PM’s address at the NDTV World Summit
New Delhi, Oct 21, 2024 : I congratulate all the dignitaries present at the NDTV World Summit. In this summit, you people are going to discuss many topics... Global leaders from different sectors will also present their views.
Friends,
If we look at the last 4-5 years... then one thing has been common in most of the discussions... and that thing is... worry... worry about the future... during Corona, there was worry about how to deal with the global pandemic... when Covid increased, there was worry about the economy of the whole world... Corona increased the worry about inflation... increased the worry about unemployment... there was already worry about climate change... then the wars that started, due to which the worry in the discussions increased further... worry about the global supply chain getting disrupted... worry about the death of innocent people... this tension, this tension, these conflicts, all these became the topics of global summits and seminars. And today, when worry is the center of the discussion, then what kind of thinking is going on in India...? What a big contradiction. Here we are discussing 'The Indian Century'... India's century, amidst the turmoil in the world, India has become a ray of hope... when the world is immersed in worry, India is spreading hope. And it is not that we are not affected by the global situations... we are affected... India is also facing challenges... but there is a sense of positivity here, which we are all feeling. And that is why... we are talking about The Indian Century.
Friends,
Today, the speed with which India is working in every sector, in every field, is unprecedented. India's speed, India's scale, is unprecedented. Nearly One Twenty Five Days have just been completed in the third term of our government. I will share with you the experience of One Twenty Five Days. In One Twenty Five Days, 3 crore new concrete houses have been approved for the poor. In One Twenty Five Days, we have started work on an infrastructure project worth Rs. 9 lakh crore. In One Twenty Five Days, we have started 15 new Vande Bharat trains, work on 8 new airports has been started. In these One Twenty Five Days, we have given a package of Rs. 2 lakh crore for the youth... We have directly transferred Rs. 21 thousand crore to the bank accounts of farmers... We have arranged for free treatment up to Rs. 5 lakh for the elderly above 70 years of age. Look at the scope of the work being done in India... Rooftop solar plants have been installed in 5 lakh houses in One Twenty Five Days. More than 90 crore trees have been planted under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign. Not only this...in One Twenty Five Days we have approved 12 new industrial nodes. In One Twenty Five Days our Sensex and Nifty have grown by 6 to 7 percent. Our forex has increased from 650 billion dollars to over 700 billion dollars. This list of India's achievements is very long. And I am talking only about One Twenty Five Days. You also have to note that in these One Twenty Five Days...what topics did the world come to India to discuss? What global events took place in India in One Twenty Five Days? An international assembly was held in India to discuss telecom and digital future...A global fintech festival was held in India...global semiconductor ecosystem was discussed in India...international conferences on the future of renewable energy and civil aviation were held in India.
Friends,
This is not just a list of events. This is also a list of hope associated with India. This gives us an understanding of both India's direction and the hope of the world. These are the topics that will determine the future of the world in the coming times...and to discuss these topics...the world is coming to India today.
Friends,
So much is happening in India today...seeing the pace that India has gained in our third term...many rating agencies have further increased India's growth forecast. Experts like Mr. Mark Mobius, who love India the most, are present here...the way he is excited about investments in India is very important. When he tells global funds to invest at least fifty percent of their funds in India's share market...it has a big meaning, a very big message.
Friends,
Today, India is a developing country as well as an emerging power. We understand the challenges of poverty and also know how to create a path of progress. Our government is rapidly making policies, taking decisions…doing new reforms. However, in public life, I often meet different kinds of people…some people say, Modiji, you have formed the government three times in a row…you have done so much work…then why do you keep running around so much, what is the need? You have become the 5th largest economy of the world…there are so many milestones…you have taken so many pending decisions…you have done so many reforms…now what is the need to work so hard? I meet a lot of people who say this. But the dreams we have seen, the resolutions with which we have moved ahead, there is neither peace nor comfort in them.
In the last 10 years, 25 crore people have come out of poverty...is that enough...isn't that enough? In the last 10 years, about 12 crore toilets have been built...16 crore people have got gas connections...is that not enough? In the last 10 years, more than 350 medical colleges have been built in India...more than 15 AIIMS have been built...is that not enough? In the last 10 years, more than 1.5 lakh new start-ups have been created in India...8 crore youth have started their own business for the first time by taking Mudra loans. And the question is, is there hunger? Is that not enough? My answer is...no, that is not enough. Today, India is one of the youngest countries in the world. The potential of this young country...can take us to great heights. And for this, we still have to do a lot...we have to do it very fast.
