Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday used a youth-focused event in Vadodara to combine political messaging with an appeal to Generation Z, while highlighting infrastructure, artificial intelligence and the government’s development agenda.

At the ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat’ programme, Modi interacted with young people for around 25 minutes. The event featured a specially built Y-shaped ramp through which the Prime Minister walked into the audience. Songs including Queen’s We Will Rock You and the popular Dhurandhar track Aari Aari were played during the programme.

The Prime Minister also warned young people against what he described as attempts to mislead them through false claims and misinformation. His remarks were seen as a political swipe at the Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s outreach to students.

Modi’s message to Gen-Z

Addressing the gathering, Modi urged young Indians to remain connected with facts and avoid being influenced by misleading narratives.

He said people would try to divert young minds through an “echo of lies”, but asked them to stand with the truth. The remark came amid intensified efforts by political parties to connect with younger voters through social media, campus programmes and direct interaction.

The focus on Gen-Z comes against the backdrop of the large young-voter base in India. According to Election Commission data cited in the source material, voters aged 18–29 accounted for 22.78% of the electorate in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Modi has increasingly adopted youth-oriented formats in recent months, including selfie videos, short-form social media content and informal references aimed at younger audiences. He also used expressions such as “OG” and referred to Dhurandhar during his recent interaction at Delhi University's Shri Ram College of Commerce. (DD India)

‘Naraz fufa’ remark over freight corridor

Infrastructure was another major theme of Modi's Vadodara speech.

While talking about the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, the Prime Minister took a political dig at critics of development projects, referring to a “naraz fufa” who, he suggested, would question what would happen to truck operators after more freight shifts to rail.

The comment was broadly seen as another attack on the opposition. Modi has used the “naraz fufa” expression previously to describe those he says remain unhappy even when development projects are undertaken. (Navbharat Times)

Modi highlights 2,000-km freight corridor work

Modi said the Dedicated Freight Corridor had transformed India's freight transportation system by separating freight movement from passenger railway traffic.

He referred to the long planning history of the project, saying the idea had been discussed in 2004 and a dedicated company was created in 2006, but claimed the project gained momentum only after 2014.

The timing of the remarks coincided with a major infrastructure milestone. The Prime Minister dedicated three sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor covering 326 route kilometres, developed at a cost of more than ₹20,700 crore. The sections connect Sanand (North) with Makarpura, New Umbergaon with New Saphale, and New Saphale with JNPT. Their commissioning marks the completion of the DFC network. (PM India)

Recent reporting said the fully operational DFC network now spans about 2,843 km and is carrying hundreds of freight trains daily. (The Times of India)

AI, skills and India’s technology ambitions

Artificial intelligence also featured prominently in Modi's message to young people.

He argued that becoming a global AI power would require more than software or academic qualifications. According to the Prime Minister, India needs a wider ecosystem involving critical minerals, energy resources, technology infrastructure and a skilled workforce.

He stressed that young people should focus not only on degrees but also on acquiring practical and emerging skills.

The message comes as the government increasingly links AI adoption with education, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture and entrepreneurship.

More than ₹35,000 crore of projects

The Gen-Z interaction formed part of a larger development programme in Vadodara.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, projects worth more than ₹35,000 crore were being inaugurated, dedicated or launched in the city. Alongside the WDFC sections, Modi also laid the foundation stone for three railway projects covering 329 km and costing more than ₹9,700 crore. (PM India)

The projects include the third and fourth railway lines between Vadodara and Ratlam, gauge conversion of the Miyagam Karjan–Choranda–Malsar section and doubling of the Vishwamitri–Dabhoi line. The government says these projects will improve passenger and freight capacity and strengthen connectivity between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. (PM India)

Three national highway projects worth around ₹1,780 crore are also part of the package.

From Vadodara to Mumbai

Modi's Gujarat programme is part of a wider one-day visit covering Gujarat and Maharashtra.

After Vadodara, the Prime Minister is scheduled to travel to Mumbai to inaugurate the Global Fintech Fest 2026. The event's theme is focused on agentic AI, tokenisation and quantum technology, with an emphasis on building trusted and connected financial systems. (PM India)

The Vadodara programme therefore combined three strands of the government's current messaging — youth engagement, political communication and large-scale infrastructure development — with the Prime Minister using the Gen-Z interaction to present development and technology as central to India's long-term growth agenda.