Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired the 54th PRAGATI meeting at Seva Teerth, reviewing infrastructure and welfare projects worth more than ₹16,000 crore spanning 31 states and union territories. The session covered railway station redevelopment, pharmaceutical self-reliance through Bulk Drug Parks, and the PM Ekta Malls initiative aimed at empowering local artisans.

Key Focus Areas of the Meeting

The meeting, held under the PRAGATI platform — which stands for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation — is an ICT-enabled, multi-modal mechanism that brings Central and State governments together to resolve implementation bottlenecks. Modi reviewed projects linked to Railways, Ekta Malls, and Bulk Drug Parks, stressing the importance of inter-agency coordination and adherence to timelines.

In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister said: 'Chaired the 54th PRAGATI meeting yesterday. The focus areas: Reviewed projects worth over Rs. 16,000 crore across 31 States and UTs. Faster redevelopment of railway stations as multimodal hubs. Boosting self-reliance in pharma manufacturing. Ekta Malls to empower artisans and local businesses. The focus is clear…substantive outcomes, timely execution and long lasting benefits for people.'

Railway Station Redevelopment Push

Reviewing the redevelopment of Ahmedabad railway station, Modi called for accelerating modernisation of major stations nationwide. He said redeveloped stations must function as multimodal transport hubs, offering seamless connectivity with metro services and other transportation networks — a model the Centre has been advancing under its station-upgrade programme.

Pharma Self-Reliance and Bulk Drug Parks

Modi reviewed the progress of Bulk Drug Parks in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh, emphasising the priority of scaling up domestic production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other critical pharmaceutical inputs. The push comes amid ongoing global supply-chain vulnerabilities that have repeatedly exposed India's dependence on imported raw materials for drug manufacturing.

Ekta Malls and Artisan Empowerment

On the PM Ekta Malls initiative, Modi said these facilities should serve as dedicated markets for local products and strengthen the livelihoods of artisans. He called for linking the malls with tourism and local enterprises, arguing that higher demand could generate employment across rural production, packaging, storage, and transportation. Notably, the initiative targets grassroots economic integration — an area often underserved by large-scale infrastructure programmes.

Governance and Accountability Directives

Modi directed Chief Secretaries to hold monthly reviews of government schemes with District Magistrates, identifying implementation gaps and ensuring eligible beneficiaries receive benefits on time. He stressed that governance must prioritise outcomes over expenditure, and that public funds must translate into tangible improvements in citizens' lives.

Referring to the Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks programmes, he noted that sustained governance efforts had helped nearly 25 crore people move out of multidimensional poverty. He also directed concerned Ministries and State governments to resolve project bottlenecks in mission mode with close monitoring at the highest levels. The next PRAGATI review is expected to track progress on the directives issued at this session.