Friends,
You must be noticing the change in India's thinking and approach today. Generally, it has been a tradition and is natural, I do not consider it wrong. Every government compares the work of the previous governments. And that is a criterion that what was there earlier, what has happened now, how much was there earlier, how much has happened now. And it also feels satisfied that we have done better than the previous government. At the most, we compare with the last 10-15 years...what is the difference between then and now, we consider this as our achievement. We also used to walk on this path once, it was very natural. But now we are not liking that path either. Now we are not the people who relax after comparing yesterday and today. Now the criterion of success is not only what we have achieved...now we have a future goal, where we have to reach. We are looking in that direction. Now how far have we reached, how much is left, by when will we reach...that is, I am working with the entire government machinery with a new approach.
Now India is moving ahead with a forward looking mindset. The resolution of a developed India by 2047 also reflects this thinking... Now we see how far we have reached to achieve our resolution of a developed India. How much more do we have to do. At what speed and scale do we have to work hard. And it is not that the government has decided this and the target has been set... Today 140 crore people of India have joined the resolution of a developed India, they themselves are driving it. This has not only become a campaign of public participation, but also a movement of India's self-confidence. You will be surprised... When the government started working on the vision document of a developed India, lakhs of people sent their suggestions. Debates took place in schools-colleges-universities, discussions took place... Government and social organizations held debates. On the basis of the suggestions received from the public, India set goals for the next 25 years. Discussions on a developed India have today become a part of our consciousness, our awareness. I believe this is the biggest example of creating national power from manpower.
Friends,
Today India has another advantage, which is very important to make this century India's century. You all know that this is the era of AI. The present and future of the world is linked to AI. But India has the advantage of double AI power. Now a question must be in your mind that the world has only one AI, how did Modi get double AI. In the eyes of the world there is only one AI and that is Artificial Intelligence, but we have that, the other AI is Aspirational India. When the power of Aspirational India and Artificial Intelligence is combined, then it is natural for the pace of development to be faster.
Friends,
For us, AI is not just a technology, but it is a new door of opportunities for the youth of India. This year, India has started the India AI Mission. Be it healthcare… education… start-ups… India is increasing the use of AI in every sector. We are also engaged in providing better AI solutions to the world. India has also taken many initiatives at the Quad level. India is equally serious about the second AI… i.e. Aspirational India. India's middle class… common people of India… their ease of living… their quality of life… small entrepreneurs of India… MSME's… youth of India… women of India… keeping in mind the aspirations of all of us, we are making policies… taking decisions.
Friends,
An example of Aspirational India... India is doing great work on connectivity. We have focused a lot on fast physical connectivity and inclusive connectivity. This is very important for a society that aspires for development. This is even more important for India. Such a large country, with such a diverse geography, it was necessary to connect it quickly to truly realise the potential of India. That is why we also focused on air travel. I remember when I first said that I want people wearing slippers to travel by air... then there was a natural reaction, how is this possible in India. But we moved ahead and started the Udaan scheme. Today Udaan has completed 8 years. Under Udaan, we worked on two pillars. One, we created a new network of airports in tier-2, tier-3 cities. And the second, we made air travel affordable, brought it within everyone's reach. Nearly 3 lakh flights have taken off under the Udaan scheme... 1.5 crore ordinary citizens have travelled in them. Today there are more than 600 routes under UDAN and most of these connect small cities. In 2014, there were around 70 airports in the country. Today the number of airports in the country has crossed 150. UDAN scheme has shown how the aspiration of the society drives development.
Friends,
Let me give you some examples related to youth. We are engaged in making the youth of India such a force that can drive the growth of the entire world. And therefore, we have a lot of emphasis on education, skill development, research...employment. The work we have done in these areas in the last 10 years has started yielding results. Just a few days ago, the Times Higher Education ranking has come out... India is the country in the world where there has been the most improvement in terms of research quality. In the last 8-9 years, the participation of Indian universities has increased from 30 to more than 100. India's presence in the QS world university ranking has also increased by more than 300 percent in 10 years. Today, the number of patents and trademarks is reaching an all-time high. Today, India is becoming a big hub of R&D for the world. Research centers of about two and a half thousand companies of the world are in India. The start-up ecosystem in India is also expanding unprecedentedly.
Friends,
These all-round changes taking place in India are becoming a basis of trust for the world as well. Today, in many subjects, India is taking the lead in giving direction to the global future. The world feels that India is a friend in times of crisis. Remember that period of Covid...we could have earned millions of dollars from our capacity of essential medicines and vaccines. India would have benefited from that but humanity would have lost. These are not our values. We supplied medicines and life-saving vaccines to hundreds of countries of the world in times of crisis. I am satisfied that India was able to help the world in difficult times.
