The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi replied to the motion of thanks on the President’s address to Parliament in the Lok Sabha today.

The Prime Minister said that the Hon’ble President gave direction to the nation in her visionary address to both Houses. He remarked that her address inspired the ‘Nari Shakti’ (women power) of India and gave a boost to the self-confidence of India’s tribal communities while instilling a feeling of pride among them. “She gave a detailed blueprint of ‘Sankalp se Siddhi’ of the nation”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister noted that challenges might arise but with the determination of 140 crore Indians, the nation can overcome all the obstacles that come our way. He said that the handling of the country during once-in-a-century calamity and war has filled every Indian with confidence.  Even in such a time of turmoil, India has emerged as the 5th largest economy in the world.

He said that there is positivity and hope towards India at a global level. The Prime Minister credited this positivity to stability, India’s global standing, the growing capability of India and new emerging possibilities in India.  Throwing light on the atmosphere of trust in the country, the Prime Minister said that India has a government that is stable and decisive. He underlined the belief that reforms are not carried out of compulsion but by conviction. “The world is seeing prosperity in India’s prosperity”, he said.

The Prime Minister drew attention to the decade before 2014 and said that the years between 2004 to 2014 were burdened with scams and at the same time there were terror attacks happening in every corner of the country.  This decade saw the decline of the Indian economy and the Indian voice grew very feeble on global fora. The era was marked by ‘Mauke main musibat’ – adversity in opportunity.

Noting that the country is full of self-confidence today and realising its dreams and resolutions, the Prime Minister said that the entire world is looking towards India with eyes of hope and credited the stability and possibility of India. He observed that India under UPA was called the ‘Lost Decade’ while today people are calling the present decade as ‘India’s Decade’.

Noting that India is the mother of democracy, the Prime Minister underlined that constructive criticism is vital for a strong democracy and said that criticism is like a ‘shuddhi yagya’ (purification yagya). The Prime Minister lamented that instead of constructive criticism, some people indulge in compulsive criticism. He observed that in the last 9 years, we have had compulsive critics who indulge in unsubstantiated allegations instead of constructive criticism. The Prime Minister said that such criticism will not pass muster with the people who are experiencing the basic facilities for the first time now. He said instead of a dynasty, he is a member of the family of 140 crore Indians.  “The blessings of 140 crore Indians is my ‘Suraksha Kavach’”, the Prime Minister remarked.

The Prime Minister reiterated the commitment towards those who are deprived and neglected and asserted that the biggest benefit of the government’s scheme has gone to dalits, adivasis, women and vulnerable sections. Throwing light on the Nari Shakti of India, the Prime Minister informed that no efforts have been spared to strengthen India’s Nari Shakti. He remarked that when the mothers of India are strengthened, then the people are strengthened, and when the people are strengthened it strengthens the society which leads to a strengthening of the nation. He also underlined that the government has addressed the aspirations of the middle class and honoured them for their honesty. Highlighting that the common citizens of India are full of positivity, the Prime Minister emphasised that even though the Indian society has the capability to deal with negativity, it never accepts this negativity.

Major Highlights:

• The main event was graced by Minister of Tourism, Culture and DONER Sh. G. Kishan Reddy; Union Minister Shri Parshottam Rupala, Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and Chief Minister of Gujarat Sh. Bhupendra Bhai Patel.
• India has built extensive tourism infrastructure worth approximately USD $ 1 Billion dollars (Rs. 7,000 Crores) to improve tourist experience: Shri G.K Reddy
• National Digital Tourism Mission (NDTM) is being formulated to ensure the digitalisation of the Tourism sector in Mission Mode: Shri G.K Reddy

The Inaugural session of the 1^st Tourism Working Group Meeting under G20 hosted by the Ministry of Tourism was held at Rann of Kutch, Gujarat today morning.

The inaugural session was addressed by Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and DoNER Shri G.Kishan Reddy, Union Minister Shri Parshottam Rupala, Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying;  and Chief Minister of Gujarat Sh. Bhupendra Bhai Patel along with opening remarks by TROKIA Brazil and Indonesia.

Addressing the inaugural session Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER Shri G.K Reddy said that despite the tourism sector being severely affected by COVID, India saw a good boost in Foreign Tourist Arrivals in 2022 and approximately 6.19 million foreign tourists were received in India during 2022.  This is a four-fold increase in the number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals over last year.

Union Minister also informed that the Ministry of Tourism is celebrating this year as “Visit India Year 2023” focusing on in-bound travel to India. In India tourists can experience Boundless Cultural heritage; Blissful spiritual experiences; Bountiful wildlife resources and Beautiful natural beauty, the Minister explained.

Giving more details, Shri G.K Reddy said that over the last 8.5 years, India has built extensive tourism infrastructure worth approximately USD $ 1 Billion dollars (Rs. 7,000 Crores) to improve tourist experience. Union Minister also said that India has taken several initiatives for skilling youth including Short Term Hospitality courses, Skill Testing and Certification, Recognition of Prior Learning, Digital Courses online. He also said that India is nurturing and developing young ambassadors of Indian tourism through YUVA Tourism Clubs in schools and colleges across India.

Highlighting the importance of safety, the Union Minister remarked that the Government of India is focussed on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of tourists travelling in India and is formulating and implementing Uniform Tourist Police for providing a safe and secure environment to the tourists. G.K Reddy also said that India is appointing nodal officers in the Indian Missions abroad of the top 20 source countries.

Union Minister further said that the National Digital Tourism Mission (NDTM) is being formulated to ensure the digitalisation of the Tourism sector in Mission Mode and India  has built  many large scale  Digital Public  Infrastructure  such  as Aadhar  for Identity  and  UPI  for real-time payments.

Union Minister Shri Parshottam Rupala said the theme of India’s G20 Presidency – “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth. Highlighting the importance of the Tourism Working Group in G20, he said that it  was initiated under the presidency of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2020 and since then it has provided a platform for the member countries and stakeholders to discuss, deliberate and guide the course of action for further development of local and global tourism.

He also remarked that tourism sector in India is a significant economic multiplier and is becoming increasingly important as the country strives for rapid economic growth and employment creation.

Union Minister also said that the tourism working group has changed the traditional perspective of tourism to responsible, sustainable, and inclusive oriented form of tourism. Since the inception of tourism working group different presidencies have contributed to make tourism, an important tool for achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister of Gujarat Sh. Bhupendra Bhai Patel said that Tourism brings us close to the nature. Tourism is a mode through which we can feel and experience the heritage and culture that has been passed on to us through our ancestors, thus leading to unity in diversity.

He also said that special provisions have been made for tourism development in this year’s Amrit Budget under the leadership of Prime Minister to face the immense diversity of India’s tourism activities to the world. The Chief Minister highlighted the vast and diverse tourist potential of the state of Gujarat.

