Lakhpati Didi – The respect and honour that we have received today on Women’s Day makes us very happy.

Prime Minister – The world may celebrate Women's Day today, but in our values and the culture of our country, we begin with Matru Devo Bhava. For us, all 365 days are Matru Devo Bhava—not just one day.

Lakhpati Didi – In the Shivani Mahila Mandal, we work on beadwork, which is part of our Saurashtra culture. Sir, we have trained more than 400 sisters in beadwork. Among the 11 of us, three to four sisters handle marketing, while two manage all the accounts.

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Prime Minister – So, the ones handling marketing travel outside?

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir, to different states and everywhere.

Prime Minister – So, you have travelled all across the country?

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir, almost everywhere. There’s hardly any city left that we haven't covered.

Prime Minister – And how much does Parul behan earn?

Lakhpati Didi – Parul behan earns more than 40,000 rupees, Sir.

Prime Minister – So, you have become a Lakhpati Didi now?

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir, I have become a Lakhpati Didi and have also reinvested my earnings. I dream that along with me, the 11 sisters in our group have also become Lakhpati Didis, and I want every sister in our village to achieve the same.

Prime Minister – Wow!

Lakhpati Didi – My goal is to make everyone a Lakhpati Didi.

Prime Minister – Well then, my dream of creating 3 crore Lakhpati Didis—I feel like you all will take it to 5 crore!

Lakhpati Didi – Absolutely, Sir! It's a promise!

Lakhpati Didi – My team consists of 65 sisters—65 women are working with me. We produce a special syrup made from ‘mishri’ (rock sugar). Our annual turnover is between 25 to 30 lakh rupees. My personal earnings are around 2.5 to 3 lakh rupees. My fellow Didis also earn more than 2 to 2.5 lakh rupees each. We also collaborate with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to sell our products. Sir, getting this platform has been like finding a support beam on our rooftop—we never imagined reaching where we are today. The women working with me have educated their children well, Sir, and we have helped them find new opportunities. Many of the women in my team now go for marketing on their Activa scooters, some handle banking work, and others are engaged in sales.

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Prime Minister – So, all your sisters now have their own vehicles?

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir! And I have even bought an Eco car myself!

Prime Minister – That’s great!

Lakhpati Didi – I can’t drive a car myself Sir, so whenever I need to travel, I take a driver along. Sir, today, our happiness has doubled! It was always a dream for us—we used to watch you on TV, and even in large crowds, we tried to catch a glimpse of you. And now, we are seeing you up close!

Prime Minister – See, I have visited every one of your stalls. Whenever I get the chance—whether I am a Chief Minister or Prime Minister—it makes no difference to me. I remain the same.

Lakhpati Didi – Sir, it is because of you, your blessings, that we women have been able to overcome so many difficulties and reach such a high position. We have become Lakhpati Didis because of you. And today, the women associated with me...

Prime Minister – Do the people in your village know that you are a Lakhpati Didi?

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir! Everyone knows! When I was coming here, some people were worried that we were going to make complaints about our village to you and said, "Didi, if you go, please don’t make any complaints."

Lakhpati Didi – In 2023, when you declared the International Year of Millets, we, the women from our village, realized that instead of selling bajra (pearl millet) and jowar (sorghum) for 35 rupees per kg, we should focus on value addition. That way, people could eat healthier, and we could build a business. So, we started with three products—one of them was cookies, and another was khakhra. You know about Gujarati khakhra, right?

Prime Minister – Khakhra is now an all-India product!

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir! It has reached all over India.

Prime Minister – When people hear that Modi ji wants to create Lakhpati Didis, what do they think?

Lakhpati Didi – Sir, to be honest, at first, they thought it was impossible for women. They believed that Lakhpati—which means having multiple zeros in earnings—was something only men should have in their pockets. But I tell them, "Today, we are Lakhpatis; in a few years, on this very same day, we will be sitting at an event for Crorepati Didis!"

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Prime Minister – Wow!

Lakhpati Didi – And we will make this dream come true! You have shown us the way and helped us become Lakhpatis. Now, we will take the next step and show you that we have become Crorepatis. Sir, there will be a banner-- We are now Crorepati Didis!

Lakhpati Didi – I am also a drone pilot, a Drone Didi, and right now, my earnings have reached 2 lakh rupees.

Prime Minister – I once met a sister who told me, “I didn’t even know how to ride a bicycle, and now I fly drones!”

Lakhpati Didi – We may not be able to fly planes, but by flying drones, we have still become pilots!

Prime Minister – So, you’ve become a pilot!

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir! Even my brothers-in-law don’t call me ‘bhabhi’ (sister-in-law) anymore—they call me Pilot!

Prime Minister – Oh! So, now you are Pilot Didi for the whole family?

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir! Whenever they enter the house, they greet me as Pilot!

