India’s Growth Milestones Highlighted by EAM Jaishankar in Sydney: Surge in Education and Infrastructure

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, during his visit to Sydney, highlighted India’s remarkable growth across education, infrastructure, and digital sectors over the past decade. Speaking at a public event, Jaishankar detailed the significant advancements made in expanding educational institutions, infrastructure development, and digital payment accessibility.

Expanding Educational Capacity and Infrastructure Growth

Jaishankar emphasized the vast expansion of India’s educational infrastructure, noting that the country has nearly doubled its educational capacity since 2014. “In absolute numbers, this is like creating two new colleges every day,” he said, reflecting on the increased accessibility to higher education for India’s youth.

Jaishankar also outlined the rapid pace of infrastructure development across sectors:

• Highways: India is constructing approximately 27-28 kilometers of highways daily, which underscores its dedication to improving road connectivity.
• Railways: The country is advancing at a rate of 12-14 kilometers of new railway tracks each day, reinforcing India’s extensive rail network.
• Aviation: India has added an average of 7.5 new airports each year over the last decade, totaling 75 new airports since 2014. However, Jaishankar pointed out a current challenge in the aviation sector: “We have about 1,000 new aircraft on order, but they’re not coming in as fast as we would like.”

Digital Transformation Revolutionizes Payments

Jaishankar highlighted India’s digital revolution, particularly in financial transactions, with QR code payments becoming ubiquitous, even among street vendors. “The most common example of digitization in India is in transactions,” he said, underscoring the widespread adoption of digital payments as a symbol of India’s modernization.

The remarks come amid Jaishankar’s broader engagements in Australia, as he continues to promote India’s infrastructure and economic growth on the global stage.