Best Time To Invest In MP, Heart Of India: PM Modi

Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday sounded the bugle for Madhya Pradesh's industrialisation, saying that India is seeing unprecedented growth, and MP — in the heart of the country — is a very important driver of this economic acceleration.
The PM started with an apology for being late. "When I was preparing to come here, I realised that class 10 and 12 board examinations are scheduled today. Their timing would have clashed with my travel time had I started out according to schedule. So, I decided to push it back by 15 minutes. Children should not be inconvenienced in any way," the PM said, drawing applause from the crowd.
Addressing a gathering of top notch industrialists -- including Gautam Adani and Nadir Godrej -- the Prime Minister said, "For the first time in the history of Bharat, the whole world is so optimistic about it."
The venue, nestled in the picturesque hilltop of Manav Sangrahayala, reverberated to shouts of 'Modi-Modi' when the PM walked in.
Delving right into India's growth story and MP's part in it, the PM said: "World Bank has said that India will remain the fastest growing economy. Another report said that the future of the world is in India. And some days ago, in the matter of climate change, India is being perceived as a solar energy superpower."
India Means Results
"Internationally, the perception is that India delivers results. The world's confidence is growing for India," he remarked, adding: "Now is the right time for investment, and increasing investment in Madhya Pradesh."
"From common people to economists, countries and institutions worldwide are optimistic about India and have great expectations from Bharat," he said at the summit, aimed to showcase MP's ‘infinite possibilities' for investors and industrialists. Noting the state's strengths, the PM said MP tops the country in agricultural production, has abundant minerals, is the cotton capital of the country, and has the blessings of Narmada river.
"MP has the potential to become one of the top five states in India by GDP," he said, adding that two decades ago, industrial development in the state was difficult.
The three Ts — textile, tourism and technology sectors — will create crores of jobs in the near future, PM Modi predicted, adding that, again, MP is uniquely positioned to make the most of the opportunities ahead. "Viksit Madhya Pradesh is necessary in the journey towards Viksit Bharat," the PM said.
Representatives from over 60 countries, officials from various international organizations, over 300 prominent industry leaders from India and policymakers are participating in the summit.
‘BJP Govt Transformed MP'
Pointing out the transformative journey of Madhya Pradesh over the past two decades, the PM remarked that there was a time when the state faced significant challenges with electricity and water, and law and order was even worse. "These conditions made industrial development difficult. With the support of people, our govt in Madhya Pradesh focused on governance. Two decades ago, people were hesitant to invest in MP, while today, MP has become one of the top states for investment," he added.
The PM noted that the state, which once struggled with poor roads, is now one of the leading states in India's EV revolution. By Jan 2025, around 2 lakh electric vehicles had been registered in MP, a growth of nearly 90%, which shows that MP is becoming an excellent destination for new manufacturing sectors, he pointed out.
"Happy to see Madhya Pradesh emerge as a key hub for business and entrepreneurship," the PM said.
Raasta, Bijli & Paani
PM Modi noted that India has witnessed an infrastructure boom over the past decade, with projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, and Madhya Pradesh benefitted in a big way as this road passes through the state, providing fast connectivity to Mumbai's ports and North India's markets.
"Today, Madhya Pradesh has a network of 5 lakh km of roads and 300 industrial zones. MP's industrial corridors are connected to modern expressways, ensuring rapid growth in the logistics sector," he said
Air connectivity is also taking off in a big way, he noted, highlighting the expansion of Gwalior and Jabalpur airports. "Modernization of MP's rail network is underway. It has already achieved 100% electrification. The images of Bhopal's Rani Kamalapati railway station continue to captivate everyone. Following this model, 80 stations in MP are being modernized under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme," the PM said.
Water security is of critical importance for industrial development, the PM said, pointing out that a "mega mission" for river-interlinking is on. "Both agriculture and industry will greatly benefit from these initiatives. The ₹45,000 crore Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project has recently commenced, which will enhance the productivity of approximately 10 lakh hectares of farmland and strengthen water management in MP. These facilities will unlock significant potential in the food processing, agro-industry, and textile sectors," the PM noted.
PM Modi said that in the last decade, the country has seen unprecedented growth in the energy sector. "India has done what was unimaginable," he said.
"Over the past 10 years, more than $70 billion (over ₹5 trillion) has been invested in renewable energy, creating over 10 lakh jobs last year alone. MP has greatly benefited from this boom. Today, MP is power-surplus with a generation capacity of around 31,000 MW, of which 30% is clean energy," the PM said, highlighting that Rewa Solar Park is one of the largest in the country, and recently, a floating solar plant was inaugurated in Omkareshwar.
Logistics Network
Modi noted that a new report revealed how India is emerging as an excellent supply chain for global aerospace firms, which view India as a solution to global supply chain challenges.
Pointing out that the Budget emphasizes building local supply chains to achieve complete self-reliance in manufacturing, PM Modi said that there was a time when the potential of MSMEs was "stymied by previous govts", preventing the development of local supply chains at the desired level. "The current priority is to build MSME-led local supply chains. The definition of MSMEs has been improved, and credit-linked incentives are being provided, while access to credit is being made easier, and support for value addition and exports has been increased," he added.
"Madhya Pradesh, being the cotton capital of India, contributes around 25% of the country's organic cotton supply and is the largest producer of mulberry silk while Chanderi and Maheshwari sarees are highly appreciated and have received the GI Tag," he added.
The PM mentioned that the govt has invested around ₹50,000 crore in the Bina Refinery Petrochemical Complex, which will help make MP a hub for petrochemicals.
Third Term, Triple Speed
Modi recalled that before last year's Lok Sabha elections, he had promised that in the third term, his govt would work at thrice the speed. "The first 50 days of 2025 have witnessed fast-paced growth. In this year's annual Union Budget, we have energised every catalyst of India's growth," he said.
"The middle class, being the largest taxpayer base, creates demand for services and manufacturing. Various steps have been taken to empower the middle class in this Budget, including making income up to ₹12 lakh tax-free and restructuring tax slabs. RBI has reduced interest rates following the Budget," the PM said.
"This year, avenues such as nuclear energy, bio-manufacturing, critical minerals processing, and lithium battery manufacturing have been opened for investment," he said, adding: "These steps demonstrate the govt's intent and commitment."
"Over the past decade, significant reforms have been accelerated at the national level, now reforms are being encouraged at the state and local levels as well," the PM said, citing the State De-regulation Commission mentioned in the Budget. "Continuous dialogue is being maintained with the states and over 40,000 compliances have been reduced in recent years in collaboration with states. Additionally, 1,500 obsolete laws have been eliminated," he added.
The PM emphasized that the objective is to identify regulations that hinder ease of doing business, and the De-regulation Commission will help create an investment-friendly regulatory ecosystem in the states.
‘MP Ajab Hai, Sabse Gajab Hai'
PM Modi recalled the MP Tourism campaign, ‘MP Ajab Hai, Sabse Gajab Hai', and highlighted significant development of tourism infrastructure around River Narmada and tribal areas. The state has immense potential in health and wellness tourism.
"Heal in India mantra is gaining global popularity, and investment opportunities in the health and wellness sector are rising. The govt is encouraging public-private partnerships in this area. India's traditional treatments and AYUSH are being promoted on a large scale, and special AYUSH visas are being issued. These initiatives will greatly benefit Madhya Pradesh," he said, and encouraged visitors to see Mahakal Mahalok in Ujjain, where they will receive blessings from Mahakal and experience how the country is expanding its tourism and hospitality sector.