Prime Minister – And what about the villagers? Do they also call you that?

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, even the villagers call me that!

Prime Minister – Where did you get your training?

Lakhpati Didi – In Pune, Maharashtra.

Prime Minister – So, you went all the way to Pune for training?

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir, Pune!

Prime Minister – So, did your family allow you to go?

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, they did.

Prime Minister – Oh, that’s great.

Lakhpati Didi – My child was very young at the time. I had to leave him behind, and I kept wondering if he would manage without me.

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Prime Minister – So, in a way, your son made you Drone Didi!

Lakhpati Didi – Yes! And now he has a dream too—he tells me, “Mom, you’ve become a drone pilot, and I will become an airplane pilot!”

Prime Minister – Wow! Now, Drone Didis have made a name for themselves in villages across the country!

Lakhpati Didi – Sir, I want to thank you for this because, under your Drone Didi scheme, I have now become a Lakhpati Didi!

Prime Minister – Your status at home must have increased as well!

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir!

Lakhpati Didi – When I started, I had just 12 sisters with me. Now, the number has grown to 75!

Prime Minister – How much do they earn?

Lakhpati Didi – Talking about our Radha Krishna Mandal, the sisters there are engaged in both embroidery and animal husbandry. Together, they earn around 9.5–10 lakh rupees annually.

Prime Minister – Ten lakh rupees!

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir, that’s how much we earn.

Lakhpati Didi – Sir, after joining the self-help group in 2019, I received Bank Sakhi training from the Baroda Self-Employment Institute.

Prime Minister – How much money do you handle in a day?

Lakhpati Didi – Sir, on average, I handle 1 to 1.5 lakh rupees daily, mostly at the bank, but I also manage some transactions from home.

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Prime Minister – Doesn’t that stress you out?

Lakhpati Didi – Not at all, Sir! I just carry a small bank with me wherever I go.

Prime Minister –That’s great!

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir.

Prime Minister – So, how much banking business do you handle in a month?

Lakhpati Didi – Sir, my monthly banking transactions reach around 4 to 5 lakh rupees.

Prime Minister – That means people are now trusting the bank more, and they believe that when you arrive, the bank has arrived.

Lakhpati Didi – Yes, Sir, absolutely!

Lakhpati Didi – Sir, I have considered you my guru from the bottom of my heart. Today, if I have become a Lakhpati Didi, it is because of your inspiration. Your guidance has helped me move forward and reach this stage. I feel like I’m living a dream, and we have actually become Lakhpati Didis! Our dream now is to help other women achieve the same. The Sakhi Mandal has brought a huge change in my life. One day, a madam named Radha Ben Rastogi from Mussoorie, saw my skills and invited me there. I immediately agreed and went to Mussoorie. There, I trained around 50 kitchen staff in making Gujarati rotla—breads made from bajra (pearl millet) and jowar (sorghum). But the most touching part of my journey was how everyone there would introduce me by saying, “This is Rita Ben from Gujarat, the land of Narendra Modi Sahib.” It made me feel incredibly proud to be a woman from Gujarat. That, Sir, was the greatest honour for me!

Prime Minister – Now, you all should enter the world of online business models. I will also ask the government to support you in upgrading this initiative. We have connected so many sisters, and they are earning at the grassroots level. The world needs to know that Indian women are not just limited to household work—that’s a misconception. In reality, they are a driving force behind Bharat’s economic strength. Rural women are playing a major role in shaping the country’s economy. Secondly, I have observed that our women quickly adapt to technology. My experience with Drone Didis proves this. The women who were trained to be drone pilots picked up the skills within just three to four days. They learn so quickly and practice with great sincerity. In our country, women naturally have the power to struggle, create, nurture, and generate wealth. This strength is beyond any calculation. I believe that this power will bring immense benefits to the nation.

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ഓരോ ഭാരതീയന്റെയും രക്തം തിളയ്ക്കുന്നു: മൻ കി ബാത്തിൽ പ്രധാനമന്ത്രി മോദി

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ഓരോ ഭാരതീയന്റെയും രക്തം തിളയ്ക്കുന്നു: മൻ കി ബാത്തിൽ പ്രധാനമന്ത്രി മോദി
Yoga as a mass campaign to build a healthier India

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Yoga as a mass campaign to build a healthier India
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Let this Yoga Day mark the beginning of Yoga for Humanity 2.0, where Inner Peace becomes Global Policy: PM Modi
June 21, 2025
QuoteYoga has united the entire world: PM
QuoteYoga is for Everyone, Beyond Boundaries, Beyond Backgrounds, Beyond age or ability: PM
QuoteYoga leads us on a journey towards oneness with the world, It teaches us that we are not isolated individuals but part of nature: PM
QuoteYoga is a system that takes us from Me to We: PM
QuoteYoga is the pause button humanity needs, to breathe, to balance, to become whole again: PM
QuoteLet this Yoga Day mark the beginning of Yoga for Humanity 2.0, where Inner Peace becomes Global Policy: PM

Andhra Pradesh Governor Syed Abdul Nazir Ji, the popular Chief Minister of this state, my dear friend Chandrababu Naidu Garu, my colleagues in the Union Cabinet, K. Rammohan Naidu Ji, Prataprao Jadhav Ji, Chandrashekhar Ji, Bhupati Raju Srinivas Verma Ji, the state's Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan Garu, other dignitaries and my dear brothers and sisters! Namaskar to all of you!