Friends,
India does not build relationships that are taken for granted...the foundation of our relationships is based on trust and reliability. And the world is also understanding this. India is a country whose progress brings joy to the world. When India succeeds, the world feels good. Now look at the Chandrayaan incident, the whole world celebrated it as a festival. When India progresses, there is no feeling of jealousy or envy. The world is happy with our progress. Because the whole world will benefit from India's progress. We all know how in the past India was a positive force that increased global growth. How India's ideas, India's innovations, India's products left their impact on the world for centuries. But times changed, India saw a long period of slavery and we went backward. India was a slave even at the time of the Industrial Revolution. Due to slavery, we could not take advantage of the industrial revolutions. That time slipped out of India's hands...but now today it is India's time. This is the era of Industry 4.0. India is no longer a slave, it has been 75 years since we got independence. And so now we are ready with our belts tightened.
Friends,
India is working very fast on the skill sets and infrastructure required for Industry 4.O. During the last decade, I have had the opportunity to join so many global platforms. I have been a part of G-20 and G-7 conferences across the world. Just 10 days ago, I was in Laos for the ASEAN Summit... You will be happy to know that in almost every summit, India's digital public infrastructure is discussed a lot. Today, the whole world is looking at India's DPI. Our colleague, India's admirer Mr. Paul Romer is sitting here. I have had the opportunity to discuss many ideas with him in detail earlier also, I have had many discussions with him. I also met him in America. During our discussions, Paul has praised India's digital infrastructure, innovations like Aadhaar and DigiLocker. In big summits, people are surprised that how did India develop such a great DPI?
Friends,
In the era of internet, India did not have the advantage of being a first mover. In countries which had this advantage, private platforms, private innovations led the digital space. This definitely brought a new revolution in the world. But the scope of its benefits was limited. Whereas India has given a new model to the world. India has shown the world a new path of digital public infrastructure by democratizing technology. Today in India, the government creates a platform and lakhs of new innovations happen on it. Our Jan Dhan Aadhaar and mobile JAM connectivity has become an excellent system for faster and leakage free delivery of services. Look at our UPI... a new expansion of fintech has taken place in India on this. Due to UPI, today more than 500 million digital transactions are happening every day. And the people driving this are not corporates, but our small shopkeepers, street vendors. Our PM Gatishakti platform is another example. We created PM Gatishakti to remove the silos that used to come in the construction of infrastructure projects. Today it is helping to transform our logistics ecosystem. Our ONDC platform is one such platform. It is proving to be an innovation that makes online retail more democratized and more transparent. India has shown that digital innovation and democratic values can co-exist. India has shown that technology is a tool of inclusion, transparency and empowerment, not of control and division.
Friends,
This time of the 21st century is the most important time in human history. In such a situation, the biggest needs of today's era are...stability, sustainability and solutions...these are the most important conditions for a better future of humanity. And India is making this effort today. It has the loyal support of the people of India. For the first time in 6 decades, the people of the country have given their mandate to a government for the third consecutive time. This message is of stability. Elections have just taken place in Haryana. In these elections too, the people of India have strengthened this feeling of stability.
Friends,
The crisis of climate change has today become a crisis for the entire humanity. In this too, India is trying to take the lead. Our contribution to global climate change is negligible. Still, in India we have made green transition the fuel of our growth. Today, sustainability is at the core of our development planning. Look at our PM Suryaghar free electricity scheme...look at the scheme of installing solar pumps in fields...our EV revolution or Ethanol Blending Program...big wind energy farms or LED light movement...Solar Powered Airports or focus on Biogas Plants...look at any of our programs, any scheme...in all of them you will find a strong commitment towards green future, green jobs.
Friends,
Along with stability and sustainability, India is also focusing on solutions today. In the last decade, India has worked on many such solutions that are necessary to deal with global challenges. Be it International Solar Alliance... Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure... India Middle East Economic Corridor... Global Biofuel Alliance... Yoga... Ayurveda... Mission Life, Mission Millets... all the initiatives taken by India are going to provide solutions to the challenges of the world.
Friends,
I am happy that India's growing strength is ensuring the betterment of the world. The more India progresses, the more the world will benefit. Our endeavour will be to make India's century a century of victory not just for India but for the entire humanity. A century that progresses with everyone's talent, a century that prospers with everyone's innovations, a century where there is no poverty, a century where everyone has opportunities to progress, a century in which India's efforts bring stability to the world and increase world peace. With this feeling, I once again thank NDTV for inviting me here and giving me this opportunity. And I wish you all the best for the success of this summit.
Thank you very much.