Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched infrastructure projects worth Rs 318.5 billion during his two-day visit to Maharashtra, including two landmark developments — the first phase of the Rs 196.5 billion Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) and the second phase of the Rs 122 billion Mumbai Metro Line 3. India’s first fully digitised airport, NMIA, has been designed for multimodal connectivity and is being developed under a public-private partnership between Adani Airport Holdings, which holds a 74 per cent stake, and the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO), which holds 26 per cent. Spread over 2,866 acres, the airport will be built in four phases at a total cost of around $2.4 billion and is expected to be fully operational by 2034. The first terminal will handle 20 million passengers annually, with capacity projected to scale up to 90 million passengers and 3.2 million tonnes of cargo. Initially, the airport will operate with one runway and one terminal, later expanding to four runways, multiple terminals, and a dedicated cargo hub for perishables and express shipments. Modi said the project will transform the Mumbai region into “Asia’s largest connectivity hub”, helping farmers, small businesses, and exporters access global markets. Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu stated that NMIA will ease congestion at the existing Mumbai airport, tripling passenger capacity and making Mumbai the first Indian city with two international airports. Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani described NMIA as “a lotus, a gateway to India’s future”, highlighting that the project was completed in under 50 months at a cost of Rs 200 billion. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the airport could boost the state’s GDP by 1 per cent and will be India’s first airport connected by water taxi. The Rs 372.7 billion Aqua Line of the Mumbai Metro, spanning 33.5 kilometres from Cuffe Parade to Aarey with 27 stations, is expected to serve 1.3 million passengers daily. Phase 2B, from Acharya Atre Chowk to Cuffe Parade, has now become operational. Modi called it “a major step forward for Mumbai’s infrastructure”. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the line will significantly cut travel time between South Mumbai and the suburbs while linking key business districts such as Girgaon and Kalbadevi. Fadnavis also announced that Maharashtra’s next major infrastructure push includes the Rs 762.2 billion Vadhvan Port and India’s first offshore airport. The state plans to develop a “fourth Mumbai” to anchor long-term regional growth. Modi further noted that India aims to become a global hub for maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) by the end of the decade. Since 2014, the number of operational airports in India has risen from 74 to 159, while the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme now connects 90 airports through 625 routes. The Prime Minister also launched the Mumbai ONE App, India’s first integrated mobility platform that brings together suburban rail, metro, monorail, and various bus services across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, marking a major stride in urban transport integration.