Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India’s transformation over the past decade has demonstrated that the vision of making the country a developed nation by 2047 is not only achievable but inevitable.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, Modi recalled a time when global institutions had placed India among the world’s “Fragile Five” economies, saying the country had since emerged as the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

Modi said the determination of 140 crore Indians has become the driving force behind the country’s rapid progress and asserted that no obstacle can stand in the way of the nation’s collective resolve.

“The country became independent with many dreams, but we could not pick up the pace or accelerate. By 2014, the entire world had placed India among the ‘Fragile Five’. At such a time, over the last 12 years, India has picked up a new pace and is moving forward rapidly,” he said.

“The resolve of the people of the country is that it is impossible to stop the determination and strength of 1.4 billion Indians,” the Prime Minister added.

Highlighting the government’s welfare initiatives, Modi pointed to the expansion of piped water connections, distribution of cooking gas connections and construction of toilets across the country as examples of large-scale programmes that have improved the lives of millions.

He also stressed the need to modernise India’s legal and administrative framework, saying the country could not aspire to become a leading global power while continuing to rely on outdated systems.
“India cannot march forward in the 21st century by relying on laws of the previous century,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister said India’s achievements over the past decade had strengthened confidence in its long-term development goals and demonstrated that the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ can be realised.

“Our success shows the resolve of Viksit Bharat in 2047 cannot remain unfulfilled,” he said.

Emphasising India’s demographic strength, Modi said the aspiration to become a developed nation assumes greater significance when it is adopted by the world’s most populous country.

“Today, India has a big dream to become a developed nation by 2047. When the world’s most populous country takes the resolution to become a developed nation, it becomes an introduction of our courage, and the world is compelled to look at us with a different perspective,” he said.

Modi added that India’s growing economic strength, expanding infrastructure and rising global stature reflect the confidence and determination of its people.

He reaffirmed that the country remains committed to achieving the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.