Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): While the Global Investor Summit (GIS) 2025 is crucial for the industrial and economic growth of the state, it has also proven to be a blessing for the host city Bhopal, which has undergone extensive redevelopment and a striking transformation over the past month. The state capital has witnessed remarkable redevelopment in preparation for the two-day upcoming summit scheduled to start on February 24.
Various agencies including the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Public Works Department (PWD), and the Smart City project, have carried out extensive beautification and infrastructure redevelopment, dramatically altering the city’s appearance. As part of the beautification drive, the civic body has adorned the city with 5,000 cultural, tribal, and religious graffiti artworks.
These colourful paintings stretch from the Airport Road to the GIS venue, adding vibrancy to the cityscape. Besides, the undersides of flyovers have been painted in multiple colours, and various artistic figurines have been carved at key locations such as Selfie Point Road, the Chief Minister’s House, Boat Club, and Lake View. Around ten boundary walls across different areas of the city have also given artistic touch. Infrastructure improvements have been extensive, with over 35 roads, squares, and footpaths being redeveloped. Key routes leading to GIS, including Airport Road, VIP Road, and Link Roads 1, 2, and 3, have been upgraded.
Footpaths near Raj Bhawan, Jail Road, and Chunabhatti have also been newly developed by PWD and BMC. One of the most crucial road divider projects, the redevelopment of the one-way road near Hamidia Hospital, has been successfully completed by the PWD. Enhancements include the installation of new streetlights in multiple areas and the restoration of all 21 fountains in various water bodies like Upper Lake, Lower Lake, Shahpura Lake, Bhadbhada, and various city squares. These efforts are set to offer a refreshing and aesthetically pleasing environment to visitors attending the prestigious event.
500 encroachments cleared
The municipal body has also intensified its anti-encroachment operations across the city. According to BMC anti-encroachment officer Shailendra Singh Bhadoriya, approximately 500 kiosks, handcarts, and food stalls have been cleared in the past two weeks, with over 200 confiscations in the vicinity of the GIS venue alone.
Rapid transformation surprises locals
Locals are surprised with this rapid transformation of the entire city. Ashish Rai, who runs a restaurant at Jyoti Talkies Square, told Free Press that the roads near the square were in poor condition for more than 5 years. But due to GIS, all these poor roads were redeveloped a few days ago within a night.
