NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the first phase of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway.

The foundation stone of the 246-km Delhi-Dausa-Lalsot stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway was laid in Rajasthan, a state in northern India.

Officials said the expressway will cut down the travel time from New Delhi to Rajasthan’s capital city Jaipur from five hours to around three and a half hours.

Modi said the expressway is expected to boost economic opportunities in the region.

The Delhi-Mumbai expressway will be India’s longest with a length of 1,386 km in total. (Xinhua)