PM dedicates and lays foundation stone of over 45,000 houses built under PM Awas Yojana
PM lays foundation stone of Taranga Hill – Ambaji – Abu Road New Broad Gauge Line
PM lays foundation stone for development of pilgrimage facilities at Ambaji temple under PRASAD scheme
PM dedicates 62 Km long New Palanpur-New Mahesana section of the Western Freight Dedicated Corridor and the 13 Km long New Palanpur-New Chatodar Section
“With the blessings of Maa Amba, we will get strength for the fulfilment of all our resolutions”
“We see our country India as a mother, and consider ourselves to be the children of Mother India”
“Government is spending about ₹4 lakh crore on extending the free ration scheme to more than 80 crore people in the country”
“PMGKAY extended so that sisters and mothers do not face any difficulty in running the kitchen during the festive season”
“It is our good fortune that in the year of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, we are dedicating this railway line at the feet of Amba Mata”

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated various projects worth over ₹7200 crores in Ambaji today. The Prime Minister dedicated and laid the foundation stone of over 45,000 houses built under PM Awas Yojana. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of Taranga Hill – Ambaji – Abu Road New Broad Gauge Line and the development of pilgrimage facilities at Ambaji temple under PRASAD scheme. The Prime Minister also dedicated the 62 Km long New Palanpur-New Mahesana section of the Western Freight Dedicated Corridor and the 13 Km long New Palanpur-New Chatodar Section (Palanpur bypass line). The Prime Minister also dedicated various road projects including the widening of Mitha - Tharad - Deesa Road among others.

The Prime Minister handed over keys to seven beneficiaries of various housing schemes and also launched Mukhyamantri Gaumata Poshan Yojana and handed over cheques to gaushalas. The Prime Minister also interacted with some of the housing beneficiaries via video link.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed happiness for getting the opportunity to have darshan of Maa Amba on the fifth day of Navratri. The Prime Minister remarked that he has come to Ambaji at a time when the country has taken the great resolve of a developed India. “With the blessings of Maa Amba, we will get strength for the fulfilment of all our resolutions”, he added.

The Prime Minister congratulated the 61,000 beneficiaries of housing schemes and noted that a better Diwali awaits them. The Prime Minister dwelled on the culture of respect for women in India. He said “When we talk about respect for women, it comes naturally for us. But when we think about it seriously, we find that how much respect for women is embedded in our sanskar.” He said, unlike in other countries, Shakti -Power is associated with the feminine gender in our culture and there is a tradition of associating the mother’s name with brave warriors. He gave examples of Arjun, Shri Krishna and Hanumanji in this regard. “It is our sanskar”, the Prime Minister remarked that we see our country India as a mother, and consider ourselves to be the children of Mother India. Despite this, the Prime Minister noted that women had only limited rights and say in financial matters. This has been rectified by ensuring that in most of the houses under various housing schemes, houses are either owned or co-owned by the women of the house. More than 3 crores houses have been handed over to poor families in the country.

During this festive season, the Prime Minister pointed out that the central government is spending about ₹4 lakh crore on extending the free ration scheme, which gives relief to more than 80 crore people in the country. Shri Modi said that the scheme has been extended so that the sisters and mothers of poor families do not face any problems in running their kitchens in difficult times. The Prime Minister expressed delight that he got the opportunity to work for the empowerment of our mothers and sisters for the last two decades, and Banaskantha has been a witness to the changing scenario. Recalling his request to the women of the area, the Prime Minister thanked them for respecting his request and noted that the water of Narmada is bringing happiness to the region and girls are attending schools and colleges with great enthusiasm. He also noted their cooperation in the war against malnutrition. The Prime Minister said that, after 2014, every aspect of the lives of the women in India is being taken care of and they are becoming the driver of the development journey of India. Highlighting that the women power of the country is at the centre of every major scheme of the central government, the Prime Minister mentioned the work done in terms of toilets, gas connections, Har Ghar Jal, Jan Dhan accounts, or loans without guarantee under the Mudra scheme. “When mother is happy, family is happy, when family is happy, society is happy and when society is happy, Nation is happy. This is the right kind of development for which we are working relentlessly '' the Prime Minister remarked.

The Prime Minister revealed that the Taranga Hill – Ambaji – Abu Road Line was conceived in 1930 during British rule. The need for this was recognized 100 years ago but unfortunately, this was not done in such a long period. “Perhaps, Maa Amba wished it to be done by me. It is our good fortune that in the year of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, we are getting this opportunity to dedicate this at the feet of Amba Mata”, the Prime Minister said. He informed that this rail line and the by-pass will free the area of traffic jams and will help the Marble industry as well. A dedicated freight corridor will help the area a great deal, he said. Farmers will benefit as now it is possible that Kisan Rail can start from here, he said. He praised the state government for the development of Gabbar Teerth.