In the working session, discussions were held on Greening of Tourism sector for a sustainable, responsible and resilient tourism sector; Harnessing the Power Of Digitalization to promote competitiveness, Inclusion and sustainability in tourism sector; Empowering youth with skills for jobs and entrepreneurship in tourism sector; Nurturing tourism MSMEs / Startups/ private sector to unleash innovation and dynamism in tourism sector; Rethinking the strategic management of destinations towards a holistic approach that delivers on the SDGs.

The delegates arrived in Dhordo on 7^th February and were given a warm, colourful and traditional welcome which included performances by folk artists at the tent city, Dhordo, Rann of Kutch. Later in the evening, the delegates were taken to White Rann in beautifully decorated camel carts with vibrant folk Music and dance performances all along the way. The delegates enjoyed the beautiful sunset and took photographs with G20 logo. The dinner was preceded by a cultural night in which folk dances were performed by artists.

As part of India’s G20 Presidency, the Youth20 group’s first inception meeting was held at Guwahati from 6^th-8^th February to consult the youth of the nation on ideas for a better tomorrow and draft an agenda for action on five identified Y20 themes.

In the run-up to the event, 10,000 youth in around 36 colleges of Assam participated in the Seminar, debate, workshops, and quiz competitions on Y20. Over 10 lakh students from around 4000 schools also participated.

During the inception meeting, 21 foreign delegates and 200 Indian delegates participated in the main events. On 6^th February, an ice-breaker session was held followed by a cultural night. Singer Papon gave a performance at the Brahmaputra Sandbar Island during the cultural night.

On 7^th February, 2023, Union Cabinet Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur participated in a dialogue with all delegates at IIT Guwahati. He said that the Y20 group would exemplify the youth-centric efforts and the Y20 Summit would showcase policy measures ideated by the youth. In response to a question on how women’s voices can be heard best, the Minister replied that the government believes in women-led development. The President of India is a tribal woman who has risen from a humble background only on account of her merit. The recent budget for India was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman; the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup is a woman, the Secretary Youth Affairs, Government of India is a woman. Women in India actively participate in framing and executing policy.

On being asked as to how India can promote the use of Ayurveda for preventive and curative purposes, the Minister stated that during the Covid pandemic, Yoga and Ayurveda were widely used both to treat and recover from illness. We continue to work on those themes. On being asked on how start-ups can be encouraged, the Minister replied that in the last few years, India has become one of the largest ecosystems for start-ups in the world due to Government efforts. From few hundreds in 2016, as of 2022, over 84,000 start-ups have been established.

During the course of Day 2 of the Inception Meeting, five panel discussions on the five themes were held at IIT Guwahati.

On the theme of ‘Peacebuilding and Reconciliation: Ushering in an Era of No War’, Gen. V. K Singh (Union Minister of State, Former Chief of Army Staff) said “it is important to build an inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to grow and this is what we have done in India. In India, we talk to militants. We use force only as a last resort. This is how we are able to resolve various conflicts that happen again and again and again.”

Tejasvi Surya (Member of Parliament from Bengaluru) said that if there is one section of the demography that gets disproportionately affected through war, it is the Youth. It’s very important to have Youth at the table on all discussions pertaining to war and peace.

Lt. Gen Satish Dua (Former Army Commander and strategy expert) said that it was the job of armies to ensure peace and not wage war and India has consistently had the highest presence in UN peacekeeping forces.

Bipul Kalita alias Pradip Bharali, a resident of Sivasagar, Assam (former member of the United Liberation Front of Asom -ULFA) stated that he surrendered to the government in 2000. He said that he had joined ULFA believing Assam should not be part of India. But they saw that they were wrong; 98% people in Assam do not support the idea of independent Assam hence they laid down arms. Now he runs a voluntary organization to help others.

Binual Warry, (former member of the National Democratic Front of Boroland -NDFB) stated that he laid down arms in 2005. He said that they had not been part of the mainstream but we realized they were wrong and wanted to join the mainstream and this is why they laid down arms.

Gyanendra Pratap Singh (Director General Police, Assam) emphasized the need to understand and address the aspirations of the people as a conflict resolution mechanism. Shri Hiren Chandra Nath ADGP Assam talked about the efforts of the Government of Assam to reach out to militants, talk to them and persuade them to lay down arms.

On the theme of Future of Work; Industry 4.0, Innovation and 21^st Century Skills, Dr Uma Maheshwar, Chief Consulting Engineer at GE Aviation spoke about how Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing work and that although new technologies are disruptive, the change is for the better.

Prem Kumar, an alumnus of IIT Guwahati, founder of Marut Dronetech said that new technologies like drones have the capacity to solve problems in India and the whole world and that Indian business has a lot to offer to the world in this regard. Dr G D Dhanuka, industrialist spoke of the importance of collaboration between academia and industry.

On the theme of ‘Health, Wellbeing and Sports; Agenda for Youth’, Mrs. Sarita Devi shared her journey of how sport was a motivating factor in her life, highlighting how she went from nearly joining the insurgency to winning 7 world medals and serving her country as a world champion boxer from 2001-2020.

Dr. Ashima Haobijam spoke of how depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents, and suicide is the second leading cause of death in people. So, it is important to take issues of mental health seriously. Ms. Shreyasi Singh highlighted the importance of sports in enhancing mental health and wellbeing. She specified that biologically, the endorphins from exercise help us have a healthy mindset, which leads to a healthy human being. She said that while there has been policy change in sports to enable more Indian athletes to excel, it is time to shift the focus to women in sports.

On 8^th February, 2023, the closing ceremony was held. The Hon’ble Minister of Education, Government of Assam presented the Research Papers on the 5 themes to the Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports. The Closing ceremony was concluded by the launch of White Papers by the Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra on 10th February. At around 10 AM, Prime Minister will visit Lucknow where he will inaugurate the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023. At around 2:45 PM, he will flag off two Vande Bharat train at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, in Mumbai. He will also dedicate two road projects to the nation – the Santacruz Chembur Link Road and Kurar underpass project. Thereafter, at around 4:30 PM, he will inaugurate the new campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah in Mumbai.

PM in Lucknow

Prime Minister will inaugurate the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023. He will also inaugurate Global Trade Show and launch Invest UP 2.0.

Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023 is scheduled from 10-12 February 2023. It is the flagship investment summit of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. It will bring together policy makers, industry leaders, academia, think-tanks and leaders from across the world to collectively explore business opportunities and forge partnerships.

Investor UP 2.0 is a comprehensive, investor centric and service oriented investment ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh that endeavours to deliver relevant, well defined, standardised services to investors.

PM in Mumbai

Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Train and Mumbai-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Train, are the two trains that will be flagged off by the Prime Minister at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai. This will be an important step towards fulfilling the Prime Minister’s vision of building better, efficient and passenger friendly transport infrastructure for New India.

Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Train will be the 9th Vande Bharat Train in the country. The new world class train will improve connectivity between Mumbai and Solapur and will also facilitate travel to important pilgrimage centres like Siddheshwar in Solapur, Akkalkot, Tuljapur, Pandharpur near Solapur and Alandi near Pune.

