Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 30 October 2026 launched and dedicated development projects worth more than ₹14,000 crore in Gujarat's Banaskantha district, flagging off two new train services and inaugurating a clutch of initiatives spanning agriculture, animal husbandry, transport, and social infrastructure. The visit forms part of a two-day Gujarat tour on 30–31 October.

India's First Kankrej Cattle Breeding Centre

Among the flagship inaugurations was the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBRC) at Bhildi, developed at a cost of ₹328.77 crore across 127 acres. The facility is the country's first Centre of Excellence dedicated to the Kankrej cattle breed — an indigenous breed of Gujarat — and focuses on bovine breeding, genetic improvement, and advanced reproductive technologies.

The centre is expected to accelerate breed improvement by 10 to 20 times through in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer technologies, boosting milk productivity and improving the genetic quality of cattle nationwide. Earlier on Friday, Modi visited the Embryo Transfer Technology–In Vitro Fertilisation (ET-IVF) Laboratory and interacted with women dairy farmers. In a post on social media platform X ahead of the inauguration, Modi said the centre would help farmers achieve 'higher milk production per animal, better-quality breeds and increased incomes, while supporting the conservation of indigenous cattle breeds such as Kankrej,' adding that 'its benefits would extend to dairy farmers across the country.'

Banas Dairy Expansion and Biogas Plants

Modi also inaugurated the expansion of Banas Dairy's potato processing plant at Sanadar and commissioned an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) for ultra-high-temperature (UHT) products at Palanpur. The ASRS is designed to improve storage and handling through fully automated operations.

Additionally, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stones for two compressed biogas plants of Banas Dairy at Tharad and Radhanpur, with cattle dung processing capacities of 75 metric tonnes and 100 metric tonnes per day, respectively. The plants aim to convert dairy waste into cleaner fuel, supporting the government's push on green energy at the grassroots level.

Rail and Road Connectivity Boost

In the transport sector, Modi flagged off the Ahmedabad (Sabarmati)–Varanasi Express and the Mehsana–Becharaji–Sabarmati MEMU service, aimed at strengthening inter-state rail links between Gujarat and the rest of the country, as well as improving local connectivity in North Gujarat.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for Ahmedabad Metro Phase 2A and Phase 2B extensions. Phase 2A will extend the network by more than 6 km, adding five stations between Koteshwar Road and Ahmedabad airport, while Phase 2B will cover over 3.3 km with three stations between GIFT City and Shahpur. Separately, the widening of Ahmedabad–Mehsana Road (State Highway 41) from four lanes to eight lanes — estimated at ₹2,600 crore — was also greenlit, expected to ease traffic between Ahmedabad and North Gujarat significantly.

Agriculture and Social Infrastructure

Modi dedicated 521 completed projects under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, with a combined project cost of approximately ₹4,950 crore. These projects include cold storage facilities, cold chains, warehouses, silos, polyhouses, greenhouses, and integrated processing facilities.

The Prime Minister also marked the commencement of on-ground activities under 12 approved horticulture clusters covering approximately 1.46 lakh hectares and expected to benefit more than 1.3 lakh farmers, with two clusters in North Gujarat focused on potatoes. In social infrastructure, Modi laid the foundation stone for 4,030 new child-friendly Anganwadi centres and inaugurated 361 completed centres across Gujarat, involving an investment of ₹800 crore and expected to benefit more than four lakh people.

What Comes Next

Modi is scheduled to travel to Ekta Nagar in Narmada district for the 'Bharat Parv' and Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The Gujarat visit signals a continued federal emphasis on Banaskantha — one of the state's key agricultural and dairy belts — ahead of further infrastructure rollouts.