DEVELOPED NATIONS EAGER TO SIGN TRADE DEALS WITH INDIA: PM

New Delhi, Feb 28, 2026 : Developed nations are keen to sign trade agreements with India as the country rises with renewed confidence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday while addressing the Rising Bharat Summit organised by a leading news outlet.

Speaking on the theme “Strength Within,” the Prime Minister outlined India’s transformation over the past 11 years, describing it as a period marked by renewed national confidence, economic self-reliance, and a defined roadmap to becoming a developed nation by 2047.

Referring to the ancient principle “Tat Tvam Asi,” which means that the divinity one seeks externally resides within, he said India has rediscovered its inner strength and is channeling it to empower citizens and institutions.

He said true national potential is cultivated over generations and not achieved overnight. According to him, the past decade has infused fresh energy into the country, enabling it to reclaim lost opportunities and position itself as a global growth engine.

Highlighting economic achievements, the Prime Minister said the banking system has been strengthened, inflation has been brought under control, and manufacturing has gained renewed focus through improved product quality and policy support.

He described India’s Digital Public Infrastructure — the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile trinity — as a model studied by world leaders. Through Direct Benefit Transfer, he said, more than Rs 24 trillion has been transferred directly to beneficiaries without leakages.

The Prime Minister also pointed to India’s expansion in renewable energy, particularly solar power, and noted that the country has addressed electricity access gaps that once affected nearly 30 million families.

On infrastructure, he said the railway network has expanded significantly. India now has the world’s third-largest metro network, and new trains such as Vande Bharat and Namo Bharat are reshaping connectivity.

Addressing the emerging field of artificial intelligence, PM Modi said that unlike previous industrial revolutions, India is now actively participating in shaping global AI decisions. He cited the country’s growing start-up ecosystem and expanding data infrastructure. The recent AI Summit, attended by representatives from more than 100 countries, was described as a matter of national pride.

Emphasising long-term planning, the Prime Minister said sustained progress requires patience and timely decisions rather than short-term thinking. He referred to investments in semiconductors, green hydrogen, solar energy, ethanol blending, defence production, mobile manufacturing, drone technology, and critical minerals as steps toward strengthening self-reliance.

In the agriculture sector, he said farmers have received Rs 28 lakh crore in loans — four times higher than earlier levels — and more than Rs 4 lakh crore has been transferred directly into farmers’ accounts under the PM-KISAN scheme. He added that these measures have strengthened India’s position among leading agricultural exporting nations.