Mumbai-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Train will be the 10th Vande Bharat Train in the country. It will also improve connectivity of important pilgrimage centres in Maharashtra like Nashik, Trimbakeshwar, Sainagar Shirdi, Shani Singanapur.

To ease road traffic congestion in Mumbai and streamline movement of vehicles, Prime Minister will dedicate the Santacruz Chembur Link Road (SCLR) and Kurar underpass. The newly constructed elevated corridor from Kurla to Vakola and from MTNL Junction, BKC to LBS Flyover at Kurla will enhance much needed East West connectivity in the city. These arms connect the Western Express highway to Eastern Express highway thereby connecting eastern and western suburbs efficiently. The Kurar underpass is crucial to ease traffic on Western Express Highway (WEH) and connecting Malad and Kurar sides of WEH. It allows people to cross the road with ease and also vehicles to move without having to get into the heavy traffic on WEH.

Prime minister will inaugurate the new campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah (The Saifee Academy) at Marol, Mumbai.  Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah is the principal educational institute of the Dawoodi Bohra Community.  Under the guidance of His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the institute is working to protect the learning traditions & literary culture of the community.

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav today addressed the Ministerial Session on ‘Adapting to an Uncertain Future: Reshaping of Global Partnerships’ at India Energy Week in Bengaluru. Her Excellency Magna Mudyiwa, Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development, Zimbabwe was also present.

Speaking on this occasion Shri Bhupender Yadav said that under the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has emerged as one of the global forerunners with the ability to show concrete and collective resolve to ensure harmony and energy security in the world at a time when global energy supply chains are in troublesome state, a crisis of essentials is present all over the world. He also said that to reshape the global partnership, India has adopted a “whole-of-society” approach with governments engaging at national, sub-national and local governments levels, including the private sector, civil society organizations, local communities, and people in vulnerable situations.

Shri Yadav said that today, India is one of the fastest growing emerging market economies with a young population and burgeoning innovation and business ecosystem. With Nominal GDP for 2023/24, estimated to grow 10.5% year-on-year to 301.75 trillion rupees (USD 3.69 trillion) in 2023/24, India strives to become a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025.

Noting that India is at the centre of the energy transition, combining economic and energy demand growth with rapid decarbonisation, Shri Yadav said that India stands committed to reduce emissions intensity of our GDP by 45% by 2030 and subsequently reach to net-zero by 2070. In this context he also said that India’s commitment to the sustainable and carbon neutral future is being guided by its enhanced National Determined Contribution (NDC) and Long-Term Low Carbon Development Strategy which call for clean and efficient energy systems, disaster resilient infrastructure, and planned eco-restoration. India’s net zero goal entails a five-decade long journey and India’s strategy must therefore be evolutionary and flexible, accommodating new developments in technology, the global economy and international cooperation, he said.

Shri Yadav also said that India’s long-term low-carbon development strategy to reach net-zero by 2070 notes, inter-alia, that alongside the imperative of development, and need to ensure the country’s energy security, based both on the expansion of non-fossil fuel sources for power generation and rational utilization of fossil fuel resources. India’s long-term low-carbon development strategy therefore rests on seven key transitions to low-carbon development pathways. In the context of energy security, the Strategy calls for low-carbon development of electricity systems consistent with development; development of an integrated, efficient and inclusive transport system; promotion of energy and material efficiency in buildings, and sustainable urbanization; and economy-wide decoupling of growth from emissions and development of an efficient, innovative low-emission industrial system.

The Union Environment Minister highlighted that in the Union Budget 2023-24 greening the economy is one of top seven priorities (Saptarishi). He said that India has launched, and is nurturing many programs for green fuel, green energy, green mobility, green buildings, and green equipment, and policies for efficient use of energy across various economic sectors. Ethanol blending with petrol, the National Green Hydrogen mission, promotion of electric vehicles and tremendous push on the renewable energy front are some of the significant initiatives that India is pursuing towards a clean and green energy future. These initiatives are playing important role in India’s Energy transitions and to provide for large-scale green job opportunities, he said.

Highlighting the primary characteristics of Union Budget 2023-24, Shri Yadav said that, it reflects the Government’s nonstop commitment towards India’s Energy Transition. Some of the important initiatives of the Union Budget are:

1. Energy Transition: This Budget provides ` 35,000 crore for priority capital investments towards energy transition and net zero objectives, and energy security by Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
2. Green Hydrogen Mission with an outlay of ` 19,700 crores, is to facilitate energy transition and reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports
3. Energy Storage Projects: To steer the economy on the sustainable development path, Battery Energy Storage Systems with capacity of 4,000 MWH will be supported with Viability Gap Funding.
4. Renewable Energy Evacuation: The Inter-state transmission system for evacuation and grid integration of 13 GW renewable energy from Ladakh is be constructed with investment of ` 20,700 crore including central support of ` 8,300 crore.
5. GOBARdhan scheme: 500 new ‘waste to wealth’ plants under GOBARdhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) scheme will be established for promoting circular economy.

The Union Environment Minister said that these initiatives must also be viewed as the opportunities to enhance India’s collaboration with various stakeholders to reshape global partnership in the energy sector and to better adapt to uncertain future.

In his concluding remarks, Shri Yadav quoted Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who in his address at the G-20 Summit in Bali, Session I: Food and Energy Security, said,

“India’s energy-security is also important for global growth, as it is the world’s fastest growing economy. We must not promote any restrictions on the supply of energy and stability in the energy market should be ensured. India is committed to clean energy and environment. By 2030, half of our electricity will be generated from renewable sources. Time-bound and affordable finance and sustainable supply of technology to developing countries is essential for inclusive energy transition.”

The 9^th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable is being held at an apt time when there is a pressing need to galvanise global efforts for “Mapping Stable & Secure Energy pathways for achieving Energy security, Energy Justice, Growth and Innovation”, said Mr. Hardeep S. Puri, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India.

India hosted the 9th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER9) in association with the International Energy Forum (IEF) today i.e. on 7 February 2023 in Bengaluru. The theme for this roundtable was “Mapping new pathways for energy security, inclusive growth and energy transitions”.

Convening in Bengaluru, the nation’s hightech center, AMER9 was opened by Mr. Hardeep S. Puri and took place alongside India Energy Week, which runs from 6 to 8 February.

While speaking at the Opening Session of the Roundtable, the Minister said that the 21st Century belongs to Asia, and this is being vindicated in the post-pandemic energy sector. Asian economies have not only managed to bounce back fastest from the impacts of the Pandemic but have also made significant progress toward clean energy. He said that the present century is marked by the remarkable growth story of Asia due to its demographic dividend and innovation. Some of the world’s best solutions to its toughest problems, including in the energy sector, have come out of Asia.

Mr. Puri said that the Asian Ministerial Roundtable has always been a meaningful platform for dialogue between producers, consumers & International Organizations to join and debate energy issues which confront the Asian and the global energy sector. “Our interaction and takeaways from our discussion today will have a direct bearing on our tomorrow and future generations.”, he said.

