Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched railway projects worth Rs 8,200 crore in Odisha on Thursday and flagged off the state's first Vande Bharat Express that will connect Puri to West Bengal's Howrah. Addressing the function through video-conferencing, PM Modi said new India is building its own technologies and reaching those to the different corners of the country. "The Vande Bharat Express will further strengthen the religious, cultural and spiritual connection between Howrah and Puri," he said.