Our 3rd term will see India in top 3 economies, my guarantee: PM Modi

“Bharat ki vikas yatra rukne vaali nahi hai. Aap jaante hain ki hamare pehle term ki shuruvat mein, Bharat world economy mein dasve number pe tha… Doosre term mein aaj, Bharat paanchvi sabse badi economy hai. Aur yeh track record ke aadhaar par… main desh ko yeh bhi vishwas dilaoonga ki teesre term mein, duniya ki pehli teen economies mein, ek naam Bharat ka hoga.”

(“India’s development journey is unstoppable. You know, at the beginning of our first term, India was the tenth largest economy in the world. In the second term, India is the fifth largest economy in the world today. On the basis of this track record… I will assure the country that India’s name will be among the top three economies of the world in the third term.”)

Indeed, data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that India is forecast to become the third-largest economy by 2027 as it is expected to overtake both Germany (currently fourth-largest) and Japan (currently third-largest).

“Mein deshvasiyo ko yeh bhi vishwas dilaoonga ki 2024 ke baad, hamare teesre term mein, desh ki vikas yatra aur tezi se badhegi (I also assure the country’s citizens that after 2024, in our third term, the country’s development journey will move at a faster pace),” he said to wide applause.

Taking a dig at the Opposition and his critics, Modi said people with “negative thinking” had opposed the construction of the new convention centre, like in the case of the redevelopment of Kartavya Path.

“There is no dearth of people with negative thinking in the country,” he said. But, he added, the same people would end up giving a lecture at the redeveloped centre.

“Bharat Mandapam like infrastructure should have been built decades ago. But only I was destined to construct it,” he said, adding that it was inspired by the “Anubhav Mandapam” of Bhagwan Basaveshwara, a 12th Century philosopher.

Listing his government’s development works, Modi said 40,000 km of railway lines were electrified in the last nine years as compared to 20,000 km in the previous 70 years; the number of airports increased from 70 to nearly 150; and city gas distribution increased to cover 600 cities from 60 earlier. He said Rs 34 lakh crore was spent on infrastructure in the last nine years.

Modi said India was working with the principle of “think big, dream big, act big”. He also said that the national capital will soon have the world’s largest museum — Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum.

The Prime Minister said the IECC complex, India’s biggest convention and exhibition space, would also boost “conference tourism”.

The complex can accommodate 7,000 people in its multi-purpose and plenary halls, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). It includes a 3,000-capacity amphitheatre and parking for 5,500 cars. The work at the site, which is owned by the India Trade Promotion Organisation, began in 2017.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by around 3,000 guests including Cabinet ministers, captains of industry and film personalities. During the inaugural ceremony, around 1,250 artistes across various dance and musical forms performed, the Culture Ministry said. One of the dance performances was to music composed by Shankar Mahadevan and Grammy winner Ricky Kej.

Earlier in the day, Modi performed a pooja at the redeveloped complex and felicitated the workers involved in its construction.