Speaking about the growth of Asian economy, the Minister said that the world economy has radically changed over the past decade. The Asian share of global GDP has risen from 38% to 45% and is likely to exceed 50% by 2030.Asian Economy has grown at the average rate of 5½ percent over the preceding two decades and registered growth of 6.5 per cent posted in 2021, while it is expected to moderate to 4.0 percent in 2022 amid an uncertain global environment and rise to 4.3 percent in 2023, the Minister said.

Mr. Puri elaborated that the economic growth coupled with urbanization, industrialization, and improving energy access and living standards will result in a rise in energy demand of over 3 percent between 2021 and 2030 for a majority of emerging Asian Economies. Whereas the energy demand of advanced economies would be plateaued or will even decline by then.

Highlighting the importance of alternative energy sources, the Minister said that while the affordable traditional energy resources are essential for meeting the based load requirements, new sources of energy which are cleaner, sustainable, and innovative, are critical for combating the menace of climate change. Transfer of low-cost clean scalable technologies, financing for R&D and deployment of clean technologies are crucial for catalysing faster action to mitigate climate change.

With India assuming G20 presidency, it endeavour to utilise the opportunity to give resonance to the voice of the developing/underdeveloped countries and highlight the common concerns of energy security, energy justice, and sustainable energy transition so that all developing countries can gain reliable and clean energy.

Talking about India’s energy transition, Mr. Puri said that India recognizes that its energy transition path will involve a variety of energy solutions to support energy and economic growth. Advanced biofuels, green hydrogen, renewables and nuclear will play a critical role in the energy mix as India charters its path to the energy transition, he said.

“India has met its commitment of 40% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030 November 2021. The country’s installed Renewable Energy (RE) capacity by October 2022 stands at 166 Giga Watt while its nuclear energy-based installed electricity capacity stands at 6.78 Giga Watt”, he elaborated further. He said that India is setting up 2G refineries utilizing agricultural waste and bamboo to make ethanol, using indigenous technology. This contributes to achieving rural prosperity and also goes a long way in reducing pollution along with achieving energy security goals.

Speaking about the E20 Fuel which was launched by Prime Minister yesterday, the Minister said that another feather added to the splendid Indian journey to decarbonization with roll out of E20 by PM yesterday, much earlier than the initial target date of 1^st April 2023. Fifteen cities will be covered under phase 1. We are targeting a phased rollout of E20 in the entire country between now and April 2025. “We are also targeting the setup production capacity of 15 MMT of CBG from 5000 plants by 2023 with an investment of US $20 billion.”, informed the Minister.

Highlighting the potential of green hydrogen in India, Mr. Puri stated that today, Indian companies can supply the most competitive green hydrogen/green ammonia due to availability.  The availability of the lowest cost for solar power combined with engineering prowess makes India an ideal place for a green hydrogen production hub. “We are Setting-up pilot scale and commercial-scale green hydrogen manufacturing plants at several of our Refineries”, he said.

The Minister also talked about the recent budget which further strengthened India’s efforts towards green energy and sustainable development.

Mr. Puri also spoke about the encouragement by India to battery energy storage system with capacity of 4,000 MWH supported through Viability Gap Funding. “We are providing customs duty exemptions to imports of capital goods and machinery required for manufacture of lithium-ion cells used in EV batteries.” he said.

“Integrative medicine is aimed at harnessing the potential of India’s rich heritage and medical knowledge, along with using modern advancements in allopathy. Both traditional and modern medical practices would help in providing better avenues of health and wellness. It is thus, the need of the hour that different medical systems must not compete but complement each other. Only then we can ensure wellbeing of our citizens and further help in achieving health for all.” This was stated by Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya as he jointly inaugurated the Integrative Medicine Centre at Department of Integrative medicine of All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) at Safdarjung hospital, with Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ayush, here today. Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar and Union Minister of State for Ayush, Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai were also present on the occasion.

On the inauguration of new centre, Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the importance of holistic healthcare in the growth story of India. He said that “under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, country has finally connected health with its development story and citizens must remain aware about their health which in turn is crucial for wealth creation.” He further added that “a country can only develop when its citizens are healthy”. Reiterating the government dedication to reach grassroots level and creating last mile delivery of healthcare services, Dr. Mandaviya stated that the health and wellness programs are being run in more than 1,56,000 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) across the country. He said that “India has achieved opening more than 1.56 lakh HWCs before 31^st December 2022 which are turning out to be crucial in providing various types of services to our citizens.” “Specifically for wellness, yoga and other practices are also being conducted at these HWCs regularly” he further added.

He emphasized that “the Government has decided to open such Integrative Medicine Centres at all government medical establishments, especially all AIIMS in the country.” Opening such Centres will help in initiating co-location of practitioners of Indian system and modern medicine, thus harmonizing both medical systems and providing joint multidisciplinary care to the patients.

Emphasizing the significance of this Integrative approach, Dr. Mandaviya said that “Stakeholders like health sector experts, private medical sector are also pushing forward for this integrative medicine approach.” Highlighting India’s stature in popularizing traditional practices, he brought attention to global acceptance of India’s integrative approach. He said that “today World Health Organisation (WHO) and other global counterparts are appreciating India’s efforts in mainstreaming and streamlining different medicinal systems.” “India has shown the world how we can collaborate with the intention to provide quality healthcare services to our citizens and is being recognized globally for its health and wellness initiatives”, he further added. He was hopeful that the tireless efforts of all the stakeholders will ensure healthy future for our citizens and country.

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal congratulated the hospital for this new Centre and was hopeful that staff would perform their duties diligently. Appreciating the rapid strides made by the institute, Shri Sonowal said, “It is a matter of pride that the country is moving towards holistic healthcare and integrative medicine is a key step in this goal.”

Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar informed everyone about the significance of Yoga, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Siddha and Unani medical systems that have grown especially due to the challenges of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), multidrug-resistant diseases, lifestyle disorders, long term diseases. She said that Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare are working in close coordination with stakeholders. Consequently, today this Centre is being inaugurated which will cater to patients and provide holistic care. She said that such Centres will be crucial in providing services like Panchakarma therapies & concomitant medicines which will provide a promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative therapy. The Centre will be key in developing integrated standard protocols of patient care and spreading awareness among patients about a healthy lifestyle. Services like Specialty OPD, Panchakarma Therapy, Free Ayurvedic Medicine Dispensary, and Dietary consultation will be offered at the centre. She also lauded the efforts of Safdarjung Hospital and hoped that with this Integrative Medicine Centre, it will act as an example for other such Centres to follow.

Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary (AYUSH), Dr Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services, Prof. Tanuja Nesari, Director AIIA, Dr B L Sherwal, Medical Superintendent, Safdarjung Hospital, along with senior officials from Ministry, faculty and staff of Safdarjung Hospital were present at the event.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the growth of SCO depends on its success in science, technology and innovation sectors and there is a need to transform this landscape.

