Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 18 June 2026 posted on X reaffirming the government's commitment to preserving and celebrating India's cultural heritage, citing the guiding vision of 'Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi' (Heritage as well as Development) as the framework driving efforts from antiquities repatriation to pilgrimage infrastructure upgrades.

Context

In his post, Prime Minister Modi wrote that 'India's cultural heritage is being preserved, celebrated and carried forward with renewed vigour,' pointing to a dual thrust — bringing back artefacts from abroad and strengthening the physical and spiritual infrastructure that connects citizens to their roots. The statement frames heritage not as a relic of the past but as a living, evolving national asset.

The phrase 'Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi' has become a recurring motif in the government's cultural communications, positioning conservation and economic development as complementary rather than competing goals. Heritage tourism, pilgrimage circuits and museum modernisation are all cited as expressions of this philosophy.

Policy Backdrop

The policy architecture behind the Prime Minister's remarks stretches back to 2014-15, when the PRASHAD Scheme — Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive — was launched as a central sector scheme to upgrade infrastructure at pilgrimage and heritage destinations across the country. In the same year, the Swadesh Darshan Scheme was introduced to create themed tourist circuits linking heritage sites in multiple states.

Flagship projects such as the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, inaugurated in 2021, exemplify the government's approach: connecting a major temple with riverfront ghats through large-scale urban redevelopment that blends devotional access with tourism infrastructure. The Ministry of Culture has simultaneously pursued bilateral and multilateral agreements to repatriate antiquities that had left India's shores over decades.

Repatriation drives have been pursued as instruments of both soft power and domestic heritage revival, with artefacts returned from several countries serving as high-profile diplomatic milestones. These efforts run in parallel with the physical infrastructure push, reinforcing a coherent cultural policy narrative.

Stakeholders and Impact

Pilgrims, heritage tourists and local artisans are among the primary beneficiaries of this twin-track approach. Upgraded pilgrimage infrastructure reduces friction for devotees while drawing domestic and international visitors whose spending supports local economies. Artisan communities around heritage sites gain visibility and market access through state-backed cultural promotion.

The broader pattern holds across states irrespective of which party governs at the state level when central scheme funding is involved, suggesting a degree of institutional momentum behind the policy. Museum modernisation and digital archiving initiatives extend the reach of heritage preservation beyond physical sites to younger, urban audiences.

What's Next

Observers will watch the next Ministry of Culture budget cycle for fresh allocations to the PRASHAD and Swadesh Darshan schemes, as well as any new bilateral agreements on artefact returns expected at forthcoming diplomatic summits. The government's continued emphasis on 'Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi' signals that cultural heritage will remain a visible plank of India's domestic and foreign policy identity in the months ahead.