File photo: PM Modi (Picture credit: PTI)
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for for “zero defect and zero effect” manufacturing for ‘Make in India‘, meaning flawless products with no environmental harm.Speaking at a public event in Bengaluru, PM Modi emphasised that India’s economy has climbed from 10th place to the top five in the past 11 years, and urged the youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka to lead the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives. “We have to strengthen the presence of Bengaluru and Karnataka in ‘Make in India’. I urge that our products should be of the standards of ‘Zero Defect, Zero Effect’. That is, there should be defect-free products, and their manufacturing should also not have any negative impact on the environment. I expect that the talent of Karnataka will lead this vision of ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat'”, the Prime Minister said.The Prime Minister said the next big focus should be a “Tech Atmanirbhar Bharat,” pushing for innovation and self-reliance in technology. “Now is the time to give more priority to the needs of India and move ahead faster in developing new products,” he said.He further said that India’s economy is advancing at a rapid pace and is on course to become the world’s third-largest and credited the progress to the government’s “reform, perform and transform” approach, clear intentions, and honest efforts.“We are rapidly moving towards becoming the top third economy,” he said. “This speed came to us from the spirit of reform, perform, and transform. This speed came to us from clear intention and honest efforts.”Highlighting infrastructure gains since 2014, the Prime Minister noted that metro services have expanded from just five cities to more than 1,000 km of network in 24 cities. Rail electrification has doubled from 20,000 km to over 40,000 km, airports have risen from 74 to over 160, and operational national waterways have increased from three to 30.Citing the recent success of Operation Sindoor, PM Modi credited the achievement to indigenous defence technology and the role of Karnataka’s youth. “The success of Operation Sindoor is due to our technology and the power of ‘Make in India’ in defence. The youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka have contributed a lot to this,” he said, adding that Bengaluru has become a symbol of the new India’s rise.“We are seeing Bangalore emerging as a city that has become a symbol of the rise of the new India… A city that has put India’s flag on the global IT map. If there is anything behind Bangalore’s success story, it is the hard work and talent of its people,” the Prime Minister said.This was PM Modi’s first visit to the city since the operation, and he praised India’s ability to destroy terrorist hideouts deep across the border, forcing Pakistan “to its knees” within hours.Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister inaugurated Bengaluru Metro’s Yellow Line from RV Road (Ragigudda) to Bommasandra, part of the Rs 7,160 crore Phase-2 project. According to news agency ANI, the 19 km route with 16 stations will extend the city’s metro network to over 96 km, benefiting more than six lakh daily commuters. PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for the Rs 15,610 crore Phase-3 project and flagged off three Vande Bharat Express trains, underlining the government’s push for modern, world-class rail travel.However, his comments came amid escalating trade tensions with the United States. US President Donald Trump recently announced tariffs totalling 50% on Indian imports, accusing New Delhi of buying Russian oil and indirectly funding the Ukraine war.
