Text of PM Modi’s first address to the Nation on Radio

Published By : Admin | October 3, 2014 | 13:43 IST

My Dear Countrymen, 

Today is the holy festival of Vijay Dashami. My heartiest greetings on this occasion of Vijay Dashami to one and all. 

Through the medium of radio, I would like to share few heartfelt thoughts with you today. And, I hope that not only today, this series of conversation may be carried out regularly in future. I will try my best, if possible, to take out time twice a month or even once to speak with you. In future, I have also decided that whenever I will speak to you, it would be on Sundays and time would be morning 11. In that way, it would be convenient for you too and I will feel contented with the fact that I am successful in sharing my thoughts with you. 

We are celebrating the festival of Vijay Dashami today, which symbolises the triumph of Good over Evil. But one gentleman named Ganesh Venkatadari, a native of Mumbai, sent me a mail and has written to me that we must take a vow to eliminate ten bad habits from within ourselves on this occasion of Vijay Dashami. I express my gratitude to him for this recommendation. We all, as individuals, must be thinking to put an end to all our bad habits and win over them, although, with respect to our nation, I believe we all should come together and take a vow in eliminating all the dirt from our country. On this occasion of Vijay Dashami, we must take a vow to eliminate dirt and filth and we can do so on this occasion. 

Yesterday, on 2nd October on the eve of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, more than 1.25 crore countrymen have started the ‘Swachh Bharat’ movement. I had shared one thought yesterday which is that I will nominate nine people and they need to upload their videos of cleaning the nation on social media websites, and nominating nine more people to do the same. I want you all to join me, clean the nation, and nominate nine more people to clean the nation, and those nine people must do the same. Eventually, the entire nation will have this atmosphere. I strongly believe that you all will join hands with me to carry this movement forward. 

Whenever, we think of Mahatma Gandhi, naturally we are reminded of Khaadi. You may be wearing variety of clothes with different fabrics and company brands in your family. But is it not possible to include Khaadi too? I am not telling you to use only Khaadi products. I am just insisting to use, at least one Khaadi product, like handkerchief, or a bath towel, a bed sheet, a pillow cover, a curtain or anything of that kind. If you have an inclination for all kinds of fabrics and clothes in your family, you can also buy Khaadi products on a regular basis. I am saying this as when you buy Khaadi products, it helps poor people to light lamps on Diwali. Also, you can avail a special discount on Khaadi products from 2nd October for a month. It is a very small thing, but has very big impact which binds you with the poor. How you see this as a success. When I speak of 1.25 crore countrymen and infer the outcome, we might assume that government will take care of everything and as individuals we stand nowhere. We have seen that if we intend to progress then we need to identify our potential, understand our strengths and I can swear that we form the incomparable souls of this world. You all know that our own scientists have been successful in reaching Mars, bearing least expenses. We do not lack in our strengths, but have forgotten our strong points. We have forgotten ourselves. We have become hopeless. My dear Brothers and Sisters I cannot let this happen. I always remember one of the sayings by Swami Vivekananda ji as he always used to emphasize on one thought and possibly, he might have shared this thought with many others. 

Vivekananda ii used to say, once a lioness was carrying her two cubs on the way and came upon a flock of sheep from a distance. She got a desire to prey upon them and started running towards the flock. Seeing her running, one of the cub too, joined her. The other cub was left behind and the lioness moved on, post preying upon the flock. One of the cub went with the lioness but the other cub was left behind, and was brought up by a mother sheep. He grew among the sheep, started speaking their language and adapted their ways of life. He used to sit, laugh and enjoy with them. The cub who went with the lioness, was a grown-up now. Once, he happened to meet his brother and was shocked to see him. He thought in his mind,” He is a lion and is playing with sheep, talking like sheep. What is wrong with him? He felt that his ego was at stake and went to talk to his brother. He said,” What are you doing, brother? You are a lion.” He gets a reply from his brother, “No, I am a sheep. I grew up with them. They have brought me up. Listen to my voice and the way I talk.” He said, “Come, I will show you, who you really are.” He took his brother to a well and told him to look in the water his own reflection, and asked him, if both of them had similar faces. “I am a lion, you, too, are a lion.” His brother’s self-esteem got awakened; he attained self-realization through this and even a lion brought up among sheep started roaring like a lion. His inner entity was awakened. Swami Vivekananda ji used to say the same. My countrymen, 125 crore Indians have indefinite strengths and capabilities. We need to understand ourselves. We need to identify our inner strengths and like Swami ji always used to say, we need to carry our self-respect, identify ourselves and move forward in life and be successful, which in turn, make our nation a winning and successful country. I believe, all our countrymen with a population of 125 crores are efficient, strong and can stand against any odds with confidence.

