‘India isn’t just preparing for the future, it’s shaping it’: PM Modi at diaspora event in Paris | World

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed members of the Indian diaspora in Paris, praising their contribution to strengthening India-France relations and celebrating India’s cultural diversity reflected in the community living abroad.

Speaking to a packed gathering, PM Modi described Paris as a city of lights, colours, and innovation, saying the presence of Indians from every part of the country has made the French capital even more vibrant. “Paris is a city of lights. This is the city of colours. There are ideas, and there is inspiration for innovation. All of you, coming from different states of India, make this city even more beautiful. You fill it with new colours. Some are Tamil, some are Punjabi, some are Gujarati, some are Marathi, and some are Bengali. Every corner of India is represented here,” the Prime Minister said.

Highlighting the role of the Indian community in deepening bilateral ties, PM Modi said the diaspora has emerged as a major pillar of the strategic partnership between India and France.

Recalling the beginning of his visit to France, he said, “When I arrived in Nice on June 14, the first thing I did was participate in the Bharat Innovates programme. Today, as I prepare to return from France, I feel as if I have come to the Bharat Connect programme. The way you have connected the 21st-century India-France relationship is becoming a major strength of our strategic partnership. I bring to you the greetings of 1.4 billion Indian citizens and express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for this warm welcome,” he added.

India witnessed transformative growth in last 12 years: PM Modi

PM Modi said that serving the nation as its elected Prime Minister for 12 consecutive years has been one of the greatest privileges of his life, attributing his journey from a tea seller to the country’s highest elected office to the strength of India’s democracy. “Serving the country as an elected Prime Minister for 12 consecutive years has been a great privilege of my life. It is the power of India’s democracy that has brought a tea seller to this position,” PM Modi said.

Highlighting India’s progress over the past decade, he added that the last 12 years have demonstrated the immense potential of the country’s 1.4 billion people. “During this period, India’s GDP has doubled. The number of airports has doubled. The number of universities has also doubled. Highway construction has doubled,” he said.

“India’s exports have increased thirty-five times in the last 12 years. Mobile phone manufacturing units in India have increased a hundredfold. India is now the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer. As a result of this pace and progress, India is today the world’s fastest-growing major economy,” PM Modi said.

Emphasising that India’s growth story extends beyond economic indicators, the Prime Minister said it has also brought about significant social change. “India’s story is not just a story of economic progress. It doesn’t stop there. It’s also a story of social transformation. In the last 12 years, 25 crore people in the country have come out of poverty. This is progress whose benefits are reaching the last person in society,” he added.

The Prime Minister said that the people of India want to take their lives to the next level today, and their goal is to take India to the next level as well. “They have determination, they have dreams. And these aspirations are the greatest strength of India’s development journey today,” he said.

‘India isn’t just preparing for the future, it’s shaping it’: PM Modi

PM Modi said the world is witnessing India’s rise as a nation that is not merely preparing for the future but actively shaping it. He emphasised that in the evolving global order, trust has become as important as trade, with countries increasingly seeking reliable and long-term partners.

“The world is watching: India isn’t just preparing for the future. India, and I say this with great responsibility, is shaping the future. There was a time when relations between countries were determined solely by trade. Today, along with trade, trust has become equally important. Every country wants a reliable supply chain. Every country wants a stable partnership. Every country is looking for partners who can be trusted for the long term. And at such a time, India is emerging as a trusted partner in the world,” PM Modi said.

“Every country wants a reliable supply chain. Every country wants a stable partnership. Every country is looking for partners who can be trusted for the long term. And at such a time, India is emerging as a trusted partner in the world,” he added.

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