Dr Jitendra Singh, while delivering his inaugural address at the Second SCO Young Scientist Conclave in Bengaluru noted that India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, at the 19th Meeting of Council of Heads of State of SCO, had coined an acronym HEALTH (‘H’ for Health-care cooperation, ‘E’ for Economic cooperation, ‘A’ for Alternate Energy, ‘L’ for Literature and Culture ‘T’ for Terrorism free society, ‘H’ for Humanitarian Cooperation). He said that SCO brings together the colorful and distinctive cultures of Central and South Asia and it promotes mutual assistance and team spirit. The Minister added that the SCO consists of approximately 42% of the world’s population, 22% of its land area, and it contributes 20% to the global GDP. He said that the SCO countries have demographic advantage of having large number of young people.

Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted Food security as a major area of concern for SCO economies, as it accounts for a combined population of over three billion people. He said that technology will play a critical role in enhancing both, the quality and quantity, across the agriculture value chain from the use of inputs at the pre-production stage to post-production and marketing to improve the income of farmers. He added that leveraging the SCO scientific talents in this endeavor will certainly add a great value.

Dr Singh pointed out that we may organize Startup Forum and an Innovation Contest to Promote Micro-, Small- and Medium Sized Businesses,”. Stressing that the motto for the young scientists should be -to Innovate, Patent, Produce and Prosper, THE Minister said, these four steps will lead our countries towards faster development. He specially requested young scientists of SCO to come forward and join hands for developing solutions for our common societal challenges with the limited resources available.

Highlighting another area of concern for SCO, the Minister said that Environmental degradation has been a cause of concern in the SCO space for a long time, especially in Central Asian region. He said that the “preservation of the natural environment, ecosystems and biodiversity” in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is very important. Dr. Singh noted that providing every person with accessible, reliable, sustainable and modern energy sources is one of the major Goals of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda until year 2030. He said that we must boost our science and technology cooperation in fiend of energy innovations based on the principle of technology neutrality. He noted that we should encourage the development and use of various clean and low-carbon technologies in the energy sector, including the clean and highly efficient use of fossil fuels in the energy transition process. He also opined that critical and emerging technologies such AI, data analytics have pervaded all walks of life and is playing a transformative role in almost in all sectors, be it, health, education, energy, environment, agriculture, industrial sectors, etc. He said that it has become imperative for governments and industries to be prepared to adopt these emerging technologies in order to remain competitive, drive societal progress, generate employment, foster economic growth and to improve the overall quality of life and sustainability of the environment. There great huge potential in this domain for start-us and entrepreneurship.  We may organize Startup Forum and an Innovation Contest to Promote Micro-, Small- and Medium Sized Businesses.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exert a serious negative influence on people’s lives, health and wellbeing in all countries and the SCO member states must strengthen their cooperation in preventing and countering the spread of infectious diseases to remove the threat of epidemics in the SCO space. He added that the role of innovators and young researchers becomes even more important here to develop innovative & affordable solutions.

The Union Minister said that India has been progressing well in recent years in terms of its overall performance and outcome in the area of science and technology. He added that India, today, has attained the 3^rd position globally in terms of number of publications and also 3^rd in number of Start-Ups. He said that from just 400 registered startups in 2014 to 85 thousand in 2022, India’s startup ecosystem has grown exponentially.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that India shares close cultural and historical ties with the SCO nations and our ancestors kept alive this shared historical and cultural heritage with their untiring and persistent contacts. He added that people to people contact and cultural cooperation within SCO area have a huge potential for all stakeholders and that the networking of young scientists will play an important role to further deepen our relations. He said that India looks forward to deepening the SCO collaboration in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation. Dr. Singh expressed hope that this Conclave will prove to be a catalyst for fostering the collaboration among young scientists.

The Union Minister exhorted the young scientists, saying their motto should be – to Innovate, Patent, Produce and Prosper. He said, these four steps will lead our countries towards faster development. The Minister made a special request to the young scientists of SCO that for the welfare of the world, for human welfare, they should come forward and join hands for developing solutions for our common societal challenges. He said that the discussions and deliberations among SCO young scientists will provide new perspectives and they should be able to come up with a roadmap to address these challenges.

“It has become imperative for government and industries to be prepared to adopt these emerging technologies in order to remain competitive, drive societal progress, generate employment, foster economic growth and to improve the overall quality of life and sustainability of the environment. There is great huge potential in this domain for start-us and entrepreneurship.

Secretary General, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Mr. Ziang Ming hoped that work done by young scientists will promote research, education, science, technology. This collaborative research may help in bringing up the social and economic status of the member states.

Shri Dammu Ravi, Secretary (ER), Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India presented his message for this Conclave. He wished that interactions during this conclave will create a significant pool of young talent which will help in bringing about impactful changes.

SCO Country Coordinators also presented their addresses which were moderated by Dr. Arvind Kumar, Scientist-F, International Cooperation Division, DST, Govt. of India (Co-Convenor, 2nd SCO-YSC). The Country Coordinators Ms. Urmanova Diliyara from Kazakhstan), Mr. Wan Cong from China, Ms. Sidorenko Valeria Valirievna from Russia, Mr. Nazarov Shohrukhbek Shukhrat Ugli from Uzbekistan presented their addresses and emphasized on various ways and avenues by which the young scientists may foster research collaborations in this event and in future.

Shri S K Varshney, Head International Cooperation Division, DST and Prof G U Kulkarni, President, JNCASR along with senior officials from DST and JNCASR participated in the inaugural session.

Representatives of Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation of SCO countries, Officials, experts, and scientists from India are attending the Conclave to share their experiences and learn from each other in domain of science & technology.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, dedicated the HAL Helicopter Factory to the nation in Tumakuru today. He also laid the foundation stone of the Tumakuru Industrial Township and two Jal Jeevan Mission projects at Tiptur and Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumakuru. The Prime Minister took a walkthrough of the Helicopter Facility and Structure Hangar and unveiled the Light Utility Helicopter

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that Karnataka is a land of saints and sages that have always strengthened the Indian traditions of spirituality, knowledge and scientific values. He also highlighted the special significance of Tumkuru and the contributions of Siddaganga Mutt. He informed that the heritage of Anna, Akshara and Ashray left behind by Pujya Shivkumar Swamy is being carried forward by Shri Siddalinga Swamy today.

The Prime Minister said that today many projects worth hundreds of crores, related to employment opportunities for the youth, ease of life of the rural community and women, strengthening of the armed forces and the concept of Made in India are being dedicated or foundation stones are being laid.

The Prime Minister lauded the talent and innovation of Karnataka youth and said the manufacturing sector’s strength is manifested in products from drones to Tejas fighter planes. “Double-engine government has made Karnataka the first choice of investors” the Prime Minister asserted and illustrated the point by the HAL project dedicated today for which the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone in 2016 with a pledge for reducing the foreign dependence for defence needs.

