Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired the 53rd meeting of PRAGATI, the ICT-enabled, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, at Seva Teerth. The meeting focused on speeding up major infrastructure projects, improving coordination between the Centre and states, using Artificial Intelligence in agriculture and strengthening efforts to prevent cyber fraud.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister reviewed six major infrastructure projects covering the Railway, Road and Power sectors. The projects are spread across nine states and have a combined cost of more than Rs 30,000 crore. The projects are aimed at improving connectivity, supporting industrial and economic activity and strengthening public services.

The review focused on timely completion, coordination between different agencies, removal of pending issues and faster execution. Modi stressed that delays in infrastructure projects do more than increase costs. They also delay the benefits that citizens, businesses and the wider economy are expected to receive from these projects.

The Prime Minister said infrastructure projects should be planned and monitored as complete systems rather than as separate sections, stretches or packages. He pointed out that progress in individual packages has to contribute to the completion and operationalisation of the entire project. Ministries and state governments were asked to follow an end-to-end approach while identifying and resolving gaps that could delay the final commissioning of projects.

Modi also called for a more proactive work culture across ministries and state governments. He stressed the need for greater ownership at every level of project implementation. According to him, agencies involved in a project must identify possible delays early and take timely action instead of waiting for problems to affect the overall timeline.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the need to explore common utility corridors for infrastructure services wherever they are feasible. He said such integrated solutions should be considered while planning major transport and infrastructure projects. Ministries and states were asked to assess these approaches at the planning stage itself, keeping their technical and economic feasibility in mind.

While pushing for faster execution, Modi also stressed that speed cannot come at the cost of quality. He called on ministries, states and implementing agencies to use modern technologies and strengthen quality assurance and supervision throughout the different stages of infrastructure projects. The focus, he said, should remain on completing projects quickly while ensuring that the work meets the required standards.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of AgriStack under the Digital Agriculture Mission. The Prime Minister emphasised the need to use the latest digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, to make better use of agricultural data. He said the data ecosystem should support decision-making across the entire agricultural value chain.

This includes areas ranging from input planning to processing. Effective use of agricultural data can help authorities plan interventions more accurately, improve targeting and support data-driven decisions. Modi appreciated the efforts of state governments and the Central Government in developing the AgriStack ecosystem. He called for further strengthening its use to improve outcomes for farmers.

The Prime Minister also reviewed cases of cyber fraud, including incidents involving digital arrest scams. He stressed that prevention must remain a major focus in the fight against such crimes. He called for sustained efforts in training, awareness and education to help people identify and avoid digital fraud.

Modi emphasised the need for continuous and targeted public-awareness campaigns. These campaigns should focus particularly on senior citizens, youth and other vulnerable sections who may be targeted by fraudsters. People need to be made aware of common fraud methods, warning signs and safe practices while using digital services.

The Prime Minister also called for regular capacity-building of personnel dealing with cyber fraud. He said officials and other personnel must remain prepared to identify new forms of cybercrime and respond to them quickly. The focus is expected to remain on improving public awareness while strengthening the ability of authorities to deal with emerging digital threats.

The PRAGATI meeting therefore covered both long-term infrastructure development and emerging challenges linked to technology. Modi stressed faster and better project execution, stronger coordination between agencies and greater use of modern technology. At the same time, he called for wider use of Artificial Intelligence and digital data in agriculture and stronger preventive measures against cyber fraud. The meeting placed emphasis on ensuring that government initiatives translate into timely and effective benefits for citizens.