Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday, 4 July 2026, took to X to highlight a series of major infrastructure and clean-energy project launches by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the PM's visit to Rajasthan, including the laying of the foundation stone for Jaipur Metro Phase-2 and the dedication of over 1,300 MW of new solar capacity to the nation.

Context

In his post, Minister Khattar described PM Modi's Rajasthan tour as a landmark day for both urban mobility and renewable energy. He noted that the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Jaipur Metro Rail Project Phase-2, estimated to cost more than ₹13,000 crore, which is designed to strengthen connectivity across the city's key residential, industrial, and commercial zones. The minister said the project would give citizens 'fast, safe and convenient public transport' — ('तेज, सुरक्षित एवं सुविधाजनक सार्वजनिक परिवहन').

Jaipur Metro Phase-1 became operational in 2015 and has since served as the backbone of the capital's urban rail network. Phase-2 is expected to extend the network's reach significantly, addressing long-standing gaps in east-west and peripheral connectivity in one of India's fastest-growing state capitals.

Policy Backdrop

On the energy front, PM Modi dedicated two major solar installations to the nation: SJVN Limited's 1,000 MW Bikaner Solar Energy Project and NHPC's 300 MW Karnisar Bikaner Solar Power Plant. SJVN Limited is a central public sector enterprise that has been aggressively expanding from its hydropower origins into large-scale solar parks, while NHPC Limited, India's largest hydropower PSU, has similarly diversified into solar generation as part of the government's clean-energy push.

Alongside the solar dedications, PM Modi inaugurated a transmission line built at a cost of more than ₹1,900 crore and laid the foundation stone for a new 530-kilometre power transmission system. Khattar said this infrastructure would provide 'new strength to uninterrupted transmission of renewable energy from Rajasthan and reliable power supply' — ('नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा के निर्बाध प्रसारण और विश्वसनीय बिजली आपूर्ति को नई मजबूती'). These moves align with India's broader goal of building dedicated renewable energy evacuation corridors, a key pillar of the National Infrastructure Pipeline framework launched in 2019.

Rajasthan holds the country's highest solar irradiance levels and has consistently been the primary destination for utility-scale solar parks under the National Solar Mission, whose targets have been revised upward multiple times since its 2010 launch. The state is central to India's ambition of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.

Stakeholders and Impact

Urban commuters in Jaipur stand to benefit most directly from Phase-2, with improved last-mile connectivity to residential colonies, industrial estates, and commercial hubs that Phase-1 did not serve. For the broader power sector, the addition of over 1,300 MW of solar generation capacity in Bikaner and the new 530-km transmission backbone are expected to ease grid congestion and reduce curtailment of renewable power in the region.

Central PSUs — particularly SJVN and NHPC — continue to serve as the government's primary vehicles for delivering both generation assets and grid-strengthening infrastructure in high-priority states, a pattern that reflects the Centre's preference for PSU-led execution in the energy transition.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the pace of civil works on Jaipur Metro Phase-2 and land acquisition progress for the 530-km transmission corridor, both of which involve complex state-central coordination. Follow-up meetings between Rajasthan state authorities and Union ministries on tariff approvals and grid integration timelines will be closely watched by project developers and urban planners alike. Minister Khattar's public acknowledgement of the PM's role signals continued political momentum behind these projects, but the real test will be execution speed on the ground.