PM Modi’s Rs 60,000-cr Odisha push: 97,500 4G towers, railways, hospitals & IIT upgrades lined up

The Prime Minister will commission over 97,500 mobile 4G towers built with indigenous technology at a cost of around Rs 37,000 crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Odisha's Jharsuguda on Saturday to lay the foundation stones and inaugurate multiple development projects worth over Rs 60,000 crore.

The projects span telecommunications, railways, healthcare, higher education, skill development, and rural housing, marking a significant boost to the state’s infrastructure and social welfare initiatives.

Taking to microblogging site X early in the day, PM Modi announced, “Will be in Jharsuguda, Odisha, to inaugurate developmental works worth over Rs. 50,000 crore. In a historic feat, over 97,500 telecom towers across India would be commissioned. These have been built using local technologies and will boost connectivity in remote areas, border areas and those affected by Maoism.”

Will be in Jharsuguda, Odisha, to inaugurate developmental works worth over Rs. 50,000 crore. In a historic feat, over 97,500 telecom towers across India would be commissioned. These have been built using local technologies and will boost connectivity in remote areas, border…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 27, 2025

During his visit, the Prime Minister will commission over 97,500 mobile 4G towers built with indigenous technology at a cost of around Rs 37,000 crore. Of these, more than 92,600 4G sites have been rolled out by BSNL, while 18,900 sites funded under the Digital Bharat Nidhi will bring connectivity to 26,700 previously unconnected villages in remote, border, and Maoist-affected areas, benefiting over 20 lakh new subscribers. Notably, most of these towers are solar-powered, creating India’s largest cluster of green telecom sites and advancing sustainable infrastructure.

On the railway front, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the Sambalpur-Sarla Rail Flyover and dedicate the doubling of the Koraput-Baiguda line and the Manabar-Koraput-Gorapur line to the nation. These projects aim to improve both freight and passenger connectivity in Odisha and neighbouring states, strengthening trade and supporting local industries. He will also flag off the Amrit Bharat Express between Berhampur and Udhna (Surat), providing affordable and efficient travel, boosting tourism, and linking key economic districts.

Moreover, healthcare infrastructure will get a considerable upgrade with the foundation stones for the upgradation of MKCG Medical College in Berhampur and VIMSAR in Sambalpur into super-speciality hospitals. The revamped facilities will feature increased bed capacity, trauma care units, dental colleges, maternal and child care services, and expanded academic infrastructure.

Later, PM Modi will also distribute sanction orders to 50,000 beneficiaries under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, a scheme that provides pucca houses and financial aid to rural families, including widows, persons with disabilities, terminally ill individuals, and victims of natural disasters.

In the education sector, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stones for the expansion of eight IITs, Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai, Jammu, Dharwad, Jodhpur, Patna, and Indore, at an investment of around Rs 11,000 crore, adding capacity for 10,000 new students over the next four years and establishing eight state-of-the-art research parks, strengthening India’s research and innovation ecosystem.

Mentioning the same on X, the Prime Minister wrote, “The other projects being launched or foundation stones being laid pertain to rail connectivity, expansion of IIT infrastructure, skill development centres, housing and much more. These works are in line with our vision to build a Viksit Bharat where the poor and downtrodden get access to all-round development.”

PM Modi will also launch the MERITE scheme, aimed at improving quality, equity, research, and innovation in 275 state engineering and polytechnic institutions nationwide.

The Odisha Skill Development Project Phase II will see World Skill Centres established in Sambalpur and Berhampur, targeting emerging sectors such as AgriTech, Renewable Energy, Retail, Marine, and Hospitality. Additionally, five ITIs will be upgraded into Utkarsh ITIs, 25 ITIs developed as Centres of Excellence, and a new Precision Engineering Building will provide advanced technical training.

To further enhance digital learning, Wi-Fi facilities will be dedicated across 130 higher education institutions, offering free daily data access to more than 2.5 lakh students.