These days, I have been getting many letters through social media websites, like Facebook, from my friends. One of them, Mr. Gautam Pal, has addressed an issue regarding the specially-abled children. He has suggested forming separate Municipality, Municipal Corporation or councils for them. We need to plan something for them for enhancing their moral support. I liked his suggestion and I have experienced this during my day as Chief Minister of Gujarat. A Special Olympics was held in Athens in 2011. After the Olympics I had called all the participants and winners of specially-abled category from Gujarat to my home. I spent two hours with them, and it was the most emotional and inspiring incident of my life. As I believe, a specially-abled child is not only the responsibility of the parents in a family, it is the responsibility of the entire society. God has chosen this family to support a specially-abled child, but a child is a responsibility of the entire nation. After this incident, I got so emotionally attached with them, I started organizing separate Olympics for them in Gujarat. Thousands of children with their parents used to come and attend, I, too, used to attend the Olympics. There was an atmosphere of trust and, this is the reason, I liked the suggestion given by Mr. Gautam Pal and I felt like sharing this thought with you. 

It reminds me of another story. Once, a traveller was sitting at the corner of a road, and was asking everyone the way to a specific place. He continued asking the route from many people. A man, sitting beside him was observing him. The traveller stood up and started asking passers-by again. He stood up and said,” The way to your destination is here.” The traveller, then, said,” Brother, you were sitting next to me for so long, saw me asking everyone the route. If you knew the route, why didn’t you tell me before?” The man answered,” I was waiting to verify if you really intend to reach your destination or you are asking people just for your knowledge. But, when you stood up, I was assured that you truly wish to reach your destination, and decided to confirm the address”.

My countrymen, till the time we do not decide to walk, stand on our own, we will also not the get the guidance from others in our journey. We will not get the people to hold our hand and help us in walking. We need to take the initiative in walking and I trust all my 125 crore Indians, who are capable of walking on their own and will keep moving. 

For the past few days, I have been getting very interesting suggestions from people. I am aware, when to adapt to these suggestions. But, I want everyone to actively participate in these suggestions as we all belong to our nation, the nation does not only belong to any Government. We are the citizens of our Nation and we all need to unite without any exceptions. Some of you have suggested simplifying the registration process for Small Scale Industries. I will definitely put this under Government’s notice. Some of you have written to me to incorporate skills development courses in the school curriculum from 5th standard. This will help the students to learn various skills and crafts. I loved this effective suggestion given by them. They have also suggested that even the adults should learn skills development courses along with their studies. One of the suggestions given was to keep a dustbin at every 100 meters and a cleaning system should be established. 

Some of you have written to me, to abolish the use of plastic bags. I am receiving numerous suggestions from people. I have always been telling you, to write to me and narrate a true incident, which is positive and inspiring to me and our Countrymen, along with the evidence. If you do this, I can promise this to you, that I will share all those heartfelt thoughts or suggestions with all our Countrymen, through “Mann ki Baat”. 

I have only one intention in speaking with you all,” Come, let us serve our Mother India. Let us all take our nation to the new heights. Let us all take a step forward. If you take one step, our nation takes 125 crore steps to move forward, and for this purpose, on this auspicious occasion of Vijay Dashami, we all need to defeat all of our inner evils and decide to start doing something good for the nation. Today is the fortunate beginning for me. I will be sharing my heartfelt thoughts with one and all. Today, I have shared all the thoughts coming directly from my heart. I will meet you all next at 11 am on Sundays, but I trust our journey shall never end and will continue receiving love and suggestions from you. 

After listening to my thoughts, please do not hesitate in sharing your thoughts or advice to me, I will appreciate that your suggestions keep coming. I am glad to talk with you through this simple medium of Radio, which serves each and every corner of the nation. I can reach the poorest homes, as mine, my nation’s strength lies within the hut of Poor, within the villages; my nation’s strength lies with the Mothers, Sisters and Youths; my nation’s strength lies with the farmers. Nation will only progress, if you believe in it. I am expressing my trust towards the nation. I believe in your strength, hence, I believe in our nation’s future. 

