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PM’s engagements in California – September 27, 2015

Published By : Admin | September 27, 2015 | 19:56 IST
PM Modi participates in Townhall Q&A with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
PM Modi visits the Google (Alphabet) Campus in Silicon Valley
PM Modi attends a special India-US StartUp Konnect programme at the Stanford University
PM Modi interacts with Indian Diaspora at SAP Center in San Jose

Facebook

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, visited the Facebook Headquarters in California. The Prime Minister and CEO, Facebook Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, participated in a townhall Q&A session.

During the event, The Prime Minister answered questions on a diverse range of issues. He explained why the world should be optimistic about India, and his dream of making India a 20 trillion dollar economy. The Prime Minister responded to Mr. Mark Zuckerberg’s statement that Steve Jobs had asked him to visit a temple in India, to reconnect with his vision. He said this was a unique link between science and spirituality. He said that over the last 15 months, the world had changed its attitude of looking at India.

In response to a question on whether social media and the internet could become a tool for governance and citizen engagement, he said social media had enabled the Government to get real-time feedback on its actions. He spoke of his engagement on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, and how he had tweeted greetings to the people of Israel, on the occasion of Hanukkah, in Hebrew, on Twitter, and how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had replied in Hindi. The Prime Minister said this was a new dimension in diplomacy.

In a voice that choked repeatedly with emotion, the Prime Minister spoke of his parents, especially his mother, and how she had struggled to bring up her children. He said that this story of struggle is not just of his mother alone, but many other mothers in India as well. He spoke of his commitment to involve women in the decision making process of governance.

Google

The Prime Minister visited the Google Headquarters, where he was received by Mr. Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google. He was given an overview of some of Google’s innovations and future plans. Mr. Eric Schmidt and Mr. Larry Page were present. During a demonstration of Google Streetview, the Prime Minister asked for Khagaul to be pinpointed on Google Earth. Khagaul near Patna is where the great ancient astronomer Aryabhatta had an observatory.

StartUp Konnect

The Prime Minister addressed the Start-Up Konnect event, which was a platform for Indian Start-Ups to showcase their innovations.

He spoke of his vision for Start-Ups in India:

“The convergence of technology, integration across diverse fields, distributed architecture and people willing to back an idea, have opened a new world for enterprise. This ecosystem was born in the Silicon Valley. No community is shaping our world as much as the one on this Californian Coast. It isn’t just big names, but small firms that are fashioning every day new ways to enrich human life with the joy of artists and creators. That underlines America’s success and inspires the world. So, I see Startups, technology and innovation as exciting and effective instruments for India’s transformation, and for creating jobs for our youth. We are a nation of 800 million youth below the age of 35 years. They are eager for change; have the energy and drive to pursue it; and, the confidence to achieve it. When each of the five hundred odd towns produces ten Startups and each of our six hundred thousand villages produce six small businesses, on a regular basis, we will create an enormous economic momentum and generate a huge number of jobs in our country. India’s own ecosystem of startups is evolving rapidly. It is driven by the energy, enterprise and innovation of our youth.”

The Prime Minister launched the BHARAT Fund - Better Health, Agriculture, Renewables and Technologies. 7 MoUs were signed at the event.

Unbelievable vibrancy & enthusiasm at India-US start-up Konnect. Start-ups are natural engines of growth & are key to...

Posted by Narendra Modi on Sunday, September 27, 2015

Roundtable on Renewable Energy

The Prime Minister met Mr. Ernest Moniz, US Secretary of Energy. He later chaired a roundtable on renewable energy.

Dr. Ernest Moniz, Secretary of Energy, United States; and Prof. Steven Chu, former US Secretary of Energy were present at the roundtable meeting. 

Top energy CEOs and investors, including Ahmad Chatila, CEO SunEdison; Nikesh Arora, President and COO, Softbank; K.R. Sridhar, CEO, Bloom Energy; Jonathan Wolfson, CEO, Solazyme; John Doerr, Venture Capitalist; and Ira Ehrenpreis of DBL partners were present. 

Prof Arun Majumdar, Prof Roger Noll, Dr. Anjani Kochar, and Prof. Sally Benson, all from Stanford University, participated. 

Among the views expressed at the roundtable, was a clear assertion that India has the makings of becoming the “clean energy world capital.” 

The participants said that clean and renewable energy will soon be an inexpensive energy option, with electricity storage becoming cheaper. Participants were of the view that States and Cities in India should be allowed to take the lead in clean energy initiatives. A related thought was that the current grid is not designed for carrying the 175 GigaWatts (GW) of renewable energy that India is targeting, and therefore a complimentary effort is required on the grid side. Private investment was emphasized as vital for realizing the vision of 175 GW, with a parallel example being given of how Israel had solved its water shortage using private investment. 

The Prime Minister thanked the participants for their views, and emphasized India’s commitment to realize the vision of 175 GigaWatts of clean energy. He said there is massive scope of investment in the sector, for example, through the Railways, where 100 percent FDI has been allowed. He said the Government is working to address issues in regulation, and address the financial health of Discoms. 

The Prime Minister also gave an overview of initiatives already undertaken in the area of renewable energy, such as Kochi Airport becoming a solar-powered airport, and solar panels being installed over a canal in Gujarat. He said that early next month, a district court in the tribal belt of Jharkhand will become entirely solar-powered. The Prime Minister also mentioned coal gasification as an important area of research. He expressed confidence of a renewable energy revolution over the next decade. 

