Namaskar everyone.

Many distinguished guests from India and abroad are present here at the Hindustan Times Summit. I congratulate the organizers and all the colleagues who shared their views. Shobhana ji just mentioned two things, which I noticed. First, she said that when Modi ji visited last time, he had suggested this. No one in this country dares to tell media houses to do their work. But I did, and I am happy that Shobhana ji and her team did this work with great enthusiasm. And as for the country, since I just returned from seeing the exhibition, I would urge everyone to definitely visit it. These photographer friends have captured this moment in such a way that it has immortalized it. The second thing she said, and I am just trying to understand the words, is that she could have said, "May you continue to serve the country," but instead, Hindustan Times said, "May you continue to serve the country." I express my special gratitude for that as well.

Friends,

This time the theme of the summit is – Transforming Tomorrow. I believe that when Hindustan newspaper, which has a history of 101 years, which has been blessed by Mahatma Gandhi ji, Madan Mohan Malviya ji, Ghanshyam Das Birla ji and countless other great men, talks about Transforming Tomorrow, the country gets the assurance that the change taking place in India is not just a matter of possibilities, but it is the true saga of changing life, changing thinking and changing direction.

Friends,

Today is also the Mahaparinirvan Day of the chief architect of our Constitution, Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Ji. I pay my tribute to him on behalf of all Indians.

Friends,

Today, we stand at a juncture when a quarter of the 21st century has passed. In these 25 years, the world has seen many ups and downs. We have witnessed financial crises, global pandemics, technological disruptions, a world falling apart, and we are witnessing wars. All these situations are challenging the world in some way or another. Today the world is full of uncertainties. But in this era full of uncertainties, our India is seen in a different league, India is full of confidence. When there is talk of slowdown in the world, India writes the story of growth. When there is a crisis of trust in the world, then India is becoming a pillar of trust. When the world is heading towards fragmentation, India is becoming a bridge-builder.

Friends,

Just a few days ago, India's GDP figures for Quarter 2 came in. A growth rate of over 8 percent reflects the new momentum of our progress.

Friends,

This is not just a number; it is a strong macro-economic signal. This is the message that today India is becoming the growth driver of the global economy. And these figures of ours are at a time when global growth is around 3 percent. The G-7 economies are growing at around 1.5 percent on average, 1.5 percent. In these circumstances, India has become a model of high growth and low inflation. There was a time when economists, especially in our country, used to express concern about high inflation. Today, the same people talk about low inflation.

Friends,

These achievements of India are not ordinary. This is not just a matter of statistics; this is a fundamental change that India has brought about in the last decade. This fundamental change is of resilience, this change is of the tendency to solve problems, this change is of removing the clouds of apprehensions and expanding aspirations, and because of this, today's India is transforming itself and is also transforming the future.

Friends,

Today, when we are discussing about transforming tomorrow, we also have to understand that the confidence that has been developed in transformation is based on a strong foundation of the work being done at present, the work being done today. Today's reforms and today's performance are paving the way for our transformation tomorrow. I will give you an example of the mindset we are working with.

Friends,

You also know that a large part of India's potential has remained untapped for a long time. When this untapped potential is given greater opportunities, when it participates in the country's development with full energy and without any hindrance, the country is sure to be transformed. Just think about our Eastern India, our Northeast, our villages, our Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, our women power, India's innovative youth power, India's maritime power, the blue economy, India's space sector—there is so much whose full potential could not be utilized in the previous decades. Now today India is moving forward with the vision of tapping this untapped potential. Today, unprecedented investment is being made in modern infrastructure, connectivity and industry in Eastern India. Today our villages, our small towns are also being equipped with modern facilities. Our small towns are becoming new hubs for startups and MSMEs. Farmers in our villages are forming FPOs and connecting directly to the market, and some FPOs are even connecting to the global market.

Friends,

The women power of India is doing wonders today. Today our daughters are dominating every field. This transformation is no longer limited to women's empowerment; it is transforming both the thinking and the capabilities of society.

Friends,

When new opportunities arise, when obstacles are removed, new wings are also grown to fly in the sky. India's space sector is an example of this. Earlier the space sector was under government control. But we reformed the space sector, opening it to the private sector, and today the country is seeing its results. Just 10-11 days ago, I inaugurated Skyroot's Infinity Campus in Hyderabad. Skyroot is a private space company of India. This company is working on the capacity to manufacture one rocket every month. This company is making flight-ready Vikram-One. The government provided the platform, and India's youth are building a new future on it, and this is real transformation.

Friends,

I think it is important to discuss here another change that has taken place in India. There was a time when reforms in India were reactionary. This means that behind big decisions there was either some political interest or some crisis had to be managed. But today, reforms are implemented with national goals in mind, with fixed targets. You see, something or the other is getting better in every sector of the country, our pace is constant, our direction is consistent, and our intent is Nation First. The entire year of 2025 has been a year of such reforms. The biggest reform was that of Next Generation GST. And the entire country has witnessed the impact of these reforms. This year, a major reform was also implemented in the direct tax system. Zero tax on income up to Rs 12 lakh was a step that would have been impossible to even contemplate a decade ago.

