PM Modi termed India as a "ray of hope" for the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the NDTV World Summit, said India is a "ray of hope" for the world amid several global crises such as declining economies, unemployment and climate change, among others.
- If we look at the discussions in the last four or five years, one thing is common: tension about the future. During the coronavirus pandemic, there was stress over economy, unemployment, and health, among other issues.
- In India, we are discussing the 'India Century'. India is the ray of hope amid global crisis. India giving hope to the world engulfed in various concerns, it is working on unprecedented scale and speed in every field.
- There are challenges in front of India but we are feeling a sense of positivity here and that is why we are discussing the 'India Century'. India's speed and scale are unprecedented.
- We have completed 125 days of our term. Around 3 crore new homes for the poor were built, infra projects worth Rs 9 lakh crore infrastructure projects have started, 15 new Vande Bharat trains are running, 8 new airports are in operation, Rs 2 lakh crore package for youth have announced, 5 lakh health insurance for those above 70 - all of these things happened in just 125 days.
- Several agencies have revised upward India's growth forecast due to speed of work in our third term. In 125 days, we have approved 12 new industrial dots. BSE Indices have grown by 7 per cent.
- India's list of achievements is long and I am just discussing the first 125 days of our third term. The world has come to India to discuss various issues in the first 125 days. This shows India's vision and hope and these issues will decide the future of the world.
- A lot is happening in India. India has picked up the pace of growth in our third term. Our government is taking quick decisions and making reforms. I meet a lot of people in my public life who ask, "Why are you working so hard? India is doing well." But my answer is always, "With the dreams and goals that we have, we can't be at rest."
- In the last ten years, 12 crore toilets have been built, and 16 crore homes have gas connections. Is it enough? My answer is no. This is not enough. India is a country with a young population and we have to do a lot for the country. There has been a change in India's vision.
- There's a tradition that every government compares its work with the previous one. We used to walk this path but from now on we can't compare the past and present and be happy with it.
- The metric of success from now on would be 'What we want to achieve' - India has a forward-looking approach. A vision for a developed India by 2047 is a part of the mindset.
140 Crore people are driving the 'Viksit Bharat' vision. When the government started working on the idea, lakhs of people gave their suggestions, and based on that, India made its goals for the next 25 years.
This is the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of the world is linked with AI. For the world, AI is artificial intelligence but for India, it is Aspirational India. India has started the AI mission this year. We are increasing the use of AI in every sector.
We are making decisions after considering everyone's aspirations. It is important to connect aspirations in India. We have focused on air travel and started the UDAAN scheme. We worked on two pillars - building airports in tier 2 and 3 cities and making air travel affordable. Over 3 lakh flights have taken off under the UDAAN scheme. Many flights connect the small cities. Now there are over 150 airports in India.
In the last 8-9 years, the participation of Indian universities has increased. Patent applications are at an all-time high. Over 2,500 research centres of companies across the world are located in India. We are taking the lead in giving a vision for the global future.
During Covid, we could have earned millions of dollars by selling drugs, but we did not do that. It is not a part of our tradition. We chose to help the countries and supplied medicines and vaccines to nations, which helped many. We don't make "taken-for-granted" relations with nations.
The world celebrated the Chandrayaan mission. When India grows, the world feels happy. India's growth will benefit the world. India drove the world's growth in the past but during colonialism, we could not. Now, we are independent and are ready to drive the growth.
I met Paul Romer several times. He has appreciated India's digital infrastructure. The world is amazed to see India's DPI. We didn't have the first-mover advantage. We have democratised tech and given DPI a new path. India has shown the world that digital innovation and democracy can coexist.
This period is the most important in the 21st century. We need stability, and sustenance for growth and India is working on it. Our third term gives a message of stability.
Climate change is a problem in the world and we are trying to take a lead in that. In the world's fight against global warming, our contribution is insignificant but we are working on reducing carbon emissions and green energy. We are also working on solutions.
Like the India-Middle East global corridor, mission millets, and global solar alliance. Initiatives taken by India are a solution to problems. We would aim to ensure that India's century is the world's century.