The Prime Minister expressed delight that hundreds of arms and defence equipment are being manufactured in India which are being used by the armed forces today. “From advanced assault rifles to tanks, aircraft carriers, helicopters, fighter jets, transport aircraft, India is manufacturing it all”, the Prime Minister remarked. Throwing light on the aerospace sector, the Prime Minister pointed out that the investment made in this sector in the last 8-9 years is five times the investment made before 2014 plus 15 years prior. The Prime Minister underlined that Made in India arms are not just supplied to our armed forces but the defence exports have also grown manifold when compared to the years before 2014. He emphasized that hundreds of helicopters are going to be manufactured in this facility itself in the near future which will give rise to businesses worth 4 lakh crore. “When such manufacturing units are set up, it does not just strengthen the armed forces but also creates employment and self-employment opportunities”, Shri Modi remarked as he underlined that small businesses near the helicopter manufacturing facility in Tumkuru will get empowered.

The Prime Minister emphasized that With the spirit of ‘Nation First’ success is assured. He talked about revamping and reforms in the working of the public sector enterprises as well as opening up opportunities for the private sector.

The Prime Minister referred to the recent propaganda to target the government in the name of HAL and said that falsehood, no matter how big, frequent or high, is always defeated in the face of truth. “This factory and the rising strength of HAL has exposed the purveyors of falsehood. Reality is speaking for itself” He said and added that today the same HAL is making modern Tejas for Indian Armed forces and is a center of global attraction and bolstering India’s aatmanirbharta in the defence sector.

The Prime Minister said that the Industrial township is a huge gift to Tumakuru after the Food Park and HAL which will help in developing Tumakuru as a big industrial center of the country. The Prime Minister expressed happiness that the township is being developed under PM Gatishakti Masterplan which will be connected with multimodal connectivity via Mumbai-Chennai Highway, Bengaluru Airport, Tumakuru Railway station, Manguluru Port.

“The Double Engine government is paying equal attention to social infrastructure as it is giving to physical infrastructure”, Shri Modi said. Throwing light on this year’s budget, the Prime Minister informed that the budget allocation for Jal Jeevan Mission has seen an increase of 20,000 crores from last year and said that the biggest beneficiaries of this scheme are the mothers and sisters who do not have to travel afar to fetch water for their homes. He highlighted that in the last three years, the scope of the project has increased from 3 crore rural families to 11 crore rural families. Highlighting the commitment of the double-engine government, the Prime Minister noted that Rs 5,500 crores have been allocated for the Upper Bhadra Project which will benefit Tumakuru, Chickmangaluru, Chitradurga, Davangere and the drought-affected areas of central Karnataka. The Prime Minister also highlighted the benefits to the farmers who are dependent on rainwater.

The Prime Minister said that this year’s middle-class-friendly budget will give strength to  everyone’s efforts for the  ‘Viksit Bharat’. “This budget is a big step in the direction of Samarth Bharat, Sampann Bharat, Swayampurna Bharat, Shaktiman Bharat, Gatiwan Bharat. This is a popular, all-encompassing, all-inclusive budget that touches everyone” the Prime Minister said. He elaborated on the benefits of the budget for the deprived, youth, and women in agriculture. “We kept in mind all three aspects,  your needs, assistance to be provided to you and your income”, he said.

The Prime Minister emphasized the efforts of the government since 2014 to empower that section of society for whom getting government assistance was a difficult task. “Either the government schemes did not reach them, or it was looted by middlemen”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted the assistance extended by his government to every section, which was earlier deprived of it. The Prime Minister said that it is for the first time that the ‘employee-labour’ class has got the facility of pension and insurance. He touched upon the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi for helping small farmers and mentioned the loans availed by street vendors. Observing that this year’s budget takes the same spirit forward, the Prime Minister highlighted the PM Vikas Yojna which will allow craftsmen or Vishwakaramas such as Kumbara, Kammara, Akkasaliga, Shilpi, Garekelasdava, Badgi and others, those who build something with the skill of their hands and hand tools, further enrich their art and skills.

The Prime Minister listed many measures to help the deprived and poor. The Government has spent 4 lakh crore rupees on free ration for the poor during the pandemic. Unprecedented 70 thousand crore rupees have been allocated for housing for the poor.

Highlighting the provisions of the Budget that will benefit the Middle class, the Prime Minister explained the tax benefits in income tax. “There is a lot of enthusiasm in the middle class due to zero income tax on income up to Rs 7 lakh. Especially young people below 30 years, who have a new job, new business, more money will come into their account every month”, he said. Similarly, doubling the deposit limit to 30 lakhs from 15 lakhs will help retired employees and senior citizens. Tax rebate on leave encashment is now for up to 25 lakhs against 3 lakhs earlier.

Emphasizing the centrality of the financial inclusion of women, the Prime Minister said “Financial inclusion of women strengthens their voice in households and increases their participation in household decisions. In this budget, we have taken big steps for our mothers, sisters and daughters to join more and more banks. We have come up with Mahila Samman Saving Certificates.” This, the Prime Minister said, is a big initiative for the economic empowerment of women after Sukanya Samriddhi, Mudra, Jan-Dhan Scheme and PM Awas.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the maximum focus of this budget is on the rural economy while assisting the farmers at every step through digital technology or expanding cooperatives. He said that it will benefit the farmers, animal herders and fishermen while the sugarcane farmers of Karnataka will get help in setting up sugarcane cooperatives. He informed that many new cooperative societies will also be formed and a large number of stores will be built across the country for the storage of food grains in the near future. This will allow even the small farmers to store their grain and sell it at a better price. The Prime Minister noted that thousands of help centers are also being set up to reduce the cost of small farmers through natural farming.

The Prime Minister observed the importance of millets in Karnataka and said that the country is forwarding the same belief where coarse grains have been given the identity of  ‘Shri Anna’. He also highlighted the emphasis given on the production of millets in this year’s Budget and said that it will greatly benefit the small farmers of Karnataka

Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri Basvaraj Bommai, Union Minister for Defence, Shri Rajnath Singh, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri A Narayanaswamy, and Ministers from Karnataka Government were present on the occasion among others.

Background

In yet another step towards Aatmanirbharta in the defence sector, the Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the HAL Helicopter Factory in Tumakuru. Its foundation stone was also laid by the Prime Minister in 2016. It is a dedicated new greenfield helicopter factory which will enhance the capacity and ecosystem to build helicopters. This is Asia’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility and will initially produce Light Utility Helicopters (LUH). LUH is an indigenously designed and developed 3-ton class, single-engine multipurpose utility helicopter with the unique feature of high manoeuvrability. The factory will be expanded to manufacture other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Indian Multirole Helicopter (IMRH) as well as for repair and overhaul of LCH, LUH, Civil ALH and IMRH in the future. The factory also has the potential for exporting the Civil LUHs in future. This facility will enable India to meet its entire requirement of helicopters indigenously and will attain the distinction of enabling self-reliance in helicopter design, development and manufacture in India. The factory will have a manufacturing set-up of Industry 4.0 standards. Over the next 20 years, HAL is planning to produce more than 1000 helicopters in the class of 3-15 tonnes from Tumakuru. This will result in providing employment for around 6000 people in the region.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of Tumakuru Industrial Township. Under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme, the development of the Industrial Township spread across 8484 acres in three phases in Tumakuru has been taken up as part of the Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.

