Union Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw held a ‘Viksit Bharat Samvad’ with traders, industrialists, and citizens at Iskcon Fern, Bhavnagar. Also present were Minister of Labour, Youth Affairs & Sports Dr. Mansukhbhai Mandaviya and Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Smt. Nimuben Bambhaniya.

Highlighting India’s economic strength, Shri Vaishnaw noted that while global economies declined post-COVID-19, India’s growth steadily rose. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India has become the world’s fourth-largest economy, with a valuation of ₹331 lakh crore as of March 31, 2025.

He emphasized indigenous manufacturing, particularly the Vande Bharat train — a fully Indian, world-class train with modern amenities. He also highlighted India’s transformation into a $150 billion electronics manufacturing hub and its emerging global leadership in the semiconductor sector.

Local citizens raised infrastructure issues during the interaction. Addressing concerns on FTR, Shri Vaishnaw assured resolution. He announced a new container port in Bhavnagar and responded positively to a proposal for an IT park via STPI, immediately contacting the relevant authority.

Dr. Mansukhbhai Mandaviya thanked Shri Vaishnaw for his contributions and long-standing ties with Bhavnagar, saying the dialogue was part of informing citizens about development plans under the Viksit Bharat mission. Smt. Nimuben Bambhaniya also thanked the Railway Minister for fulfilling regional demands.

The event began with a welcome by MLA Shri Jitubhai Vaghani and concluded with felicitation of Shri Vaishnaw by city stakeholders.

Dignitaries present included MLAs Arjunbhai Modhwadia, Sejalben Pandya, Gautambhai Chauhan, Mayor Bharatbhai Barad, Collector Dr. Manish Kumar Bansal, Commissioner N.K. Meena, DDO Hanul Chaudhary, SP Harshad Patel, and other officials and citizens in large numbers.

Source/PIB