Page 23 - NIS English 01-15 Aug, 2026

6 Infrastructure and

Connectivity

Infrastructure projects in India no longer get stalled, delayed, or derailed. With the
infrastructure budget increasing sixfold over 12 years, numerous projects have gained
global recognition, enhancing national prestige and making life easier...
47

n Over 4 crore houses have been handed
over to beneficiaries under the PM Awas
Yojana, realizing the dream of home
44 ownership.

n A 1,155-kilometer metro rail network n 74% of the houses are either in women's
names or jointly owned, fostering a new
spanning 26 cities. sense of security, dignity, and self-reliance.
n Flights have been operated on 663 UDAN
routes connecting 95 airports, heliports, 48 Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-I was
and water aerodromes. approved with an estimated expenditure
n It is the world's third-largest metro rail of ₹5.35 lakh crore to cover
network, while the UDAN scheme has
enabled affordable air travel. 34,800 kilometers

n Projects spanning 26,425 kilometers have been awarded, and
construction on 22,223 kilometers has been completed. The
45 length of controlled high-speed corridors in the country
increased from 93 kilometers in 2014 to 3,644 kilometers.

n 164 Vande Bharat trains have imparted
new momentum to rail travel, making
journeys smoother and faster.
n 4 crore people traveled via Vande Bharat
in the 2025-26 financial year; the Vande
Bharat—India's first indigenously
designed and manufactured semi-high-
speed train—was launched on the New
Delhi-Varanasi route in February 2019.
46 49

n Projects worth over ₹85 lakh crore were n The construction of tunnels connecting strategic and
reviewed under the chairmanship of inaccessible regions—such as the Atal Tunnel—has
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the strengthened both strategic and civilian connectivity.
PRAGATI platform. n The Atal Tunnel is 9.02 km long and provides a high-
altitude route that bypasses the Rohtang Pass.
n The 12-km-long Sonmarg Tunnel has been constructed
at an altitude of over 8,650 feet above sea level.

Aug 01-15, 2026 || NEW INDIA SAMACHAR 21