The Prime Minister said that his aim is to create so many attractions in the vicinity of the temple that people have to make a 2-3 days program to cover them. The Prime Minister remarked that on one hand, Ambaji is the home of faith and worship while on the other hand, we have India’s borders where our jawans are deployed. The Prime Minister informed that the central government has recently launched a Seema Darshan Project in Suigam taluk. The project strives to educate the people of India about the lifestyle of jawans from Border Security Forces and also provide a similar experience to tourists. The Prime Minister further added that this project will give more power to Rashtriya Ekta (national unity), one of the Panch Pran (five vows) as well as create a positive impact on tourism in the region. Shri Modi also informed that the upcoming runway and other developments in Deesa Air Force Station will strengthen our air force defence in the region. “It will give a much-required boost to the economic activities in the region”, he said.

In concluding the address, the Prime Minister said that the face of Banaskantha has transformed completely in the past two decades with the efforts of the government. The Prime Minister credited the women of Banaskantha for transforming the situation at the ground level. “Narmada's Neer, Sujalam-Sufalam and Drip Irrigation have played a big role in transforming the situation”, he added. Shri Modi pointed out that farmers, women and youngsters will benefit the most from the projects that have been launched today.

Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister of Railways, Shri Ashvini Vaishnav, Union Minister of State for Railways Smt. Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Members of Parliament, Shri C R Patil, Shri Prabatbhai Patel, Shri Bharasinh Dhabi and Shri Dineshbhai Anavaidya were those present on the occasion among others.

Background

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and dedicated various development projects to the nation worth over ₹7200 crores in Ambaji. The Prime Minister dedicated and laid the foundation stone of over 45,000 houses built under PM Awas Yojana. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of Taranga Hill – Ambaji - Abu Road New Broad Gauge Line and the development of pilgrimage facilities at Ambaji temple under PRASAD scheme. The new rail line will benefit lakhs of devotees visiting Ambaji, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas and will enrich the worship experience of the devotees at all these pilgrimage places. Other projects whose foundation stone will be laid include the construction of the runway and associated infrastructure at Airforce station, Deesa; Ambaji Bypass Road among others.

The Prime Minister also dedicated the 62 Km long New Palanpur-New Mahesana section of the Western Freight Dedicated Corridor and the 13 Km long New Palanpur-New Chatodar Section (Palanpur bypass line). It will enhance connectivity to Pipavav, Deendayal Port Authority (Kandla), Mundra and other ports of Gujarat. With the opening of these sections, 734 km of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor will become operational. The opening of this stretch will benefit industries in Mehsana-Palanpur in Gujarat; Swaroopganj, Keshavganj, Kishangarh in Rajasthan; Rewari-Manesar and Narnaul in Haryana. The Prime Minister also dedicated various road projects including the widening of Mitha - Tharad - Deesa Road among others.

The inauguration and foundation stone of these wide-ranging developmental projects reflect the commitment of the Prime Minister to develop world-class infrastructure, enhance urban mobility and improve multi-modal connectivity. It also showcases the continuous focus of his government on enhancing the ease of living of the common man.

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Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS)
July 09, 2026

Australia and India have built an enduring partnership in cyber and critical technologies underpinned by our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the 2020 Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation (2020 Framework), and two decades of collaborative research, operational coordination and policy engagement.

Recognising that supply chains, critical technology and cyber security drive economic growth, are central to national security and can be used to shape values and global norms, Australia and India will build on our pre-existing foundations and elevate our bilateral ambition under an ‘Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS)’, succeeding and replacing the 2020 Framework.

The PACTS aims to support our shared interest in national and regional security, empower our partners with greater digital choices, make critical supply chains more resilient, and strengthen global cyber resilience. Safety, security, resilience, inclusivity for all, and shared democratic values will be built into every stage of our efforts under the partnership, demonstrating our countries’ commitment in being responsible technology leaders. Streamlining these efforts under an overall unifying strategic vision will allow us to pursue targeted activities under five pillars of cooperation.

Pillars for Cooperation

Under each interrelated pillar, India and Australia will identify opportunities and specific projects to support collaboration between the private sector, universities, research institutions and government agencies. This will underpin and extend government-to-government cooperation, increase two-way investment into new technologies, and support the translation of intellectual property into products that deliver economic growth.

Pillar 1: Supply Chain Resilience and Diversification

Australia and India will work towards secure, resilient and trustworthy supply chains to support our growing technical industries, including by promoting security and safety by design and protective regulatory frameworks and deepening rules-based bilateral technology trade and supply chains.

• Develop a bilateral mechanism for collaboration on trusted vendor frameworks.

• Promote India–Australia cooperation, including through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, to support secure, trusted, reliable and resilient undersea cable connectivity across the Indo-Pacific. We will strengthen cooperation to share best practices, enhance information sharing and coordination, and address risks to undersea cable infrastructure, including threats and sabotage.

• Develop collaboration between Australian and Indian Research institutes focused on protecting semi-conductor supply chains; and facilitating co-development and research to bolster their efforts.