I would once again, like to thank one and all for taking out time and listening to me. Thank you all. 

(The original speech was in Hindi, this is the English rendering. Original speech remains the authoritative version) 

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The world acknowledges today that India possesses two infinite powers - Demography & Democracy: PM Modi
July 12, 2025
QuoteToday, more than 51 thousand youths have been given appointment letters, Through such employment fairs, millions of young people have already secured permanent jobs in the Government , Now these young people are playing a significant role in nation-building: PM
QuoteThe world acknowledges today that India possesses two infinite powers, One is demography, the other is democracy, In other words, the largest youth population and the largest democracy: PM
QuoteThe ecosystem of startups, innovation, and research being built in the country today is enhancing the capabilities of the nation's youth: PM
QuoteThe Government's focus is also on creating new employment opportunities in the private sector with the recently approved new scheme,the Employment Linked Incentive Scheme: PM
QuoteToday, one of India's greatest strengths is our manufacturing sector, A large number of new jobs are being created in manufacturing: PM
QuoteTo boost the manufacturing sector, the Mission Manufacturing has been announced in this year's budget: PM
QuoteA report from the International Labour Organization - ILO states that over the past decade, more than 90 crore citizens of India have been brought under the ambit of welfare schemes: PM
QuoteToday, major global institutions like the World Bank are praising India, India is being ranked among the top countries with the highest equality in the world: PM

Namaskar!

Our campaign to provide permanent jobs to the youth in the Central Government is continuing steadily. And we are known for this—no recommendation, no corruption. Today, more than 51,000 young people have been given appointment letters. Lakhs of youth have already secured permanent jobs in the Indian government through such Rozgar Melas (employment fairs). These young individuals are now playing a significant role in nation-building. Today, many of you have started your responsibilities in Indian Railways. Some will now become the guardians of the nation's security, others appointed in the Postal Department will help deliver government services to every village, some will be foot soldiers of the Health for All mission, many young professionals will help accelerate financial inclusion, and others will drive Bharat's industrial development forward. Your departments may be different, but the goal is the same. And what is that goal? We must remember it again and again: No matter the department, task, position, or region — the one and only goal is service to the nation. The guiding principle is: Citizen First. You have been given a great platform to serve the people of the country. I congratulate all of you on achieving this great success at such an important stage of life. I extend my best wishes for this new journey in your career.

Friends,

Today the world acknowledges that Bharat has two limitless strengths: one is demography, and the other is democracy—the largest population of youth and the world's biggest democracy. This power of youth is both the greatest asset and the strongest guarantee for Bharat’s bright future. Our government is working day and night to turn this strength into a formula for prosperity. As you all know, I have just returned from a visit to five countries. In every country, I could hear the praise and recognition of Bharat’s youth power. All the agreements signed during these visits will certainly benefit Bharat’s youth, both at home and abroad. In sectors like defence, pharmaceuticals, digital technology, energy, and rare earth minerals, the agreements made will bring significant advantages to Bharat in the coming days. They will give a strong boost to Bharat’s manufacturing and services sectors.

Friends,

With changing times, the nature of jobs in the 21st century is also evolving, and new sectors are constantly emerging. That is why, Bharat has focused on preparing its youth for these changes over the past decade. Important decisions have been taken, and modern policies have been formulated keeping in mind the needs of the present era. The ecosystem of start-ups, innovation, and research that is taking shape in the country today is enhancing the potential of our youth. When I see young people aspiring to launch their own start-ups, it increases my own confidence. Just now, Dr. Jitendra Singh ji also shared some detailed statistics with you regarding start-ups. I feel proud to see that the youth of my country is moving forward with great vision, speed, and strength, with a desire to do something new.

Friends,

The Indian government is also focusing on creating new employment opportunities in the private sector. Recently, the government has approved a new scheme — the Employment Linked Incentive Scheme. Under this scheme, the government will provide 15,000 rupees to a youth getting their first job in the private sector. In other words, the government will contribute towards the first salary of the first job. For this, the government has allocated a budget of around 1 lakh crore rupees. This scheme is expected to help in the creation of approximately 3.5 crore new jobs.