Friends,

Taking this series of reforms forward, just three-four days ago, the definition of Small Company has been changed. With this, thousands of companies are now covered under easier rules, faster processes and better facilities. We have also removed around 200 product categories from mandatory quality control orders.

Friends,

This journey of today's India is not just about development. This is also a journey of change in thinking, this is also a journey of psychological renaissance. You also know that no country can progress without self-confidence. Unfortunately, India's long period of slavery shook this very self-confidence. And the reason for this was the mentality of slavery. This mentality of slavery is a big obstacle in achieving the goal of a developed India. And so, today's India is working to get freedom from the mentality of slavery.

Friends,

The British knew very well that if they wanted to rule India for a long time, they would have to snatch away the self-confidence of Indians and instill a feeling of inferiority in them. And that is exactly what the British did during that period. Therefore, the Indian family structure was termed as outdated, Indian attire was declared unprofessional, Indian festivals and culture were termed irrational, Yoga and Ayurveda were termed unscientific, Indian inventions were ridiculed and these things were repeated continuously for many decades, this continued from generation to generation, the same thing was read, the same thing was taught. And just like that, the self-confidence of Indians was shattered.

Friends,

I would like to give you some examples of how widespread the impact of this slave mentality has been. Today, India is the world's fastest-growing major economy. Some call India a global growth engine, others a global powerhouse. Many remarkable things are happening today.

But friends,

Have you read anywhere about the rapid growth that India is experiencing today? Have you heard about it anywhere? Does anyone call it the Hindu rate of growth? The world's fastest economy, fastest growth, does anyone say anything? When was it called the Hindu rate of growth? When India yearned for two to three percent growth. What do you think, linking the economic growth of a country with the faith of the people living in it, with their identity, could this have happened accidentally? No, it was a reflection of the mentality of slavery. An entire society, an entire tradition, was made synonymous with unproductivity and poverty. This means an attempt was made to prove that the reason for India's slow growth rate was our Hindu civilization and Hindu culture. And see the limit, today the so-called intellectuals who keep finding communalism in everything, did not see communalism in the Hindu rate of growth. This term was included in books and research papers during their time.

Friends,

I will also give some examples of how the slave mentality destroyed the manufacturing ecosystem in India, and how we are reviving it. India was a major arms manufacturer even during the period of slavery. We had a strong network of ordnance factories. Weapons were exported from India. Even during the World Wars, weapons made in India were prominent. But after independence, our defence manufacturing ecosystem was destroyed. The mentality of slavery became so dominant that people in the government started underestimating the weapons made in India, and this mentality made India one of the biggest defence importers in the world.

Friends,

The slave mentality did the same to the shipbuilding industry. India was a major centre of shipbuilding for centuries. Even till 5-6 decades ago, i.e., 50-60 years ago, forty percent of India's trade was carried on Indian ships. But the slave mentality started giving priority to foreign ships. The result is in front of everyone, the country which was once a maritime power has become dependent on foreign ships for 95 percent of its trade. And because of this, today India is paying approximately 75 billion dollars, i.e., approximately 6 lakh crore rupees, every year to foreign shipping companies.

Friends,

Be it ship building or defence manufacturing, today in every sector, efforts are being made to leave behind the mentality of slavery and achieve new glory.

Friends,

The slave mentality has also caused significant damage to India's approach to governance. For a long time, the government system was distrustful of its citizens. You might remember that earlier one had to get one's own documents attested by a government official. Unless they stamped it, everything was considered a lie. A certificate of your hard work. We broke this sense of distrust and considered self-attestation as sufficient. The citizen of my country says that brother, this is what I am saying, I trust him.

Friends,

Such provisions were in place in our country where even minor mistakes were considered serious crimes. We brought in the Jan Vishwas Act, and decriminalized hundreds of such provisions.

Friends,

Previously, even if a loan of a thousand rupees was required from a bank, the bank would ask for a guarantee, because of the high level of distrust. We broke this vicious cycle of distrust with the Mudra Yojana. Under this scheme, we have already provided guarantee-free loans worth 37 lakh crore rupees to our countrymen. This money has given the youth of these families the confidence to become entrepreneurs. Today, even street vendors and cart pullers are being given money from banks without guarantee.

Friends,

In our country it has always been believed that if something is given to the government, then there is one way traffic there, once it is given, it is given, it never comes back, it is gone, it is gone, this is everyone's experience. But when trust is strong between the government and the public, how does work get done? If you want to do something good tomorrow, then you have to make up your mind to do something good today. If the mind is good, tomorrow will be good too. And that is why we have come up with another campaign, you will be surprised to hear about it and till now the newspapers, the newspaper people have not noticed it, I don't know whether they will notice it or not, it may happen after today.