• Collaborate on the development of secure critical minerals supply chains, including through coordinated investment, regulatory alignment, and recycling and recovery.

• Promote commercial collaboration and trade diversification between Australian and Indian businesses and strengthen engagement between relevant peak bodies, including aligning existing initiatives to this pillar.

Pillar 2: Critical Technology

Australia and India will work together to strengthen the security, resilience and integrity of priority critical technologies and innovate on new technologies in critical areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), space technologies, telecommunications, biotechnology and advanced materials. We will seek to protect essential digital and physical infrastructure, accelerate innovation and research, and shape interoperable, consensus-driven international standards, to support long-term economic security and regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.

• Leverage global efforts to advance international standards and benchmarks for trustworthy, safe and secure AI by developing consensus driven, multistakeholder frameworks grounded in democratic values. This includes supporting initiatives between Indian and Australian academic institutions and private sectors, which capture the benefits for our citizens, equip AI researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and professionals with knowledge and skills to drive harmonised principles and best practice in developing and deploying AI technologies safely; share approaches on securing access to compute, large language models, AI, and AI related infrastructure.

• Refocus and accelerate Australia-India research, innovation, and investment partnerships to target priorities including advanced materials, telecommunications, and biotechnology, including by readjusting established programmes within existing settings to fund research projects that deliver tangible benefits bilaterally and for the broader Indo-Pacific.

• Explore collaboration on fostering joint commercial and government-led space sector initiatives drawing on the rapid growth of both space sectors and maturing space partnership.

Pillar 3: Cybersecurity

Australia and India will work together to bolster the safety and security of the cyber and digital domain. This includes countering cybercrime, deterring malicious cyber activity, exchanging knowledge and experiences related to cyber and technology security norms, and protecting critical national infrastructure.

• Work to establish a consolidated and rationalised bilateral mechanism in cyber and ICT fields to streamline capacity building initiatives, regional and multilateral cooperation opportunities, while ensuring policy coherence, and avoiding duplication across multiple working channels.

• Strengthen cooperation in UN mandated cyber related processes and enhance dialogue on data governance architecture and international cooperation in addressing cybersecurity in the field of telecommunications.

• Increase opportunities for access and enhanced trade and investment between Australian and Indian businesses on cybersecurity and technology ventures.

• Facilitate practical joint workshops to bring together the Australian and Indian government agencies and other stakeholders in the field of cyber security.

• Create a cyber tech skill incubator hub for growth and exchange of critical skills.

Pillar 4: Digital Resilience

Australia and India will seek to deliver trusted and scalable technology solutions to support digitalising economies across the Indo-Pacific. We will work together to create solutions that address development challenges by identifying specific projects that strengthen regional capabilities.

• Support new partnership exchanges with countries in the Indo-Pacific on India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) principles.

• Scale and diffuse affordable DPI solutions to the Indo-Pacific, including in areas such as clean and renewable energy, resilient critical infrastructure, connectivity, digital transformation, health, social protection, skills development, education, and research.

• Promote Indian and Australian expertise on digital resilience by scaling robust DPI use cases across the Indo-Pacific region and facilitate Indo-Pacific pilot projects focusing on foundational digital solutions through various capacity building initiatives, including joint projects to build locally adaptable digital ecosystems.

Pillar 5: Defence Research Collaboration

Australia and India will work together to leverage defence research partnerships to advance a shared understanding of multi-domain defence challenges and capabilities. We will build on past joint research, design future projects in accordance with our shared interests and increase exchanges between our defence science organisations under the Implementing Arrangement concerning cooperation in Defence Science and Technology to the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation.

• Strengthen our dialogue on defence science and technology priorities through the Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, Defence Policy Talks, and Joint Working Group on Defence Industry, Research, and Materiel.

• Build institutional connections between Australia's Defence Science and Technology Group and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and regularise working level exchanges to accelerate research cooperation.

• Facilitate deeper ties between respective defence innovation and start-up ecosystems, including business-to-business engagement.

• Focus collaboration on innovative maritime science and technology capabilities (including maritime surveillance, advanced materials) for defence applications.

Architecture and Governance

Bilateral Oversight

The Partnership will be chaired at a senior level by the Australian Deputy Secretary International and Security Group, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Indian Deputy National Security Advisor. The Chairs will set the priority areas and identify opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation, across cyber and critical technologies.

Senior Officials Meeting (annual): Responsible Senior Officials will coordinate under each pillar and will report to Chairs and review priorities, stocktake progress to date, assess new and emerging risks to the cyber and critical technology landscape, and work towards mutual identification of specific projects under each pillar of cooperation

 

 PillarIndian LeadAustralian Lead

1

Supply chain resilience

National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)

Coordinated by the Office of the Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology

2

Critical technology

National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)

The Office of the Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology

3

Cybersecurity

Cyber Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs

The Office of the Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology

4

Digital resilience

Oceania Division, Ministry of External Affairs

The Office of the Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology

5

Defence research and collaboration

Ministry of Defence

Department of Defence