New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat and Maharashtra on Tuesday and launch various development projects in both the states. At around noon, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stones, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation various development projects worth more than Rs 35,000 crore in Vadodara. He will also address the gathering on the occasion.At around 5:45 p.m., the Prime Minister will inaugurate Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026 in Mumbai and address the gathering as well.In Vadodara, the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation three important sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), covering 326 route kilometres and developed at a cost of more than Rs 20,700 crore. These include the New Sanand (N)- New Makarpura, New Umbergaon-New Saphale and New Saphale- New JNPT sections.The officials said that the direct connectivity of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) will facilitate faster movement of EXIM cargo, strengthen connectivity between industrial centres and ports, reduce logistics costs and help decongest Mumbai's railway network.

"With the commissioning of these sections, the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) network will stand fully operational across its entire length. The dedicated freight infrastructure will further strengthen the country's logistics ecosystem by improving multimodal connectivity, reducing transit time and facilitating seamless movement of cargo across different regions," the officials said.The Prime Minister will also flag off freight train services from New Sanand (North), New Makarpura, New Umbergaon and New JNPT, Mumbai. In addition, he will flag off a new passenger train service between Tanda Road and Vadodara (Pratapnagar).PM Modi will dedicate to the nation the Jobat–Tanda Road new rail line, developed as part of the Chhota Udepur–Dhar project. The new rail line will connect remote and tribal areas of Alirajpur with the national rail network.He will also lay the foundation stone for three railway projects spanning 329 kilometres and costing more than Rs 9,700 crore. These include the Vadodara-Ratlam third and fourth lines, Miyagam Karjan-Choranda–Malsar gauge conversion and the Vishwamitri-Dabhoi doubling project. "The projects will enhance passenger and freight capacity, ease congestion and strengthen connectivity between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh," officials said.

The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for three National Highway projects costing around Rs 1,780 crore. These include six-laning of the Kamrej-Chalthan section of NH-48; construction of additional structures, including major bridges over the Tapi and Narmada, on the Vadodara-Surat section of NH-48; and grade-separated structures at Abhava, Mindhola and Khajod junctions on NH-53.He will also lay the foundation stone for and inaugurate various Government of Gujarat projects worth around Rs 2,600 crore. Major projects for which the foundation stone will be laid include Vadodara Urban Development Authority Ring Road Phase II and a 110 MW floating solar project at Kadana Dam, construction of the new office of Vadodara Municipal Corporation, among others. Projects to be inaugurated include housing projects under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and a water-supply project for 11 villages in eastern Vadodara, among others.In Mumbai, the Prime Minister will inaugurate Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026, one of the world's largest and most influential annual fintech conferences.

The seventh edition of the Global Fintech Fest is being held from Tuesday (September 8) to Friday (September 11). Since 2020, GFF has emerged as an international thought leadership platform bringing together policymakers, regulators, central banks, financial institutions, fintechs, technology companies, investors, academia and other global stakeholders to deliberate on shaping the future of finance.The theme of GFF 2026 is 'Potential to Impact: Agentic AI, Tokenisation, Quantum - Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance'.Officials said that the GFF 2026 has been designed as a convergence point for policy, regulation, technology, capital and industry on a common platform. "It seeks to build on India's leadership in digital payments and financial inclusion and move from potential to impact. The discussions will focus on how Agentic AI, programmable finance, quantum technologies and other critical and emerging technologies can create trusted, inclusive and measurable outcomes for citizens, enterprises and economies globally," officials said.

/IANS