PM's remarks at dedication of ICICI's Digital Village to the Nation

Published By : Admin | January 2, 2015 | 21:18 IST
"Banks should create one lakh Swachhta entrepreneurs within a year"
" Banks can become agents of social transformation "
"बैंकों को एक साल के भीतर एक लाख स्वच्छता उद्यमियों को तैयार करना चाहिए"
"बैंक सामाजिक परिवर्तन के लिए एक माध्यम बन सकते हैं"

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today called upon banks to create one lakh "Swachhta Entrepreneurs" within a year, to make the "Swachh Bharat" vision a sustainable reality.

He was speaking in Mumbai on the occasion of the dedication of ICICI's Digital Village to the Nation. The function also marked 60 years of the ICICI group. Shri Narendra Modi complimented the MD and CEO of ICICI Bank, Mrs. Chanda Kochhar for the way she had institutionalized the initiative of Swachh Bharat within her organization. Noting that the experience of the ICICI group over the last sixty years would prove immensely useful to India's economic development in the years ahead, the Prime Minister urged ICICI Bank to prepare a vision of tangible goals which they would achieve by the time they celebrated the 75th anniversary of ICICI group. As an intermediate target, he also asked the Bank to think of what goals they could achieve by 2022, the 75th anniversary of India's independence.

The Prime Minister urged ICICI Bank to adopt a social charter of such tangible goals. He said many times one institution takes the lead and others follow, generating momentum towards a good cause.

The Prime Minister spoke of Akodara Village in Gujarat's Sabarkantha district, chosen by ICICI Bank as a digital village. He said Akodara had a cattle hostel, which had contributed immensely to improving incomes and cleanliness in the village. He said more and more villages across India would adopt this model soon. The Prime Minister said rural development could emerge as a powerhouse of economic development for the country.

Congratulating ICICI Bank and the people of Akodara for creating a cashless economic system. He said banks in India should actually compete for achieving maximum cashless transactions, as this would be the best solution to the problem of black money.

The Prime Minister said people in India had a propensity towards saving, but this was targeted towards gold. The challenge for banks was to assure people that a bank account would ensure easy access to their savings whenever required. He said if banks were able to do so, they could emerge as agents of social transformation.

Earlier, Akodara village of Sabarkantha District in Gujarat was formally dedicated as a digital village by the Prime Minister.

Governor of Maharashtra Shri Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley, and MD & CEO of ICICI Bank Mrs. Chanda Kochhar were present on the occasion.

Click here to read full text Speech.

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PM to visit Karnataka and Telangana on 10th May
May 09, 2026
PM to lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth around ₹9,400 crore in Hyderabad
PM to inaugurate PM MITRA Park at Warangal and lay the foundation stone of the Zaheerabad Industrial Area in Sangareddy
PM to lay the foundation stone for the four-laning of National Highway-167 from Gudebellur to Mahabubnagar on Hyderabad-Panaji Economic Corridor
PM to dedicate to the Nation Indian Oil’s Greenfield Terminal at Malkapur, Hyderabad
PM to also dedicate to the nation Sindhu Hospital, a state-of-the-art, cancer-focused multi-super speciality quaternary care in Hyderabad
PM to participate in the 45th Anniversary Celebrations of The Art of Living in Bengaluru

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Karnataka and Telangana on 10th May, 2026. At around 11 AM, Prime Minister will participate in the 45th Anniversary Celebrations of The Art of Living in Bengaluru and address the gathering on the occasion. Thereafter, Prime Minister will travel to Hyderabad and at around 3 PM, he will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth around ₹9,400 crore. He will also address the gathering on the occasion. At around 3:45 PM, Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation Sindhu Hospital in Hyderabad.

