Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the Indian diaspora in Paris on Thursday, stated that India has witnessed transformative growth across all sectors over the past 12 years. He emphasized that the country's journey extends beyond economic expansion to empowering people and transforming lives.
Key Achievements Highlighted
Modi noted that 25 crore people have been lifted out of poverty. India's exports have surged 35-fold, and mobile manufacturing units have grown 100-fold, making India the world's second-largest mobile manufacturer. He described India as the fastest-growing major economy.
Privilege of Serving
The Prime Minister remarked that serving as an elected PM for 12 consecutive years has been a great privilege. He credited India's democracy for enabling a tea seller to reach this position, calling the last 12 years a testament to the potential of 1.4 billion Indians.
Infrastructure and Education Growth
Modi highlighted that India's GDP has doubled, the number of airports and universities has doubled, and highway construction has doubled during his tenure.
Diaspora Contributions
Modi praised the Indian diaspora for strengthening the India-France strategic partnership. He referenced the Bharat Innovates program and the Bharat Connect program, expressing gratitude for their warm welcome.
He described Paris as a city of lights, colors, and inspiration, noting that the diaspora represents all corners of India, from Tamil to Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, and Bengali.
VivaTech 2026 Participation
Earlier, Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron attended VivaTech 2026, Europe's largest tech and startup event. Modi highlighted India's vision for human-centric AI and frontier technologies, noting the growing India-France cooperation in emerging tech.
He cited transformative changes from digital payments and AI-enabled agriculture to space applications. Modi and Macron interacted with Indian startups showcasing solutions in industry, healthcare, sustainability, and mobility.
India is the AI Country Partner at VivaTech 2026, with its largest-ever presence, including pavilions for AI, digital public infrastructure, health-tech, clean tech, mobility, and advanced computing. Over 80 Indian deep-tech companies and startups are participating.
Modi's participation is expected to deepen partnerships between Indian and French tech ecosystems. India's engagement with VivaTech has grown over the years, and this year's participation is significant as 2026 marks the India-France Year of Innovation.
