Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday, 18 June 2026 invoked India's civilisational identity to mark 12 years of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government, framing the period as one that balanced rapid modernisation with the revival of cultural heritage. Posting on X, Goyal wrote: 'भारत सिर्फ एक देश नहीं बल्कि एक अमर सभ्यता है' ('India is not merely a country but an immortal civilisation'), adding that over 12 years, India had given 'new momentum to development and new respect to heritage,' establishing 'a new benchmark of nation-building through the balance of modernity and culture.' The post carried the hashtag #12YearsOfVikasBhiVirasatBhi.

Context

The phrase Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi — 'Development as well as Heritage' — has been a recurring ideological motif of the Narendra Modi government since 2014. It positions economic infrastructure investment and cultural conservation not as competing priorities but as mutually reinforcing pillars of statecraft. Goyal's post, timed to the 12th anniversary of the government, reflects a coordinated messaging exercise that senior BJP leaders have amplified across platforms.

Policy Backdrop

The governance architecture behind the slogan is substantial. The PRASAD scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive), launched in 2014-15, channelled funds into tourism infrastructure at religious sites. The Swadesh Darshan programme, also begun in 2014-15, developed theme-based tourist circuits anchored in heritage and culture. Large-scale corridor projects — most visibly the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor — became flagship symbols of the approach, combining modern amenities with the restoration of ancient religious precincts. The Monument Mitra scheme further brought private-sector participation into heritage upkeep. Together, these initiatives represent a deliberate policy lineage that successive budget cycles have sustained, with the Ministry of Culture receiving allocations aimed at both physical restoration and digital archiving of India's civilisational assets.

Stakeholders and Impact

The beneficiaries of this policy arc are wide-ranging. Heritage tourists — both domestic and international — have seen improved infrastructure at pilgrimage and archaeological sites. State tourism departments, particularly in states with major religious circuits, have received central co-funding. Pilgrimage site managers and local economies around corridor projects have experienced increased footfall and commercial activity. Critics, however, have debated whether the pace of physical redevelopment adequately accounts for conservation norms and community displacement — a tension that heritage bodies and urban planners continue to flag. At the soft-power level, the 'immortal civilisation' framing feeds directly into India's cultural diplomacy efforts, positioning the country as a living heritage destination rather than merely an emerging economy.

What's Next

With the Union Budget 2026-27 cycle under way, observers will watch for fresh allocations to the Ministry of Culture and any new PRASAD or heritage corridor announcements. State election calendars also tend to accelerate heritage project inaugurations. Goyal's post signals that the Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi narrative will remain central to the BJP's political communication as the government enters what it frames as a consolidation phase of its development agenda.