Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], October 11 : Gujarat is celebrating Vikas Saptah from October 7 to 15, marking 24 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dedicated public service. As part of the celebrations, Urban Development Day will be observed on October 12, said the Gujarat CMO.
According to the Gujarat Government, over the past 24 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has guided Gujarat's remarkable urban growth, first as Chief Minister and then as Prime Minister of India. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state continues to make significant progress in urban development.
To accelerate the development of world-class cities, the state government has declared 2025 as the "Urban Development Year". Gujarat offers excellent transportation facilities, particularly in urban areas, with strong road, rail, and air connectivity. Wide, well-maintained roads, modern trains, an organised railway network, international airports, and ports together ensure smooth and efficient travel for citizens.
As Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi focused on building a vast and efficient road network. He launched 'Pragati Path' to improve connectivity in tribal areas, 'Vikas Path' to strengthen urban roads during the Urban Development Year, 'Pravasi Path' to improve access to tourist destinations, and 'Kisan Path' to connect rural farmers with urban markets.
Across Gujarat, overbridges and underbridges are being constructed to improve road connectivity and manage increasing traffic.
These developments are creating a robust road network in the four major cities, namely Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, and Surat. In February 2024, the state-of-the-art Sudarshan Setu, a signature bridge linking Dwarka and Bet Dwarka, was inaugurated, greatly easing transport between the two locations.
Along with this, key projects including the Jamnagar-Bhatinda Highway, Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway, and Porbandar-Dwarka National Highway are underway.
This year's budget has proposed the construction of two greenfield expressways: Namo Shakti Expressway and Somnath-Dwarka Expressway.
The Namo Shakti Expressway, extending 430 km from Deesa to Pipavav, is estimated to cost Rs 36,120 crore. Meanwhile, the 680 km-long Somnath-Dwarka Expressway, estimated at Rs 57,120 crore, will improve connectivity to Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and the surrounding areas of Dwarka. Additionally, under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, over 15,330 km of roads and 88 bridges across 3,048 villages in Gujarat have benefited approximately over 20 lakh people.
Similarly, the Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojana has delivered 52,224 km of roads across 16,000 villages, improving access for over 2.6 crore people.
Gujarat has witnessed significant advancements in rail transport thanks to the foresight of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As the then Chief Minister, he initiated the Ahmedabad and Surat Metro Rail projects, and as Prime Minister, he launched the first phase of Ahmedabad Metro Rail in September 2022 and the second phase in September 2024. Work on the Surat Metro is also progressing rapidly.
The first bullet train project of Bharat, connecting Ahmedabad and Mumbai, is progressing swiftly, making the two cities the first to have a high-speed rail service. Additionally, the Prime Minister introduced the first Vande Bharat train in Gujarat in September 2022.
Today, five Vande Bharat trains operate across the state. Plus, 89 railway stations are being renovated under the Central Government's Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with 18 of these stations inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2025.
The Gujarat Government said that Hirasar Greenfield Airport in Rajkot was constructed at a cost of Rs 1,405 crore. After its construction, the commercial development of Rajkot gained momentum.
Surat International Airport has been made operational at a cost of Rs 3,400 crore. To improve regional connectivity, the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme has been implemented under the leadership of the Prime Minister, increasing connectivity at Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Kandla, Keshod, Mundra, and Porbandar airports in Gujarat.
The Gujarat Government said that the BRTS bus project, launched by then-Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad, is running effectively. Currently, 350 electric buses operate on 16 routes, serving around 1.5 lakh passengers daily. The project is also operational in Surat, where 870 buses run on 67 routes, benefiting approximately 1.8 lakh passengers daily.