THE INDIA WE INHERITED, THE INDIA WE ARE BUILDING!

 Eighty years ago, India won its free- dom, but in- herited a na- tion still far from whole. The Republic that emerged from Partition on August 15, 1947, was weighed down by shortages, fragile infrastructure, limited con- nectivity and a develop- ment model that was often slow, uneven and inade- quate to the scale of the nation’s aspirations. For decades after 1947, the vi- sion of a modern, integrat- ed and self-assured India remained a work in pro- gress—its promise im- mense, but its potential constrained by the realities of the time.

That is why the most im- portant political story of the last 12 years is not sim- ply that India has grown. It is that India has begun to build like a serious nation. Under Prime Minister Nar- endra Modi, infrastructure has moved from being a technical government sub- ject to being a national ob- session!

FROM SLOW PROGRESS TO FASTER EXECUTION

The transformation is vis- ible not only in statistics but in the everyday life of the citizen. Consider the roads. India’s National Highway network has grown from about 91,287 km in 2014 to more than 1.46 lakh km in 2025. Ac- cess-controlled highways and expressways, once relatively rare, have multi- plied dramatically. High- way construction has also accelerated sharply.

For an ordinary Indian, it means that a farmer can reach a larger market fast- er, a truck carrying goods from one state to another can spend less time on the road, and a family can travel between cities in hours rather than spending an entire day. Ultimately, infrastructure is not about concrete and asphalt. It is about time saved, opportu- nities created, and distanc- es overcome.

The same goes for the Railway as electrification has advanced from rough- ly 20% before 2014 to 99.6% by March 2026. The emphasis has increas- ingly moved beyond sim- ply laying tracks to creat- ing faster, safer, cleaner and more modern rail in- frastructure.

The emergence of Vande Bharat trains and the ex- pansion of modern railway stations have changed pub- lic expectations. Indian passengers are no longer willing to accept that af- fordability must automati- cally mean a poor travel experience. That shift in expectations itself is a marker of development.

A similar transformation is visible in aviation. The number of operational air- ports has more than dou- bled—from 74 in 2014 to more than 160 in 2025. For decades, air travel was largely associated with In- dia’s affluent and urban middle class. Today, re- gional connectivity is steadily bringing aviation closer to smaller cities and towns. It can be said that under PM Modi, an effort has been made to connect infrastructure with the eve- ryday lives of ordinary citizens.

Moreover, the ambitious PM GatiShakti initiative has added another dimen- sion to this transformation by bringing different minis- tries and infrastructure pro- jects onto a common digital planning platform. The idea is simple but powerful: roads, railways, ports, air- ports, and logistics net- works should not be planned in isolation, but as parts of one connected India.

India is increasingly building infrastructure not merely to meet today’s de- mand but to anticipate to- morrow’s economy.

FROM OBSERVER TO GLOBAL PLAYER

As we look back at India’s journey since Independ- ence in 1947, the country’s transformation is striking. From a newly decolonised state focussed on survival and nation-building, and committed to non-align- ment and moral leadership, India has evolved into an economic and strategic ac- tor with tangible tools of influence. Its presence in forums such as the G20, deeper security partner- ships, and active role in re- gional groupings signal a much stronger global foot- print than the mid-20th cen- tury might have suggested.

In short, during the Modi era, India has sharp- ened its international pro- file and made pragmatic moves to capitalise on its potential. The country is well positioned to play a leading role among the na- tions of the Global South.

Additionally, the global standing of India has seen an immense change and the country is seen as a rising power with real-world ca- pabilities: a growing econ- omy, a modern digital stack, stronger infrastructure, and a more confident presence in global affairs. The world watches India differently now because India behaves differently now.

Thus it will not be an exaggeration if we say that the Modi government has not merely added assets; it has changed expectations. Indians now expect roads to arrive faster, services to work better, and the state to be visible in everyday life. That is a profound shift in a country long ac- customed to patience be- coming policy.

As we celebrate our 80th Independence Day, it is worth remembering that the India we inherited was brave but incomplete, and the India that we are build- ing today is more connect- ed, more assertive, and more confident in its own capabilities. The task now is to sustain this momen- tum, deepen it, and ensure that the benefits reach eve- ry Indian.

The past 12 years have changed that mindset. Un- der Prime Minister Naren- dra Modi, the focus has shifted from doing things incrementally to building at scale and at speed. And that is why this period will be remembered not only for what was built, but for the belief it restored — that India can finally match its size with its strength!

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Kavita Pant, The writer is a Senior Editor, First India