Kanpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined India’s revised counter terrorism framework during a public address in Kanpur on Friday, timed with the launch and foundation laying of 15 development projects collectively valued at ₹47,600 crore.
The three-tier doctrine, emphasizing autonomous decision-making on retaliation, disregard for nuclear deterrence, and holding state sponsors of terror accountable was presented as part of India’s post 2019 security stance. Citing Operation Sindoor, the 2024 cross-border strike in response to the Pahalgam airport attack, Modi invoked India’s “right time, right place” narrative. He also paid tribute to Kanpur resident Shubham Dwivedi, a casualty of that attack.
While the Prime Minister focused on defense and deterrence, the tangible progress on infrastructure and employment outcomes remains uneven. The newly inaugurated 8.6 km underground stretch of the Kanpur Metro from Chunniganj to Kanpur Central, adds five stations, with an expected daily ridership of 75,000. This comes as earlier metro phases have yet to meet projected usage benchmarks, and Kanpur’s public transport challenges persist.
A ₹1,000 crore elevated railway corridor along the Farrukhabad-Anwarganj section was announced to ease congestion at 18 crossings, an issue identified over a decade ago. Execution timelines remain unclear. Defense announcements featured heavily, including claims that Kanpur now manufactures 23% of India’s indigenous defense components.
The large scale private investment in the Uttar Pradesh Defense Industrial Corridor, has yet to translate into job creation or export growth at scale. The much publicized BrahMos Aerospace plant remains under partial construction.
For MSMEs, the Prime Minister introduced updated credit norms enabling loans up to ₹20 crore and highlighted Mudra Yojana disbursements totaling ₹1.2 lakh crore in the state. In Kanpur district alone, ₹18,400 crore has been issued. Yet, multiple independent assessments show limited impact on employment or sustainability of these enterprises.
Infrastructure highlights included the Ganga Expressway (completion projected for early 2026) and the Kanpur-Lucknow express link, which aims to cut travel time to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Amrit Bharat railway station upgrades, including a ₹650 crore facelift for Kanpur Central, mirror earlier initiatives where visible improvements often lag behind budget allocations.
The Prime Minister pointed to four international airports and 1,342 km of expressways in Uttar Pradesh as proof of transformation. Delays in connectivity, slow implementation of logistics hubs, and patchy last-mile urban mobility continue to dilute impact.
Earlier in the day, Modi met the family of Shubham Dwivedi, assuring them of sustained counter-terror operations. Security analysts saw his remarks as a reinforcement of India's unpredictable response model. Observers also note a familiar pattern, emphatic speeches, soaring projections, and uneven delivery across sectors.
