By ANI
Copyright deccanchronicle
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Maharashtra on October 8–9. According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), PM Modi will arrive in Navi Mumbai around 3 p.m., where he will undertake a walkthrough of the newly built Navi Mumbai International Airport. At around 3:30 p.m., he will inaugurate the airport and launch several other projects in Mumbai. He will also address a public gathering on the occasion. On October 9, at around 10 a.m., the Prime Minister will host UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in Mumbai. At approximately 1:40 p.m., both leaders will attend the CEO Forum at the Jio World Centre, followed by the 6th edition of the Global Fintech Fest, where they will deliver keynote addresses. This will be Prime Minister Starmer’s first official visit to India, undertaken at PM Modi’s invitation. During the visit, both leaders will review progress in the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership under ‘Vision 2035’—a roadmap covering trade, technology, defence, climate, education, and people-to-people ties. The two leaders will also discuss opportunities under the proposed India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and exchange views on regional and global issues. The Global Fintech Fest 2025, themed “Empowering Finance for a Better World”, will attract over 100,000 participants from 75 countries, featuring 7,500 companies, 800 speakers, and 400 exhibitors. PM Modi will inaugurate Phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), developed at a cost of around ₹19,650 crore under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The airport, India’s largest Greenfield project, will eventually handle 90 million passengers annually and 3.25 million metric tonnes of cargo. Designed as one of the most efficient airports globally, NMIA will feature a 47 MW solar power system, EV bus connectivity, storage for sustainable aviation fuel, and a water taxi link. The Prime Minister will also inaugurate Phase 2B of the Mumbai Metro Line-3 (Acharya Atre Chowk to Cuffe Parade), constructed at an estimated cost of ₹12,200 crore, and dedicate the entire 33.5-km Metro Line-3 to the nation. Mumbai’s first fully underground metro line, the Aqua Line, will connect key administrative, cultural, and financial hubs, catering to 13 lakh passengers daily. PM Modi will also launch “Mumbai One”, an integrated mobility app uniting 11 transport operators, including Metro, Monorail, Suburban Railways, and city bus services. The app offers mobile ticketing, real-time updates, multimodal route planning, and safety features. Additionally, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Short-Term Employability Program (STEP), a Maharashtra government initiative aimed at aligning technical training with industry needs. The program will be implemented across 400 government ITIs and 150 technical schools, with 2,500 training batches, including exclusive courses for women and modules on emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, EVs, solar, and additive manufacturing.