India's development did not come to standstill despite oil supply crisis: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi credited his government's railway electrification efforts for insulating India from potential supply chain disruptions caused by the West Asia conflict. He highlighted that 99% of the rail network is now electrified, contrasting this with the reliance on diesel prior to 2014.
Why it matters
It highlights the intersection of national infrastructure policy and energy security in the context of geopolitical instability.
Indian Railways would have come to a standstill had the situation from the West Asia conflict arisen before 2014 because most trains then ran on diesel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday (July 17, 2026) while stressing that nearly 99% of the network has been electrified in the 12 years of his government.
In a broadside against the Congress-led UPA government after flagging off India's first hydrogen-powered train connecting Jind to Sonipat in Haryana, the Prime Minister said the country has "got another gain" because of big changes that had taken place in Indian Railways since his government came to power.
The country, he said, has taken a giant leap towards green mobility with the hydrogen train.
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