Address to Indian Community

The Prime Minister addressed the Indian diaspora at the SAP arena. He spoke of the partnership between India and US, forged on the shared values of democracy and innovation. He gave a broad overview of the work done by his Government over the last fifteen months. He complimented the Indian IT professionals of Silicon Valley for their contribution in changing for the better, the global perception of India.

A memorable programme in San Jose. Gratitude to all those who joined. https://pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/text-of-pms-address-to-the-indian-community-at-sap-centre-san-jose/?comment=disable

Posted by Narendra Modi on Monday, September 28, 2015

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Cabinet approves Rs 1,526.21 crore upgrade of NH-326 in Odisha
December 31, 2025

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the widening and strengthening of existing 2-Lane to 2-Lane with Paved Shoulder from Km 68.600 to Km 311.700 of NH-326 in the State of Odisha under NH(O) on EPC mode.

Financial implications:

The total capital cost for the project is Rs.1,526.21 crore, which includes a civil construction cost of Rs.966.79 crore.

Benefits:

The upgradation of NH-326 will make travel faster, safer, and more reliable, resulting in overall development of southern Odisha, particularly benefiting the districts of Gajapati, Rayagada, and Koraput. Improved road connectivity will directly benefit local communities, industries, educational institutions, and tourism centres by enhancing access to markets, healthcare, and employment opportunities, thereby contributing to the region’s inclusive growth.

Details:

  • The section of Mohana–Koraput of the National Highway (NH-326) at present have sub-standard geometry (intermediate lane/2-lane, many deficient curves and steep gradients); the existing road alignment, carriageway width and geometric deficiencies constrain safe, efficient movement of heavy vehicles and reduce freight throughput to coastal ports and industrial centres. These constraints will be removed by upgrading the corridor to 2-lane with paved shoulders with geometric corrections (curve realignments and gradient improvements), removal of black spots and pavement strengthening, enabling safe and uninterrupted movement of goods and passengers and reducing vehicle operating costs.
  • The upgradation will provide direct and improved connectivity from Mohana–Koraput into major economic and logistics corridors — linking with NH-26, NH-59, NH-16 and the Raipur–Visakhapatnam corridor and improving last-mile access to Gopalpur port, Jeypore airport and several railway stations. The corridor connects important industrial and logistic nodes (JK Paper, Mega Food Park, NALCO, IMFA, Utkal Alumina, Vedanta, HAL) and education/tourism hubs (Central University of Odisha, Koraput Medical College, Taptapani, Rayagada), thereby facilitating faster freight movement, reducing travel time and enabling regional economic development.
  • The project lies in southern Odisha (districts of Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput) and will significantly improve intra-state and inter-state connectivity by making vehicle movement faster and safer, stimulating industrial and tourism growth and improving access to services in aspirational and tribal areas. Economic analysis shows the project’s EIRR at 17.95% (base case) while the financial return (FIRR) is negative (-2.32%), reflecting the social and non-market benefits captured in the economic appraisal; the economic justification is driven largely by travel-time and vehicle-operating-cost savings and safety benefits (including an estimated travel-time saving of about 2.5–3.0 hours and a distance saving of ~12.46 km between Mohana and Koraput after geometric improvements).

Implementation strategy and targets:

  • The work will be implemented on EPC mode. Contractors will be required to adopt proven construction and quality-assurance technologies, which may include precast box-type structures and precast drains, precast RCC/PSC girders for bridges and grade separators, precast crash barriers and friction slabs on Reinforced-Earth wall portions, and Cement Treated Sub-Base (CTSB) in pavement layers. Quality and progress will be verified through specialized survey and monitoring tools such as Network Survey Vehicle (NSV), periodic drone-mapping. Day-to-day supervision will be carried out by an appointed Authority Engineer and project monitoring will be conducted through the Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS).
  • The work is targeted to be completed in 24 months from the appointed date for each package, followed by a five-year defect liability/maintenance period (total contract engagement envisaged as 7 years: 2 years construction + 5 years DLP). Contract award will follow after completion of statutory clearances and required land possession.

Major impact, including employment generation potential:

  • This project is aimed at providing faster and safer movement of traffic and improving connectivity between the southern and eastern parts of Odisha, particularly linking the districts of Gajapati, Rayagada, and Koraput with the rest of the State and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The improved road network will facilitate industrial growth, promote tourism, enhance access to education and healthcare facilities, and contribute to the overall socio-economic development of the tribal and backward regions of southern Odisha.
  • Various activities undertaken during the construction and maintenance period are expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment opportunities for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers. The project will also boost local industries involved in the supply of construction materials, transportation, equipment maintenance, and related services, thus supporting the regional economy.
  • The project is located in the State of Odisha and traverses three districts — Gajapati, Rayagada, and Koraput. The corridor connects major towns such as Mohana, Rayagada, Laxmipur, and Koraput, providing improved intra-state connectivity within Odisha and enhancing inter-state linkage with Andhra Pradesh through the southern end of NH-326.

Background:

Government has declared the stretch “the Highway starting from its junction with NH-59 near Aska, passing through Mohana, Raipanka, Amalabhata, Rayagada, Laxmipur and terminating at its junction with NH-30 near Chinturu in the State of Odisha” as NH-326 vide Gazette Notification dated 14th August 2012.