PM Modi lauds Cabinet decisions on semiconductor, phone manufacturing, policy for urea

New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the approval of a new semiconductor programme by the Union Cabinet reaffirms the government's long-term commitment to making India a global centre for semiconductor design, manufacturing and innovation. He said the mobile phone manufacturing scheme cleared by the Cabinet is a "massive boost to Make in India", while a national investment policy for urea will help the country become self-reliant. The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Rs 1.27 lakh crore Semicon 2.0 programme to accelerate semiconductor design and manufacturing capabilities. "India's semiconductor journey gets even more vibrant! The Cabinet has approved Semicon 2.0 with an outlay of Rs 1,27,500 crore, reaffirming our long-term commitment to making India a global centre for semiconductor design, manufacturing and innovation," Modi said in a post on 'X'. The prime minister said powered by the country's youth, Semicon 2.0 will strengthen every aspect of the semiconductor ecosystem. "Semicon 2.0 will attract greater investment, create high-value opportunities for our youth, strengthen supply chains and advance technological self-reliance in critical sectors," he said. In another post, Modi said the Union Cabinet's approval of a Rs 62,500 crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme to provide production-linked incentives to manufacturers is a "massive boost to ‘Make in India’ and our electronics manufacturing ecosystem". "The Cabinet’s approval of the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme, with an outlay of Rs. 62,500 crore, will scale up production, deepen domestic value addition, strengthen supply chains and create a globally competitive ecosystem in India. Over the next few years, the scheme is expected to generate several job opportunities for the youth," he said. The prime minister also appreciated the Union Cabinet's approval of two important railway multitracking projects in Odisha and Jharkhand which will give a "major boost to connectivity and economic growth" in the two eastern states. "The Cabinet has approved two important railway multitracking projects, the doubling of the Paradeep-Haridaspur line and the fourth line between Rajkharsawan and Dangoaposi. These projects will further growth in Odisha and Jharkhand. They will expand the railway network, ease congestion and boost tourism," he said. The cabinet also approved two highway projects for Varanasi, entailing a total investment of nearly Rs 25,500 crore. The projects are the development of a 43.218-kilometre link connecting NH-31 and the Varanasi Ring Road along the River Varuna to decongest Varanasi city in Uttar Pradesh. "We are resolute in making darshan of Baba Vishwanath in Varanasi even more accessible and convenient with the expansion of connectivity in Uttar Pradesh. "In this direction, today our government has approved the construction of a 6/4-lane elevated corridor along the banks of the Varuna river. This project will not only serve as a model for our cities of cultural importance, but will also make the lives of people here easier through infrastructure development," he said. Modi said the government is committed to the development of world-class infrastructure in Varanasi. "In line with this, today we have approved the construction of a state-of-the-art 6-lane corridor along the banks of the Ganga. This will further improve access to the city's major religious, educational, and cultural sites. At the same time, the reduced pressure on the road network will make commuting even smoother. This project will accelerate economic development in Purvanchal," he said. Modi lauded the cabinet's approval of a new National Investment Policy for Urea (NIPU-2026) to set up 8-9 new gas-based plants with a production capacity of 10 million tonnes to make the country self-reliant in the most widely consumed fertiliser. "Our government is leaving no stone unturned for the welfare of our farmer brothers and sisters across the country. In this direction, today the proposal for the National Urea Investment Policy-2026 has been approved. "This will not only encourage investment for the establishment of new gas-based urea production plants, but will also give new strength to the resolve for self-reliance in urea production," he said. PTI ACB RT RT