Melbourne: India, driven by the vision of “Grow More, Achieve More”, is working towards the goal of becoming a developed nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, underscoring that the foundation of the country’s big dreams and great aspirations is its people.
Speaking at an Indian diaspora event, ‘Melbourne meets Modi’, also attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, PM Modi said he was delighted that the partnership between the two countries in the areas of education, skills and innovation is deepening and strengthening.
“India of the 21st century is working towards the goal of becoming a developed nation. When one dream is realised, a new one is born. This is an India that believes in ‘Grow More, Achieve More’,” Modi said, amid cheers from the audience.
“We are a nation of 1.4 billion people brimming with aspirations; we are impatient and eager. We are the world’s fastest-growing economy, yet we aim to become one of the top three economies in the world as quickly as possible. Because our driving force is ‘Grow More, Achieve More’,” he added.
Modi said the mantra of “Nagrik Devo Bhava” has become the guiding principle of governance in India.
“The foundation of India’s big dreams and great aspirations is its people… We, the People,” he said, adding that the government’s policies are centred on citizens’ welfare.
Modi talked about the rapid progress taking place in India, based on sustained high growth, policy reforms, digital revolution and next-generation infrastructure development.
“Today, India has become the world’s second-largest 5G market. Moreover, India is rapidly working on ‘Made in India’ 6G technology as well. This is because Indians believe in the mantra: “Grow More, Achieve More’,” he said.
“India does not want to stop here…a new manufacturing ecosystem — spanning everything from chips to ships — is being developed in India today,” he added.
He underlined that India’s approach was not just to focus on its own progress, but to walk hand in hand with its friends and partners.
PM Modi also mentioned ‘Operation Sindoor’, saying the world has witnessed the capability and credibility of India’s defence platform.
“You must have seen the demo during ‘Operation Sindoor’. Explosions were taking place at the terrorists’ hideouts, and the echo was reverberating across the world,” he said.
“Did you feel proud of the action taken against terrorist camps?” Modi asked, amid cheers and applause from the audience.
Modi said India has more than 200,000 registered start-ups and more than 4,000 new start-ups are being registered every month.
He said hundreds of start-ups are working in sectors such as defence and space. These sectors were opened to private entrepreneurship only a few years ago, and today, India’s first private space start-up is set to launch a satellite on its own rocket very soon, he said.
“You are all aware of Chandrayaan’s landing on the Moon’s south pole. No country, other than India, has been able to achieve this. But India is not satisfied with this. As we say, ‘Grow more. Achieve More.’ Now India will send Gaganyaan, and we are working towards the goal of building our own space station,” Modi said.
Recalling the recent earthquakes that struck Venezuela, the prime minister said India launched a relief operation and sent help as quickly as possible.
“We didn’t look at how far the distance was. India considered Venezuela’s pain as its own pain. When India helps, it doesn’t look at passports. It doesn’t look at the colour of passports. That’s why the world places immense trust in India,” he said, citing examples such as earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria, and the cyclone disaster in Sri Lanka.
Modi, who arrived in Australia on Wednesday on the second leg of his three-nation tour, said this is his third visit in the last 12 years.
“It’s a hat-trick. This shows that India-Australia relations have strengthened. The most significant role in this has been played not by me, but by all of you, the Indian diaspora,” he said, describing them as a “living bridge” between the two countries.
“Just as sugar dissolves in milk and makes it sweeter, we Indians infuse the world with the essence of our love,” he said. “The milk at home might be Australian, but the tea brewed is Indian. The lentils and vegetables are Australian, but they are tempered with authentic Indian spices.”
Australia is home to about a million people of Indian origin.
Modi thanked PM Albanese for his steadfast commitment to India-Australia relations, including the welfare of the Indian diaspora.
Highlighting the remarkable progress made over the past decade in the bilateral partnership, Modi underlined that the complementarities between the two economies positioned India and Australia as natural partners in shaping a secure, prosperous and resilient partnership.
Underlining the presence of a large community of Indian students in Australia and the growing number of Australian Universities opening campuses in India, he said that education was one of the strongest pillars of the bilateral relationship.
“There is yet another sector that strengthens the partnership between our countries: sports. In the world of sports, Australia is a brand in itself. However, the sports ecosystem in India is also transforming,” he said.
Modi said India is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and is also a contender to host the 2036 Olympics. “I am fully confident that the partnership between Australia and India in the sports sector will expand further,” he added.
