launched as the country’s rail network is undergoing rapid changes and preparing to run high-speed trains, he said.

The prime minister said the Vande Bharat trains were not just trains; they established links between cultural, spiritual and tourism spots of the country. Kerala’s first Vande Bharat will link North Kerala with South Kerala. It will make a trip to pilgrim centres of Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur comfortable, he said.

While working to modernize the country’s public transport, the Government endeavoured to provide ‘Made in India’ solutions suited to local conditions, Modi said. Semi-high speed trains, regional rapid transport systems, Ro-Ro ferries and ropeways are being developed according to the requirement.

 “You see, Vande Bharat Express is ‘Made in India’. Today, the Metro which is being expanded in many cities across the country is under ‘Make in India’. Projects like Metro Light and Urban Ropeways are also being built in small towns,” the Prime Minister said.

“The Kochi Water Metro project is also ‘Made in India’; it is unique. I congratulate the Kochi Shipyard for the boats that have been specially made for this project. Water metro will provide affordable and modern transport to the people living in many islands around Kochi,” he said.

This jetty will also provide intermodal connectivity between the bus terminal and the metro network. “I am sure this experiment being implemented in Kerala will become a model for other states of the country as well,” the Prime Minister said.

Along with physical connectivity, digital connectivity is also the priority of the country today. Projects like Digital Science Park will expand Digital India. The digital system that India has built in the last few years is being discussed all over the world, he said.

Investment in connectivity not only improves convenience, but reduces distances and connects different cultures, he said. Such projects, be it road, rail don’t differentiate between rich-poor, caste-creed. Everyone uses them. This is real development, he said, and strengthens the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’. This is what is happening in India today, he said.