During the programme, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stones of two Jal Jeevan Mission projects at Tiptur and Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumakuru. The Tiptur Multi-Village Drinking Water Supply Project will be built at a cost of over Rs 430 crores. The Multi-village water supply scheme to 147 habitations of Chikkanayakanahlli taluk will be built at a cost of around Rs 115 crores. The projects will facilitate the provision of clean drinking water for the people of the region.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the India Energy Week (IEW) 2023 in Bengaluru today. The Prime Minister launched the uniforms under the ‘Unbottled’ initiative of Indian Oil. These uniforms are made of recycled PET bottles. He also dedicated the twin-cooktop model of the IndianOil’s Indoor Solar Cooking System and flagged off its commercial roll-out.

Later in the day, the Prime Minister also launched E20 fuel at 84 retail outlets of Oil Marketing Companies in 11 States/UTs along the lines of the ethanol blending roadmap. He also flagged off the Green Mobility Rally where vehicles running on green energy sources will participate and help create public awareness for green fuels.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister started by extending condolences for death and devastation in Turkey and nearby countries. He conveyed India’s readiness to provide any possible assistance.

Highlighting that Bengaluru is a city brimming with technology, talent and innovation, the Prime Minister remarked that everyone present here will be experiencing that energy today. He informed that India Energy Week is the first significant energy event of the G20 calendar and welcomed everyone on the occasion.

The Prime Minister underlined the major role of the energy sector in setting the direction of the future of the 21st-century world. “India is one of the strongest voices in the world for energy transition and for developing new resources of energy. Unprecedented possibilities are emerging in India that is moving with a resolution of a Viksit Bharat”, he said.

Referring to the recently released IMF projections of India being the fastest-growing major economy, Shri Modi further added that India has continued to be the global bright spot in the world stricken with the pandemic and the era of war in 2022. He credited the internal resilience of India that enabled the nation to overcome any obstacle irrespective of external factors.

The Prime Minister cited multiple factors for that, first, stable, decisive government. Second, sustained reforms, third, socio-economic empowerment at the grassroots level. The Prime Minister elaborated on the massive social infrastructure including, financial inclusion through bank accounts, free health facilities, safe sanitation, electricity, housing, and piped water that has reached crores of people and changed the lives of a number of people who are more than the population of many major countries.

The Prime Minister noted the positive changes that have occurred in the quality of lives of crores of India where they have come out of poverty and reached the levels of the middle class. He informed that 6,00,000 kilometres of optical fibers have been laid in the country so that every village gets internet access. Throwing light on the developments in the last 9 years, the Prime Minister informed that the number of broadband users in the country has gone up thirteen times and internet connections have gone up three times. He further added that the number of internet users in rural regions is growing at a faster pace when compared to urban areas. The Prime Minister informed that India has become the 2nd largest manufacturer of mobile phones in the world which has led to the formation of the world’s largest aspirational class. “The people of India want better products, better services and better infrastructure”, the Prime Minister continued as he pointed out the significant role of energy in realising the aspirations of the Indian citizens.

Emphasising the need and demand for energy in India in the near future, the Prime Minister noted that the rapid pace of development in India will result in new cities being developed. Quoting International Energy Association, the Prime Minister remarked that India’s energy demands will be highest in the present decade which presents an opportunity for the investors and stakeholders of the energy sector. He informed that India’s share in the global oil demand is 5% which is expected to rise to 11%, whereas the gas demand of India is expected to rise up to 500%. He underlined that new opportunities for investment and collaboration are being created by the expanding energy sector of India.

The Prime Minister explained four major verticals for the strategy for the energy sector. First, increasing domestic exploration and production, diversifying the supply, and third, expanding  fuels like biofuel, ethanol, compressed biogas and solar. Fourth, de-carbonisation via electric vehicles and hydrogen. Elaborating on these verticals the Prime Minister said India is the fourth largest country for its refining capacity. Efforts are on to increase the capacity to 450 MMTPA from the current capacity of 250 MMTPA. “We are continuously making our refining capacity indigenous, modern and upgraded”, he said. Similarly, India is working to enhance Petrochemical production capacity. He asked the leadership of the industry to utilise technology and the startup ecosystem of India to expand their energy landscape.

The Prime Minister informed that the government is working on mission mode to increase the consumption of natural gas in our energy mix from 6% to 15% by 2030 where all the needed infrastructure will be provided by ‘One Nation One Grid’. “The government is trying to increase the capacity of LNG Terminal regasification”, the Prime Minister said. He further added that the terminal regasification capacity of 21 MMTPA has doubled in 2022 while efforts are being made to increase it even more. He also added that the number of CGDs in the country has gone up 9 times and the number of CNG stations has gone up to 5000 from 900 in 2014. The Prime Minister also touched upon the gas pipeline network which has increased to 22,000 kilometres from 14,000 in 2014 and pointed out that the network will expand to 35,000 kilometres in the next 4-5 years.

Highlighting India’s emphasis on domestic exploration and production, the Prime Minister informed that the EP sector has shown interest in the areas hitherto considered inaccessible. “We have reduced the ‘No-Go’ areas. Due to this, 10 lakh square kilometre area has been freed from the restrictions of No-Go. I would urge all the investors to make use of these opportunities, and increase your presence in the exploration of fossil fuels”, he said.

Regarding Bio-energy expansion, the Prime Minister talked about the first 2G Ethanol bio-refinery in August last year and said that preparation is for 12 commercial 2G Ethanol plants. Similarly, efforts are in the direction of the commercial feasibility of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel. Mentioning the provisions of this year’s budget the Prime Minister informed about 500 new ‘waste to wealth’ Gobardhan plants, 200 compressed biogas plants and 300 community-based plants which will create new avenues of investments.

“The National Green hydrogen mission will give a new direction to the India of the 21st century”, the Prime Minister remarked. He underlined that the country is aiming to produce 5 MMTPA green hydrogen by the end of this decade which brings in the possibility of investments of more than Rs 8 lakh crore. He also added that India will increase the share of green hydrogen to 25 percent by replacing grey hydrogen.

The Prime Minister also touched upon the crucial subject of battery cost in EVs and noted that its cost is 40-50 percent of the cost of the car. He informed that the government has started a PLI scheme worth 18,000 crores which will be a significant step towards manufacturing advanced chemistry cells of 50 GigaWatt hours.

The Prime Minister gave a detailed exposition of emphasis on renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transportation and green technologies in the new budget. 35,000 crores have been kept for priority capital investment to push energy transition and net-zero objectives. Provision for 10 lakh crore rupees capital expenditure will give a push to green hydrogen, solar to road infrastructure.

