Jyotigram Yojana: How Modi's Gujarat electrification awed APJ Abdul Kalam
Synopsis
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam was so moved by Modi's Gujarat electrification drive that he personally visited remote villages to see it — and reportedly 'couldn't believe' 18,000 villages had been connected to power in just 1,000 days. That state-level experiment later became the blueprint for India's national rural electrification push under DDUGJY and Saubhagya.
Key Takeaways
Jyotigram Yojana under then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi electrified over 18,000 villages in just 1,000 days .
The scheme installed 20 lakh electric poles and laid 1 lakh km of electric lines across Gujarat.
Former President Dr A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam visited Gujarat to witness the transformation firsthand and dedicated the scheme to the nation.
Nationally, 18,374 villages were electrified under DDUGJY and 2.86 crore households under Saubhagya , per an official 2023 report.
The BJP is invoking the Gujarat electrification legacy as part of its 25 years of Seva campaign under PM Modi .
As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) marks 25 years of Seva under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attention has returned to a transformative chapter that began two decades ago in Gujarat — the mass village electrification drive that reportedly left former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 'overwhelmed and stunned.'
The Jyotigram Yojana: A Record-Breaking Mission
The Jyotigram Yojana, launched under then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, set out to connect every village in the state to the electricity grid. Over a span of just 1,000 days, the scheme saw the installation of 20 lakh electric poles, the laying of 1 lakh km of electric lines, and the electrification of more than 18,000 villages across Gujarat — a pace and scale that had no precedent in the state's history.
The landmark achievement drew the attention of then President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who travelled to Gujarat to witness the transformation firsthand and formally dedicated the scheme to the nation.
Dr Kalam's Reaction: 'He Couldn't Believe It'
Former Gujarat cabinet minister Saurabh Patel, recounting the episode in a video shared by the Modi Story handle on X, described how Dr Kalam's curiosity prompted a personal tour of remote electrified villages. 'Dr Kalam couldn't believe it; he asked if he could visit them,' Patel recalled. 'The Chief Minister readily agreed and arranged for his tour. Watching the changes on the ground, Dr Kalam was overwhelmed to see over 18,000 villages getting electrified in a record time,' he added.
According to Patel, Dr Kalam was 'thrilled and stunned' by the mass-scale electrification achieved in such a short span — a sentiment that underscored the national significance of what had been accomplished at the state level.
From Gujarat to the Nation: DDUGJY and Saubhagya
The village electrification momentum established in Gujarat continued after Modi took charge at the Centre in 2014. The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), launched by the PM Modi-led government, worked to strengthen rural electricity distribution infrastructure nationwide. Running alongside it, the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya) targeted household-level connections.
'A total of 18,374 villages were electrified under DDUGJY, and a total of 2.86 crore households were electrified under the aegis of Saubhagya,' according to an official report from 2023. Together, the two national schemes electrified more than 18,450 villages across India — completing a task that had remained unfinished across seven decades of Independence.
The Broader Legacy
Rural households across India today reportedly have access to round-the-clock power supply, a shift that advocates describe as foundational to agricultural productivity, education, and small-business growth in the hinterland. The BJP's 25 years of Seva campaign frames the Gujarat electrification drive as the origin point of this national transformation — a template that was later scaled up through central government schemes.
As the party looks back at that two-decade journey, the Jyotigram Yojana remains one of the most cited examples of state-level governance translating into a national blueprint — and one that earned praise from one of India's most respected scientific and public figures.
Point of View
Not merely connecting poles to villages. The national scale-up under DDUGJY and Saubhagya inherited the Gujarat template, but the gap between electrified villages and hours of actual power supply per day remains a legitimate measure of follow-through that the anniversary narrative largely sidesteps.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Jyotigram Yojana launched by Narendra Modi in Gujarat?
The Jyotigram Yojana was a village electrification scheme launched under then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi that electrified over 18,000 villages in 1,000 days, installing 20 lakh electric poles and laying 1 lakh km of electric lines. It is widely credited as a governance model that was later adapted into national schemes.
Why did APJ Abdul Kalam visit Gujarat for the Jyotigram scheme?
Former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam travelled to Gujarat after learning of the unprecedented pace of village electrification under the Jyotigram Yojana. According to former Gujarat minister Saurabh Patel, Dr Kalam personally requested to visit remote villages to see the transformation firsthand, and subsequently dedicated the scheme to the nation.
How many villages were electrified nationally under DDUGJY and Saubhagya?
According to an official 2023 report, 18,374 villages were electrified under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and 2.86 crore households were connected under the Saubhagya scheme. Together, these two national programmes electrified more than 18,450 villages — completing a task left unfinished for seven decades after Independence.
What is the BJP's '25 years of Seva' campaign?
The '25 years of Seva' campaign marks the BJP's celebration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 25 years in public office, beginning with his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister. The campaign highlights governance milestones — including the Jyotigram Yojana — as examples of 'public service' that shaped national policy.
How is Jyotigram Yojana different from DDUGJY and Saubhagya?
Jyotigram Yojana was a state-level initiative in Gujarat focused on mass village connectivity, while DDUGJY and Saubhagya were centrally sponsored national schemes launched after 2014 to extend rural electrification across India. The Gujarat scheme is credited as the blueprint that informed the design and ambition of the subsequent national programmes.
