PM Modi to youth: Step out of comfort zone to build Viksit Bharat by 2047

He said India has made rapid strides in the last 10 years and the youth will not only drive the greatest transformation in the country’s history but also be its biggest beneficiaries.

“For any country to move forward, it is imperative to set big goals. Goals are our life blood, our tonic. We have seen over the last 10 years that we have been setting big goals and achieving them, be it resolving to be open defecation-free or providing bank accounts to all Indians,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits an exhibition at the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue in New Delhi. (PTI)

Modi said the youth must take ownership of the Viksit Bharat goal and assured them that the ideas presented during the dialogue would become part of the country’s policies.

“Achieving big goals is not solely the responsibility of government machinery but requires the collective effort of every citizen,” he said and highlighted the importance of deliberation, direction and ownership in achieving national objectives.

“In the 1930s, the US went through an economic crisis, but it resolved to come out of it and adopted the New Deal. There was a time when Singapore was in a bad state but with the right leadership and discipline, they became a developed nation and a huge trade hub. We too dreamt of independence. We struggled, sacrificed, and achieved independence from the British empire.”

He said India is making rapid strides as a space power, with plans to establish a space station by 2035. He noted the success of Chandrayaan and the ongoing preparations for Gaganyaan, with the ultimate aim of landing an Indian on the Moon. He emphasised that achieving such goals will pave the way for a developed India by 2047.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that with a large young population, India will have a “golden period” over the next 25 years. “I can imagine a Viksit Bharat, one which is economically, socially, and strategically strong. This is the moment for India to take a quantum jump and it will only happen by acting upon our ideas.”

As India’s economy grows rapidly, it can spend more on infrastructure, railways, roadways and overall development, he said.

“India is now nearly a $4-trillion economy, significantly increasing its capabilities. The current infrastructure budget is over 11 lakh crore rupees, nearly six times higher than a decade ago, and more is being spent on railways alone than the entire infrastructure budget of 2014,” he said. This increased budget, he said, is evident in India’s changing landscape, with Bharat Mandapam being a beautiful example.