The Impressive TimesNew Delhi, September 7, 2026; Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat and Maharashtra on September 8, where he will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stones for a series of development projects worth more than ₹35,000 crore.
During his visit to Vadodara, the Prime Minister will dedicate three important sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), covering 326 route kilometres and developed at a cost of more than ₹20,700 crore. The sections include Sanand (North)-Makarpura, New Umbergaon-New Saphale and New Saphale-JNPT.
The commissioning of these sections will mark the completion of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, providing dedicated freight connectivity between industrial centres and ports. Direct connectivity to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority is expected to facilitate faster movement of export-import cargo, reduce logistics costs and help decongest Mumbai’s railway network.
Prime Minister Modi will also flag off freight train services from New Sanand (North), New Makarpura, New Umbergaon and New JNPT in Mumbai. A new passenger train service between Tanda Road and Vadodara’s Pratapnagar will also be flagged off.
The Prime Minister will dedicate the Jobat-Tanda Road new rail line to the nation. Developed as part of the Chhota Udepur-Dhar railway project, the line will connect remote and tribal areas of Alirajpur with the national railway network and improve access to transport infrastructure.
In another major push to railway connectivity, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for three railway projects spanning 329 kilometres and costing more than ₹9,700 crore. These include the Vadodara-Ratlam third and fourth railway lines, Miyagam Karjan-Choranda-Malsar gauge conversion and the Vishwamitri-Dabhoi doubling project.
The projects are aimed at increasing passenger and freight capacity, easing congestion and strengthening rail connectivity between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for three National Highway projects with a combined cost of around ₹1,780 crore. These include the six-laning of the Kamrej-Chalthan section of NH-48, construction of additional structures and major bridges over the Tapi and Narmada on the Vadodara-Surat section of NH-48, and grade-separated structures at Abhava, Mindhola and Khajod junctions on NH-53.
Several projects of the Gujarat government worth around ₹2,600 crore will also be inaugurated or receive foundation stones during the Prime Minister’s Vadodara visit. These include the Vadodara Urban Development Authority Ring Road Phase II, a 110 MW floating solar project at Kadana Dam and a new Vadodara Municipal Corporation office.
Projects to be inaugurated include housing developments under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and a water-supply project covering 11 villages in eastern Vadodara.
Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Mumbai, where he will inaugurate the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026 at around 5:45 PM and address the gathering.
The seventh edition of the Global Fintech Fest is being held in Mumbai from September 8 to 11. Since its launch, the annual event has developed into an international platform bringing together policymakers, regulators, central banks, financial institutions, fintech companies, technology firms, investors, academics and other stakeholders to discuss the future of finance.
The theme of GFF 2026 is “Potential to Impact: Agentic AI, Tokenisation, Quantum – Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance.”
The event will focus on the intersection of policy, regulation, technology, capital and industry. Discussions are expected to explore how emerging technologies such as Agentic AI, programmable finance and quantum technologies can move from technological potential towards practical and measurable outcomes.
The fest will also highlight India’s progress in digital payments and financial inclusion while examining opportunities to build trusted, connected and inclusive financial systems for citizens, businesses and economies worldwide.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Gujarat and Maharashtra is expected to underline the government’s focus on strengthening transport infrastructure, logistics, renewable energy, urban development and India’s growing fintech ecosystem.
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