Union Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday, 29 June said India had maintained both energy security and economic stability despite escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia, crediting the country's resilience to long-term planning, power sector reforms, and sustained investments in urban infrastructure. He was speaking at the inaugural session of the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) for Central Gujarat in Vadodara.

India's Energy Resilience Amid Global Uncertainty

“Despite recent global geopolitical developments, particularly the events in West Asia, we have maintained and strengthened our energy security. Our economic stability has also remained intact. While many countries experienced uncertainty and fluctuations, India has maintained stability with confidence,” Khattar said.

The minister attributed this stability to structural reforms in the electricity distribution sector, which he said had improved the financial health of long-loss-making distribution companies while simultaneously raising the quality of consumer services. “Distribution companies, which had long been running at losses, have seen improvements in their financial position. Consumers are receiving better services, and the sector has become more financially sustainable,” he added.

Urban Infrastructure as an Investment Driver

Khattar argued that investor decisions today go well beyond incentive packages, with urban service quality increasingly shaping where businesses choose to set up. “When an investor chooses a state, they do not look only at incentive schemes. They also consider whether adequate housing is available for the workforce, how efficient mobility and public transport systems are, the quality of water supply and sewerage systems, the effectiveness of digital governance, standards of cleanliness and the overall ease of living,” he said.

He described cities as “engines of growth, innovation and employment” rather than mere population centres, and said the Centre had deliberately integrated urban development with economic policy.

Housing, Water, and Metro Rail: Key Numbers

On flagship urban schemes, the minister said Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) and PMAY 2.0 together had received approval for the construction of 1.27 crore houses nationwide, of which 98.65 lakh had already been completed and handed over. In Gujarat alone, approvals covered more than 11.5 lakh houses, with over 10 lakh already delivered to beneficiaries.

Under the AMRUT programme, Gujarat received 28 lakh new water supply connections and 42.47 lakh sewerage connections, Khattar said. On urban mobility, he noted that Metro rail services are now operational in 29 cities across India, with a total network spanning 1,155 kilometres — making India the third-largest Metro rail network in the world after China and the United States. He also cited the 82-kilometre Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System as a milestone in high-speed urban connectivity.

Street Vendors and Financial Inclusion

Khattar highlighted the PM SVANidhi scheme, under which more than 76 lakh street vendors had received institutional loans. Of these, over 40 lakh beneficiaries had fully repaid their loans while expanding their businesses, and nearly 8 lakh had progressed through all three loan tranches to access larger credit under schemes such as PM Mudra.

Gujarat as a Model and Investment Pitch

Ahmedabad was recognised as India's cleanest large city, while Surat secured a place in the Super Swachhata League, Khattar noted, calling Gujarat a model for India's broader development journey. Inviting domestic and international investors, he said the government believes in what he termed an “H2H” — Heart to Heart — relationship with investors, beyond conventional G2G or B2B frameworks. “We will always lay a red carpet before every investor who comes to Gujarat or any state in the country,” he said.

As geopolitical pressures in West Asia continue to evolve, the government's emphasis on structural reform over reactive policy will be tested by the next round of global energy price movements.