Friends,

Today, one of Bharat’s greatest strengths is our manufacturing sector. A large number of new jobs are being created in manufacturing. To boost this sector, this year’s Union Budget has announced the launch of Mission Manufacturing. Over the past few years, we have strengthened the Make in India initiative. Just through the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) Scheme, more than 11 lakh jobs have been created in the country. The mobile phone and electronics sectors have witnessed unprecedented growth in recent years. Today, electronics manufacturing worth nearly 11 lakh crore rupees is taking place in Bharat. That’s a more than fivefold increase in the past 11 years. Earlier, Bharat had only 2 or 4 mobile phone manufacturing units. Now, we have nearly 300 units related to mobile phone manufacturing, employing lakhs of young people. Another prominent sector is defence manufacturing, which is gaining even more attention and pride after Operation Sindoor. Bharat is setting new records in defence production. Our defence production has now crossed 1.25 lakh crore rupees. Bharat has also achieved a major milestone in the locomotive sector — we are now the largest producer of locomotives in the world. Whether it’s locomotives, rail coaches, or metro coaches, Bharat is exporting them in large numbers to many countries. Our automobile sector is also experiencing unprecedented growth.

In just the last 5 years, the sector has received about $40 billion in FDI (Foreign Direct Investment). That means new companies have come in, new factories have been established, new jobs have been created — and at the same time, vehicle demand has surged, with record sales of automobiles in Bharat. Bharat’s progress in various sectors, and these manufacturing records, don’t happen on their own. They are possible only because more and more young people are getting jobs. It is their hard work, intellect, and dedication that have made this possible. Bharat’s youth have not only found employment, but they’ve also excelled at it. Now, as government employees, it is your duty to ensure that this momentum in the manufacturing sector continues. Wherever you are assigned, you must act as an enabler, an encourager, remove obstacles, and simplify processes. The more ease you bring to the system, the more benefit it will bring to the people of the country.

Friends,

Today, our country is rapidly progressing towards becoming the third-largest economy in the world, and any Indian can proudly say this. This achievement is the result of the hard work and sweat of our youth. In the past 11 years, the nation has made progress in every sector. Recently, a very commendable report was released by the International Labour Organization (ILO). This report highlights that more than 90 crore citizens in Bharat have been brought under the umbrella of welfare schemes over the last decade. This is essentially the expansion of social security. And the impact of these schemes goes far beyond welfare—they have also generated a massive number of new jobs. Let me give you a simple example — the PM Awas Yojana. Under this scheme, 4 crore new pucca (permanent) houses have already been built, and construction of 3 crore more houses is currently underway. Now, when such a large number of homes are being built, masons, labourers, suppliers of raw materials, transport operators, local shopkeepers, and truck drivers—all get work. Imagine the enormous number of jobs created through this! What’s even more heartening is that most of these jobs are in rural areas, so people don’t need to migrate to cities. Similarly, 12 crore new toilets have been constructed across the country. This has created work not only in construction but also for plumbers, carpenters, and skilled workers from our Vishwakarma community. This is how job creation expands and leaves a real impact. Likewise, over 10 crore new LPG connections have been provided under the Ujjwala scheme. To support this, a large number of bottling plants have been set up, creating employment for cylinder manufacturers, distribution agencies, and delivery personnel. Each initiative—if you examine closely—creates multiple layers of employment opportunities. Lakhs of people have gained new jobs from such initiatives.

Friends,

I would like to mention another scheme, one that truly brings double the benefit—like having a laddu in each hand, as we say. That scheme is the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. Under this scheme, the government is giving an average subsidy of over 75,000 rupees per household to install rooftop solar panels. This essentially turns your roof into a power plant—generating electricity not just for your own use, but also for sale to the grid if there's surplus. This brings electricity bills down to zero and saves families significant money. Engineers and technicians are needed to install the plants. Solar panel manufacturing factories and raw material suppliers are growing. Transport operators are employed to move materials. A whole new industry is emerging for the maintenance and repair of these systems. Just imagine—the benefits are not only helping citizens, but also creating lakhs of new employment opportunities.

