PM Modi inaugurates Navi Mumbai airport, recalls 26/11.

MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the Navi Mumbai International Airport and the phase-2 of the underground Mumbai metro-3, dedicating the projects to the nation.

In his speech Modi recalled the 26/11, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and criticised the then incumbent government for “sending a message of weakness and appearing to surrender to terrorism."



The PM referred to a recent revelation by a senior opposition leader and former union home minister in an interview. The said politician claimed in an interview that India’s armed forces were ready to strike Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks, said Modi . "The entire country wanted the same. But the government halted the operation under pressure from a foreign country," said the PM in his 20-min long speech . "Congress should reveal who was this neta who took a decision under foreign influence, the country has a right to know," he said. "Congress's this weakness strengthened terrorists, weakened country's , the country paid the cost," he added.

“For our government, nothing is more important than the security of the nation and its citizens,” he said. "Today’s India strikes back with strength," he said, alluding to Operation Sindoor.

The event began with the Prime Minister's aircraft landing at the runway. The PM did a short walk through the new terminal 1 before addressing the gathering.

Speaking about Indian airports, the PM said India’s airports had doubled from 74 in 2014 to more than 160 now, and that the UDAN scheme had enabled millions to fly for the first time. The PM said that with the opening of the Navi Mumbai airport, the goal was to establish India as a major MRO (, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) hub by the end of the decade.

Built at a cost of Rs 19,650 crore, the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) will eventually handle up to 90 million passengers a year. Designed in the shape of a lotus, the airport, he said, symbolises prosperity and will link Maharashtra’s farmers and small industries to global markets.

The Navi Mumbai airport will begin handling airline flights in Dec.

Modi also inaugurated Phase 2B of the fully underground Line-3, from Acharya Atre Chowk to Cuffe Parade, marking completion of the 33.5-km Aqua Line from Aarey to South Mumbai at a total cost of Rs 37,270 crore. Describing it as “a living symbol of a developing India,” he praised the engineers who built it beneath heritage precincts without disturbing historic structures.

The metro will cut a two-hour journey to 30–40 minutes, he said. Alluding to the opposition parties in the state, Modi said the previous governments (when the opposition was in power) had halted the project, causing the nation a loss of thousands of crores and prolonged inconvenience for several years.

The Prime Minister launched the Mumbai One app, which integrates ticketing across metros, monorail, buses, suburban trains and taxis.The PM called it a step toward “One Nation, One Mobility.”

Modi also unveiled Maharashtra’s Short-Term Employability Programme (STEP) to train students in AI, drones, electric vehicles, solar energy and green hydrogen. The PM also urged citizens to buy "swadeshi" goods.