Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a Rs 20 trillion economic package to make India self-reliant and "own the twentieth century", aiming to undo the devastating impact of a national lockdown to contain the coronavirus.

"Economic package will focus on land, labour, liquidity, and law; will help small business, migrants, farmers," said Modi in a televised speech to the nation, a day after he told the lockdown must be lifted gradually. The Finance minister will announce details of a special economic package that will be around 10 per cent of the country’s GDP.

An indication of the lockdown would gradually be eased came when the Indian Railways opened bookings for passenger services with 15 trains a day from Tuesday connecting Delhi to Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and other big cities.

Rail, road and air services were suspended in the country in March to stop infections into the country’s interior, but the case numbers have risen daily. Health ministry officials have repeatedly said the spread of the disease would be worse without the lockdown.

India had 70,756 coronavirus cases and 2,293 deaths from the disease till Tuesday noon, according to the health ministry. The rising infection numbers are also the result of testing, which has grown from 2,000 per day in late March, to 85,000 to 90,000 a day, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research, the government’s top body leading the fight against the disease.

Political parties, businesses, and citizens say the lockdown has destroyed the livelihoods of millions that rely on daily wages for sustenance. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said the economic situation was “very bad” and the government would announce a financial package in a couple of days.