PM to launch slew of projects in Kerala on Friday

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kerala on Friday to lay the foundation for an innovation and entrepreneurship hub and flag-off four new train services in the poll-bound state.

He will also launch the PM SVANidhi Credit Card, marking the next phase of financial inclusion for street vendors and inaugurate a modern post office in the state capital.

In a major boost to rail connectivity, Modi will flag off four new train services, including three Amrit Bharat Express trains, enhancing long-distance and regional connectivity between Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, an official statement said. The new train services will make travel more affordable, safe and time-bound for passengers and provide a strong impetus to tourism, trade, education, employment and cultural exchange across the region.

The PM SVANidhi Credit Card, the UPI-linked, interest-free revolving credit facility, will provide instant liquidity, promote digital transactions, and help beneficiaries build formal credit histories. Modi will also disburse PM SVANidhi loans to one lakh beneficiaries, including street vendors from Kerala.

In the field of science and innovation, Modi will lay the foundation stone for the CSIR-NIIST Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship Hub in Thiruvananthapuram.

The hub will focus on life sciences and the bio-economy, integrate traditional knowledge systems such as Ayurveda with modern biotechnology, sustainable packaging, and green hydrogen, and promote startup creation, technology transfer, and global collaboration.