Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 14: Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday asserted that India is firmly on track to becoming the world’s third-largest economy by 2029, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “decisive and corruption-free governance” for the country’s accelerated growth over the last 11 years.
Speaking at a press conference in Dibrugarh to mark the NDA government’s 11th anniversary, Sonowal declared that India has left behind an era of “policy paralysis and dynastic misrule” and entered a phase of rapid, welfare-driven progress.
“India is witnessing an unstoppable surge in development,” he said. “Over 25 crore people have risen out of poverty in the past decade — a figure greater than the population of many European countries.”
He highlighted that this progress is powered by youth-led innovation, record-breaking infrastructure expansion, and efficient governance. “This is the Modi guarantee — delivery with speed, scale, and honesty,” Sonowal emphasized.
Currently the fourth-largest global economy, India, according to Sonowal, is just getting started. “By 2029, India will rise to the third spot. We are laying the foundation of a Viksit Bharat — a self-reliant, developed India,” he said.
The minister also spotlighted India’s booming startup ecosystem, which has expanded from 30,000 startups in 2014 to over 1 lakh in 2025. “More than 1.7 crore youth are driving this startup revolution. This is the face of new India — young, bold, and innovative,” he noted.
Turning attention to the Northeast, Sonowal said the region has undergone a dramatic transformation under the Modi government. “PM Modi has visited the Northeast more than 70 times — more than any Prime Minister in history. He turned a once-neglected region into a thriving growth engine,” he stated.
He added that the recent ‘Rising Northeast’ summit brought in investment commitments worth over ?4.5 lakh crore. Critical infrastructure projects are also underway — including roads, railways, high-speed internet, and modern river ports at Jogighopa, Dhubri, Pandu, and Dibrugarh — aimed at integrating Assam and the broader Northeast with global trade networks.