You will be surprised to know that today, 78 thousand crore rupees of our own citizens are lying unclaimed in the banks of the country. No one knows who owns it, whose it is, where it is. There is no one to inquire about this money. Similarly, insurance companies have about 14 thousand crore rupees lying with them. Mutual fund companies have around Rs 3 thousand crore lying with them. 9 thousand crore rupees of dividend is lying with them. And all this is lying unclaimed, no one owns it. This money belongs to poor and middle-class families, and hence, the person to whom it belongs has forgotten it. Our government is now searching for them all over the country, hey brother, tell me, the money was not yours, it was not your parents', someone did not leave it and go away, we are going. Our government is busy in reaching out to its rightful owners. And for this, the government has started setting up special camps, explaining to the people that brother, look, if there is anyone, then their whereabouts should be known. Is your money somewhere, has it gone? Till now, by setting up such camps in about 500 districts, we have given thousands of crores of rupees to the real rightful owners. The money was lying there, there was no one to ask, but this is Modi, he is searching, hey friend, it is yours, take it.

Friends,

This is not just a matter of return of assets, it is a matter of trust. This is a commitment to continuously gain the trust of the people and the trust of the people is our biggest asset. If there was a mentality of slavery then the government would have been Mansi Sahebi and such campaigns would never have been run.

Friends,

We have to completely free our country from the mentality of slavery in every field. Just a few days ago, I made an appeal to the nation. Taking a time-frame of the next 10 years, I am lovingly requesting my countrymen to do something with me, to listen to my words, I am pleading with folded hands. I will not be able to do this without the help of 140 crore countrymen, and that is why I am repeatedly saying to the countrymen with folded hands, and what am I asking for in this time frame of 10 years? Macaulay's policy, which sowed the seeds of mental slavery in India, will complete 200 years in 2035. That means 10 years remain. And therefore, in these ten years, we must all work together to free our country from the mentality of slavery.

Friends,

I often say, we are not people who follow the beaten track. For a better tomorrow, we must broaden our horizons. We have to understand the future needs of the country and find solutions in the present. Nowadays you see that I constantly discuss Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. Shobhana ji also mentioned it in her speech. If such campaigns had started 4-5 decades ago, the picture of India would have been different today. But the governments that were in power then had different priorities. You know the semiconductor story. About 50-60 years ago, five to six decades ago, a company came to India to set up a semiconductor plant, but it was ignored, and the country fell far behind in semiconductor manufacturing.

Friends,

The same is the case with the energy sector. Today, India imports petrol, diesel and gas worth approximately Rs 125 lakh crore every year, Rs 125 lakh crore. Our country has the great blessings of Lord Surya, but still till 2014, the solar energy generation capacity in India was only 3 gigawatts. I'm talking about 2014, until you brought me here. 3 gigawatts, but in the last 10 years, it has now grown to around 130 gigawatts. And of that, India has added 22 gigawatts of capacity solely from rooftop solar. 22 gigawatts of energy from rooftop solar.

Friends,

The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana has given the people of the country an opportunity to directly participate in this campaign of energy security. I am the MP of Kashi. I have my work as the Prime Minister, but I also have some work to do as an MP. I want to tell you something as the MP of Kashi. And your Hindi newspaper is powerful, so it will definitely be useful. More than 26 thousand houses in Kashi have solar plants installed under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. Due to this, more than three lakh units of electricity are being generated daily, and people are saving around Rs 5 crore every month. That means sixty crore rupees in a year.

Friends,

Due to the generation of so much solar power, approximately ninety thousand metric tons of carbon emissions are being reduced every year. To absorb this much carbon emission, we would have to plant more than 40 lakh trees. And I will say again, these figures I have given are only for Kashi, Banaras; I am not talking about the entire country. You can imagine the huge benefit the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana is providing to the country. This is an example of how much power a scheme of today has to transform the future.

By the way, friends,

You must have seen the mobile manufacturing statistics. Before 2014, we used to import 75 percent of our mobile phones, 75 percent. And now, India's mobile phone imports have almost come down to zero. We are now becoming a major mobile phone exporter. After 2014, we carried out a reform, the country performed and the world is seeing its transformative results today.

Friends,

This journey of Transforming Tomorrow is a journey of many such schemes, many policies, many decisions, public aspirations and public participation. It is a journey of continuity. It is not limited to the discussions of just one summit; for India, it is a national resolve. Everyone's support is necessary in this resolution, everyone's efforts are necessary. Collective efforts will definitely give us the opportunity to reach this height of change.

Friends,

Once again, I am deeply grateful to Shobhana ji and the Hindustan Times for giving me the opportunity to be with you and for fulfilling the things you sometimes suggest. I believe this will perhaps become a new force for the country's photographers. You can also consider many new programs like this for the future. If you need my help then please let me know, I do not take any royalty for giving the idea. It is a free business and it is a Marwari family, so it will not miss the opportunity. Thank you very much to all of you. Namaskar.

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MJPS/ST/SS