PM in Bengaluru

Founded in 1981 by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, The Art of Living has grown into a global volunteer-driven humanitarian and educational organisation present in 182 countries. Prime Minister will participate in the organisation’s 45th Anniversary Celebrations and the 70th birthday celebrations of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Prime Minister will also inaugurate the newly constructed Dhyan Mandir at the Art of Living International Centre in Bengaluru, a dedicated meditation hall envisioned as a space for inner peace and holistic well-being. He will also launch nation-wide service initiatives of the Art of Living, encompassing year-long projects focused on mental well-being, rural development, nature conservation and social transformation.

PM in Hyderabad

Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth around ₹9,400 crore. These projects collectively aim to strengthen connectivity, improve logistics efficiency, enhance safety and provide a better travel experience for passengers.

Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the four-laning of National Highway-167 from Gudebellur to Mahabubnagar on the Hyderabad-Panaji Economic Corridor at a total project cost of over ₹3,175 crore. The project will enable smooth, safe and uninterrupted traffic movement, reducing travel time by nearly 1 hour and 30 minutes while lowering fuel consumption and vehicle maintenance costs. The highway will strengthen connectivity between Telangana and Karnataka and facilitate industrial development in both States.

Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of the Zaheerabad Industrial Area in Sangareddy district, being developed under the Hyderabad–Nagpur Industrial Corridor (HNIC) as part of the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme. Being developed at a total cost of over ₹2,350 crore across 3,245 acres, the project is strategically located along NH-65 and will provide seamless multimodal connectivity to major cities, ports, rail networks and airports.

Envisioned as a smart integrated industrial township, the Zaheerabad Industrial Area will feature advanced and sustainable infrastructure and support next-generation industries. Key sectors identified include automobile, food processing, machinery, metals and electrical equipment. The project is expected to attract investments of nearly ₹10,000 crore and generate large-scale employment opportunities, significantly contributing to regional economic growth.

Prime Minister will inaugurate the PM MITRA Park at Warangal, also known as the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park, developed under PM MITRA Scheme. Developed at an estimated cost of around ₹1,700 crore, it is India’s first fully functional PM MITRA Park and operationalises the Government of India’s 5F vision - Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign. Strategically located near the proposed Nagpur-Vijayawada Greenfield Expressway (NH-163G) and in proximity to NH-163, the park offers excellent multimodal connectivity to major railway networks and seaports, ensuring seamless logistics for global trade. Designed as a world-class industrial ecosystem, the park is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure including an extensive internal road network, dedicated power substation and assured water supply. It also emphasises sustainable development through a Common Effluent Treatment Plant with Zero Liquid Discharge technology.

Prime Minister will dedicate to the Nation key railway infrastructure projects worth around ₹1,535 crore. These include multiple sections of the Kazipet-Vijayawada multi-tracking project covering 118 km. The project will enhance line capacity on the busy Grand Trunk corridor, enabling faster train operations, reducing congestion, improving punctuality and boosting freight traffic across the region.

Further, the Kazipet Rail Under Rail Bypass will also be dedicated to the Nation. This strategic project will decongest Kazipet Junction by enabling simultaneous train movements towards Hyderabad, Balharshah and Vijayawada, thereby improving operational efficiency and reducing delays.

Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation Indian Oil’s Malkapur Terminal Project at Hyderabad, developed at a cost of more than ₹600 crore. The Malkapur Terminal has been established to augment petroleum product handling capacity and meet the growing energy demand of the region. The terminal has a total tankage capacity of 1,65,000 kilolitre (KL).

In a major milestone for India’s healthcare infrastructure, Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation Sindhu Hospital, a state-of-the-art, cancer-focused multi-super speciality quaternary care not-for-profit institution in Hyderabad. Spread across 2.1 million square feet with 18 floors, the hospital has 1,500 beds, more than 150 doctor consultation rooms and 29 advanced operation theatres. Comprehensive care at the hospital spans chemotherapy, radiation therapy, cancer surgeries, bone marrow transplants, advanced critical care and over 33 super specialities, supported by cutting-edge diagnostics, modern laboratory and blood centre facilities.

These projects reflect the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Telangana for Viksit Bharat, focusing on integrated infrastructure development to drive economic growth, improve quality of life and build a faster, more connected nation.