He further elaborated on the Green Energy initiative and informed that in the last 9 years, renewable energy capacity increased from 70 gigawatts to about 170 gigawatts in that solar power increased by 20 times. . India, he said, is at number four in wind power capacity. “We are aiming to have 50% non-fossil fuel capacity by the end of this decade. “We are also working very fast on Biofuel, and ethanol blending. In the last 9 years, we have increased ethanol blending in petrol from 1.5 percent to 10 percent. Now we are moving towards the target of 20 percent ethanol blending”, the Prime Minister added. Referring to the E-20 rollout today, the Prime Minister said that the first phase of the rollout will cover 15 cities and within two years it will be expanded to the entire country.

The Prime Minister noted that the mass movement going on in India regarding energy transition has become the subject of a case study. “This is happening in two ways: Firstly, fast adoption of renewable sources of energy and secondly, adoption of effective methods of energy conservation”, the Prime Minister explained as he noted the rapid adoption of renewable sources of energy by the citizens of India. He gave examples of houses, villages, and airports running on solar power, and agriculture activities being carried out with solar pumps. He informed that India has connected more than 19 crore families with clean cooking fuel in the last 9 years. Throwing light on the solar cooktop launched today, the Prime Minister said that it is going to give a new dimension to Green and Clean Cooking in India. “More than 3 crore households will have access to solar cooktops within the next 2-3 years”, he continued. “With more than 25 crore families in India, this will bring a revolution in the kitchen.” Giving examples of LED bulbs in homes and streetlights, Smart metres at home, adoption of CNG and LNG, and the increased popularity of electric vehicles, the Prime Minister highlighted the rapidly shifting trends towards effective methods of energy conservation

The Prime Minister linked India’s effort for Green Growth, and Energy Transition with Indian values of where circular economy is part of every Indian’s lifestyle and Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is part of the culture. He said initiatives of recycling plastic bottles into uniforms will strengthen Mission LiFE.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister called upon the stakeholders to explore every possibility related to India’s energy sector and get involved with it. “Today India is the most suitable place in the world for your investment”, he concluded.

Governor of Karnataka, Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri Basvaraj Bommai, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri and Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Rameshwar Teli were present on the occasion among others.

Background

India Energy Week is being organised from the 6th to the 8th of February and aims to showcase India’s rising prowess as an energy transition powerhouse. The event will bring together leaders from the traditional and non-traditional energy industry, governments, and academia to discuss the challenges and opportunities that a responsible energy transition presents. It will see the presence of more than 30 Ministers from across the world. Over 30,000 delegates, 1,000 exhibitors and 500 speakers will gather to discuss the challenges and opportunities of India’s energy future.

The Prime Minister also launched the uniforms under the ‘Unbottled’ initiative of Indian Oil. Guided by the vision of the Prime Minister to phase out single-use plastic, IndianOil has adopted uniforms for retail customer attendants and LPG delivery personnel made from recycled polyester (rPET) & cotton. Each set of uniforms of IndianOil’s customer attendant shall support recycling of around 28 used PET bottles. IndianOil is taking this initiative further through ‘Unbottled’ – a brand for sustainable garments launched for merchandise made from recycled polyester. Under this brand, IndianOil targets to meet the requirement of uniforms for the customer attendants of other Oil Marketing Companies, non-combat uniforms for the Army, uniforms/ dresses for Institutions & sales to retail customers.

The Prime Minister also dedicated the twin-cooktop model of the IndianOil’s Indoor Solar Cooking System and flagged off its commercial roll-out. IndianOil had earlier developed an innovative and patented Indoor Solar Cooking System with a single cooktop. On the basis of feedback received, the twin-cooktop Indoor Solar Cooking system has been designed to offer more flexibility and ease to the users. It is a revolutionary indoor solar cooking solution that works on both solar and auxiliary energy sources simultaneously, making it a reliable cooking solution for India.

Prime Minister inaugurated India Energy Week (IEW) 2023 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on 6^th Feb 2023. Being held from 6th to 8th February, IEW is aimed to showcase India’s rising prowess as an energy transition powerhouse. As part of the event, he also Launched E20 Fuel and Flagged off Green Mobility Rally organised by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited on behalf of Oil & Gas PSUs and PLL. Governor of Karnataka, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs and Hon’ble Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Labour & Employment also graced the occasion.

E20 Fuel:

In line with the Ethanol Blending roadmap, Prime Minister launched E20 fuel at 84 Retail Outlets of Oil Marketing Companies in 11 States/UTs. E20 is a blend of 20% ethanol with petrol. The Government aims to achieve a complete 20% blending of ethanol by 2025, and HPCL and other oil marketing companies are setting up 2G-3G ethanol plants that will facilitate the progress.

Ethanol Blending programme has been a key focus areas of the Government to achieve Aatmanirbharta in the field of energy. Due to the sustained efforts of the Government, Ethanol production capacity has seen a six times increase since 2013-14. The achievements in the course of last eight years under under Ethanol Blending Program & Biofuels Program have not only augmented India’s energy security but have also resulted in a host of other benefits including reduction of 318 Lakh Metric Tonnes of CO2 emissions and foreign exchange savings of around Rs 54,000 crore. As a result, there has been payment of around Rs 81,800 crore towards ethanol supplies during 2014 to 2022 and transfer of more than Rs 49,000 crore to farmers.

Green Mobility Rally:

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi flagging off Green Mobility Rally in Bengaluru today

Prime Minister also flagged off Green Mobility Rally organised by HPCL. The Rally witnessed participation of 57 vehicles running on sustainable green energy sources viz., E20, E85, Flex Fuel, Hydrogen, Electric etc. The Rally helped in creating public awareness for the Green fuels. During the culmination program of the Rally, Hon’ble Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Labour & Employment, Shri Rameswar Teli during his address said that this Green Mobility Rally will help raise a lot of awareness in the Nation towards Green and Sustainable fuels. He said that Government of India’s policy push like Ethanol Blending Program and National Green Hydrogen Mission will fuel Indian economy towards its target of 5 trillion dollar economy and realizing Net Zero by 2070.

On mission mode, Indian Railways’ Freight loading for first ten months of this financial year 2022-23 crossed last year’s loading and earnings for the same period.

On cumulative basis from April – January 23, freight loading of 1243.46 MT was achieved against last year’s loading of 1159.08 MT, an improvement of 7%. Railways have earned Rs 135387 crore against Rs 117212 crore over last year which is an improvement of 16% as compared to the same period of last year.

During the month of January’23, Originating freight loading of 134.07 MT has been achieved against loading of 129.12 MT in January’22, which is an improvement of 4 % over last year. Freight revenue of Rs. 14907 crore have been achieved against Rs 13172 crore freight earnings in January’22, thereby an improvement of 13% over last year.

Following the Mantra, “Hungry For Cargo”, IR has made sustained efforts to improve the ease of doing business as well as improve the service delivery at competitive prices which has resulted in new traffic coming to railways from both conventional and non conventional commodity streams. The customer centric approach and work of Business Development Units backed up by agile policy making helped Railways towards this landmark achievement.