PM Modi in Vadodara, Mumbai today: WDFC projects, new trains, Global Fintech Fest on agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate development projects and inaugurate the Global Fintech Fest during his visit to Gujarat and Maharashtra on Tuesday.Modi will first visit Vadodara where he will lay the foundation stone, and inaugurate and dedicate to the nation various development projects. He will also address the gathering, an official statement issued by Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.Among the projects the prime minister will dedicate to the nation include three important sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), covering 326 route km and developed at a cost of more than ₹20,700 crore.These include the Sanand (N)-Makarpura, New Umbergaon-New Saphale and New Saphale-JNPT sections.The direct connectivity of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) will facilitate faster movement of EXIM cargo, strengthen connectivity between industrial centres and ports, reduce logistics costs and help decongest Mumbai's railway network.With the commissioning of these sections, the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) network will stand fully operational across its entire length.The prime minister will also flag off freight train services from New Sanand (North), New Makarpura, New Umbergaon and New JNPT, Mumbai.In addition, he will flag off a new train service between Vadodara and Tanda Road, benefiting the people of Vadodara, Chhota Udepur and Alirajpur districts.Modi will lay the foundation stone for three railway projects spanning 329 km and costing more than ₹9,700 crore. These include the Vadodara-Ratlam third and fourth lines, Miyagam Karjan-Choranda-Malsar gauge conversion and the Vishwamitri-Dabhoi doubling project.He will lay the foundation stone for three national highway projects costing around ₹1,780 crore.Modi will also lay the foundation stone for and inaugurate various Gujarat government projects worth around ₹2,600 crore.PM Modi’s first BookMyShow-registered eventPeople attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi’sprogramme in Vadodara on today were allowed to register online for free through BookMyShow. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) used the private digital platform to handle registrations for the event.The response was strong, with all available seats filled within an hour of registrations opening. Registration was subsequently stopped, while more than 42,000 applicants were placed on a waiting list.What's PM's scheduled in Mumbai?In Mumbai, the prime minister will inaugurate the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026, one of the world's largest and most influential annual fintech conferences.The seventh edition of the Global Fintech Fest is being held from September 8 to 11.Since 2020, the GFF has emerged as an international thought leadership platform bringing together policy makers, regulators, central banks, financial institutions, fintechs, technology companies, investors, academia and other global stakeholders to deliberate on shaping the future of finance.The theme of GFF 2026 is "Potential to Impact: Agentic AI, Tokenisation, Quantum - Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance."GFF 2026 has been designed as a convergence point for policy, regulation, technology, capital and industry on a common platform. It seeks to build on India's leadership in digital payments and financial inclusion and move from potential to impact.The discussions will focus on how Agentic AI, programmable finance, quantum technologies and other critical and emerging technologies can create trusted, inclusive and measurable outcomes for citizens, enterprises and economies globally.\"The expectation as far as investors is 500,\" - G Padmanabhan, member of the GFF 2026 advisory council.GFF 2026 is expected to draw about 500 investors this year, compared with more than 350 who attended the last edition, organisers said on Thursday."The expectation as far as investors is 500," said G Padmanabhan, member of the GFF 2026 advisory council and former executive director of the Reserve Bank of India. He was speaking at the pre-event conference of the seventh edition of the Global Fintech Fest (GFF).(With agency inputs)