Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially inaugurate the Delhi-Dausa-Lalsot section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway on Sunday, February 12. According to reports, the 246-km long stretch is expected to reduce the travel time from Delhi to Jaipur by one-and-half hours -- from five hours to about three and a half.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the first completed portion of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which was built at a cost of more than Rs 12,150 crore, will significantly promote the economic growth of the entire region.
The PMO said Modi's emphasis on the building of excellent road infrastructure as an engine of growth, development and connectivity in "New India" is being realised by the construction of a number of ongoing world-class expressways across the country.
Some key highlights of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway
- The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be India's longest with a length of 1,386 km.
- It will reduce the travel distance between Delhi and Mumbai by 12 per cent, from 1,424 km to 1,242 km.
- The travel time will be reduced by 50%, from the current 24 hours to 12 hours.
- The expressway will pass through six states -- Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra
- It will connect major cities like Kota, Indore, Jaipur, Bhopal, Vadodara and Surat.
- It will also serve 93 PM Gati Shakti Economic Nodes, 13 ports, eight major airports and eight multi-modal logistics parks (MMLPs)
- The Expressway will also connect new upcoming greenfield airports such as Jewar Airport, Navi Mumbai Airport and JNPT port.
- It is expected to have a catalytic impact on the developmental trajectory of all adjoining regions.
PM to visit Karnataka on February 13
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi is also slated to visit Karnataka on February 13 to inaugurate the 14th edition of Aero India 2023. About the prime minister's programme in Bengaluru, the PMO noted that the theme of Aero India 2023 is "The Runway to a Billion Opportunities".
In line with Modi's vision of "Make in India, Make for the World", the event will focus on displaying indigenous equipment, and technologies and forging partnerships with foreign companies, it said.
The Prime Minister’s emphasis on self-reliance in the Indian defence sector will also be displayed, as the event will showcase the country's progress in design leadership, growth in the UAVs sector, defence space and futuristic technologies.
Significance of the event
Further, the event will promote the export of indigenous air platforms like Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Tejas, HTT-40, Dornier Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), the PMO said.
The event will also help in integrating domestic MSMEs and start-ups in the global supply chain and attract foreign investments including partnerships for co-development and co-production, it said.
According to the PMO, the event is expected to witness participation from more than 80 countries. Ministers of about 30 countries and 65 CEOs of global and Indian OEMs are likely to participate in Aero India 2023. Further, the event will also witness the participation of more than 800 defence companies including around 100 foreign and 700 Indian.
(With inputs from PTI)