Friends,

The ‘Namo Drone Didi’ initiative has increased the income of our sisters and daughters and also created new employment opportunities in rural areas. Under this scheme, lakhs of rural women are being trained as drone pilots. Available reports show that our Drone Didis—mothers and sisters from our villages—are earning lakhs of rupees in a single farming season by offering drone-based agricultural services on a contract basis. Not only that, this initiative is also giving a big boost to the drone manufacturing sector in the country. Whether in agriculture or defence, drone manufacturing is opening up new avenues for the youth of our country.

Friends,

The campaign to create 3 crore Lakhpati Didis is ongoing. Out of these, 1.5 crore women have already achieved this milestone. And as you know, becoming a Lakhpati Didi means earning at least 1 lakh rupees every year, consistently—not just once. That is the benchmark. 1.5 crore Lakhpati Didis! Today, if you visit villages, you’ll often hear terms like Bank Sakhis, Bima Sakhis, Krishi Sakhis, Pashu Sakhis—these are various schemes through which our mothers and sisters in villages have got employment opportunities. Similarly, under the PM SVANidhi Scheme, street vendors and hawkers were given support for the first time. Lakhs have benefited from it. Because of digital payments, even roadside vendors now prefer UPI over cash. Why? Because it gives them instant access to more credit from the bank. Banks trust them more, and they don’t need piles of paperwork. This means that even a humble street vendor now moves forward with confidence and pride. Take the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, for example. It’s focused on modernizing and upgrading traditional, ancestral, and family-based crafts and trades. It helps by: Providing modern tools, offering training to artisans, craftsmen, and service providers, facilitating easy loans. There are countless such schemes, through which the poor have been uplifted, and youth have found employment. The impact of all these initiatives is so significant that, in just 10 years, 25 crore Indians have risen out of poverty. Think about it—if they hadn’t found employment, if there was no income in the family, how would a person who had been poor for three or four generations even imagine coming out of that darkness? For them, each day was a struggle for survival, and life felt like a burden. But today, they have defeated poverty with their strength and courage. These 25 crore brothers and sisters have emerged victorious, and I salute their determination. They used the government’s schemes as tools, didn't sit around and complain—they fought back against poverty, uprooted it, and conquered it. Now imagine, the new self-confidence that is building among these 25 crore people! When a person overcomes a crisis, a new strength emerges. This new strength has also emerged in my country, and it will play a vital role in taking the country forward. And let me be clear—this is not just the government saying it. Today, global institutions like the World Bank are openly praising Bharat for this achievement. The world is presenting Bharat as a model. Bharat is now being ranked among the top countries in the world in terms of equality—which means inequality is decreasing rapidly, and we are moving toward greater equality. The world is now taking note of this transformation.

Friends,

The great mission of development, the movement for welfare of the poor and employment generation that is currently underway—you now share the responsibility of taking it forward from today. The government should never be a hurdle; it should always be a facilitator of growth. Every individual deserves the opportunity to move ahead. It is our role to extend a helping hand. And you, my friends, are young. I have great faith in you. I have high expectations from you. Wherever you're assigned, you must always put the citizens first. Helping them, easing their difficulties—that alone will push the nation forward rapidly. You are to become active participants in Bharat’s Amrit Kaal—this golden period of opportunity. The next 20 to 25 years are crucial, not just for your career, but for the future of the entire country. These are the defining years for building a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India). That is why, your work, your duties, and your goals must be aligned with the resolve to create a ‘Viksit Bharat’. The mantra ‘Nagrik Devo Bhavo’ (Citizen is Divine) must run through your veins, live in your heart and mind, and reflect in your conduct and behaviour.

And I am fully confident, my friends, that this youth power has stood with me over the past 10 years in taking the country forward. They have taken each of my words to heart and done whatever they could for the nation—from wherever they were, in whatever capacity they could. Now that you have been given this opportunity, expectations from you are higher. Your responsibility is greater. And I believe—you will rise to the occasion and make it happen. Once again, I wholeheartedly congratulate you. I extend my warmest wishes to your families, who deserve a bright and prosperous future. May you all achieve great success in life. Keep upgrading yourself continuously through the iGOT platform. Now that you have secured your position, don’t sit back. Dream big, aim high. Through hard work, continuous learning, and bringing fresh results, move ahead. Your progress is the pride of the country and your growth is my satisfaction. That is why, today, as you embark on this new journey in life, I have come here to speak with you, to bless you, and to welcome you as my partner in fulfilling many dreams. As a close and trusted companion, I welcome you warmly. Thank you very much, and best wishes to you all.