Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for greater use of Artificial Intelligence in agriculture and stronger preventive measures against cyber fraud, including digital arrest scams, while reviewing major infrastructure and governance priorities at the 53rd meeting of PRAGATI.
Modi chaired the meeting of PRAGATI, the ICT-enabled multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, at Seva Teerth. During the meeting, he reviewed six major infrastructure projects covering the railway, road and power sectors across nine states, with a cumulative cost exceeding ₹30,000 crore.
The projects, aimed at strengthening connectivity, supporting industrial and economic activity and improving public services, were reviewed with emphasis on timely completion, coordination between agencies and faster resolution of pending issues.
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AI Push for Agriculture Through AgriStack
While reviewing AgriStack under the Digital Agriculture Mission, the Prime Minister emphasised the use of advanced digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, to generate greater value from agricultural data.
He said the data ecosystem should be effectively used across the agricultural value chain, covering areas such as input planning, processing, farmer interventions, targeting and data-driven decision-making.
The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of states and the Central Government in developing the AgriStack ecosystem and called for its further strengthening to improve outcomes for farmers.
The meeting also focused on the execution of major infrastructure projects. Modi said delays have consequences beyond cost escalation because they also postpone the benefits intended for citizens, businesses and the wider economy.
He stressed that infrastructure projects should be monitored as integrated projects rather than as isolated sections or packages. Progress in individual components, he noted, should ultimately contribute to the timely completion and operationalisation of the entire project.
Ministries and states were asked to adopt an end-to-end approach and address critical gaps that could delay overall commissioning and delivery of benefits. The Prime Minister also called for greater ownership at every level of project implementation.
Cyber Fraud and Digital Arrest Cases Under Focus
Cyber fraud, including cases involving digital arrest, was another key area reviewed during the meeting. PM Modi called for stronger prevention through sustained training, awareness and education.
He emphasised continuous and targeted public-awareness campaigns, particularly for senior citizens, young people and other vulnerable sections, to familiarise them with common fraud techniques, warning signs and safe digital practices.
The Prime Minister also called for regular capacity-building of personnel involved in combating cybercrime so that emerging methods of cyber fraud can be identified and acted upon quickly.
The focus on awareness and training comes as authorities seek to strengthen preventive measures alongside enforcement against evolving forms of online fraud.
₹30,000 Crore Infrastructure Projects Reviewed
The Prime Minister reviewed projects worth more than ₹30,000 crore across nine states involving railways, roads and power infrastructure. He stressed adherence to timelines, inter-agency coordination and resolution of issues that could delay completion.
Modi also asked ministries and states to explore common utility corridors for infrastructure services wherever feasible, particularly while planning major transport and infrastructure projects. Such integrated approaches, he said, should be examined at the planning stage while considering technical and economic feasibility.
He further stressed that faster execution should not compromise quality. Ministries, states and implementing agencies were asked to adopt modern technologies and strengthen quality assurance and supervision at every stage.
The meeting placed technology at the centre of several governance priorities, from using AI to derive greater value from agricultural data to improving the response to cyber fraud, while simultaneously pressing for faster and more coordinated execution of major infrastructure projects.