Best wishes to everyone in the country and across the world on International Yoga Day. Today, for the 11th time, the whole world is doing yoga together on 21 June. Yoga simply means to connect and it is wonderful to see how yoga has connected the whole world. When I look back at the journey of yoga over the past decade, I remember many things. The day when India proposed in the United Nations that 21 June be recognised as International Yoga Day and then in the shortest time 175 countries of the world stood with our proposal. Such solidarity and support are not a common occurrence in today's world. This was not just support for a proposal, it was a collective effort of the world for the good of humanity. Today, after 11 years, we see that yoga has become a part of the lifestyle of millions of people around the world. I feel proud when I see that our Divyang friends read Yoga Shastras in Braille, scientists do yoga in space, young friends in villages participate in Yoga Olympiad. Look here, a very wonderful yoga program is going on in all the Navy ships. Be it the steps of the Sydney Opera House, or the peak of Everest, or the expanse of the ocean, the message everywhere is the same – Yoga belongs to all, and is for all. Yoga is for everyone, beyond boundaries, beyond backgrounds, beyond age or ability.

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Friends,

Today I am happy that we all are in Visakhapatnam. This city is a confluence of both nature and progress. The people here have organised this event so well. I congratulate Chandrababu Naidu Garu and Pawan Kalyan Garu, under your leadership Andhra Pradesh took a great initiative of YogAndhra Abhiyan. I would also like to specially praise the efforts of Nara Lokesh Garu. How should be the social celebration of yoga, how should every section of the society be connected, he has shown this in the YogAndhra campaign of the last one and a half months, and for this brother Lokesh deserves many congratulations. And I would also like to tell my countrymen that the work done by Lokesh brother should be seen as an example of how such opportunities can be taken deeply to the social level.

Friends,

I have been told that more than two crore people are associated with the YogAndhra campaign. This is the spirit of public participation which is the main basis of developed India. When the public itself comes forward and takes up a campaign, owns a goal, then no one can stop us from achieving that goal. This good will of the people and your efforts are visible everywhere in this event.

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Friends,

The theme of this year’s International Day of Yoga is ‘Yoga for One Earth, One Health’. This theme reflects a deep truth. The health of every entity on Earth is interconnected. Human well-being depends on the health of the soil that grows our food, on the rivers that give us water, on the health of the animals that share our eco-systems, on the plants that nourish us. Yoga awakens us to this inter-connected-ness. Yoga leads us on a journey towards oneness with the world. It teaches us that we are not isolated individuals but part of nature. Initially we learn to take good care of our own health and wellness. Gradually, our care and concern extend to our environment, society and planet. Yoga is a great personal discipline. At the same time, it is a system that takes us from Me to We.

Friends,

This sentiment of ‘Me to We’ is the essence of the soul of India. When a person thinks about the society above his own interests, only then the entire humanity is benefited. Indian culture teaches us, सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, that is, the welfare of all is my duty. This journey from ‘Me’ to ‘We’ is the basis of service, dedication and co-existence. This thinking promotes social harmony.

Friends,

Unfortunately, today the entire world is going through some kind of tension. Unrest and instability are increasing in many areas. In such a situation, yoga gives us direction to peace. Yoga is the pause button that humanity needs to breathe to balance to become whole gain.

I would like to make a request to the world community on this important occasion. Let this Yoga Day mark the beginning of Yoga for Humanity 2.O, where Inner Peace becomes Global Policy. Where yoga is not just a personal practice but becomes a medium of global partnership. Where every country, every society makes yoga a part of lifestyle and public policy. Where we together give impetus to a peaceful, balanced and sustainable world. Where yoga takes the world from conflict to cooperation and from tension to solution.

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Friends,

To spread yoga in the world, India is further strengthening the science of yoga through modern research. Major medical institutions of the country are engaged in research on yoga. It is our endeavour to ensure that the scientific nature of yoga finds a place in the modern medical system. We are also encouraging evidence-based therapy in the field of yoga in the country's medical and research institutions. AIIMS, Delhi has also done very good work in this direction. AIIMS research has revealed that yoga plays an important role in the treatment of cardiac and neurological disorders and in women's health and mental well-being.

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Friends,

The mantra of yoga and wellness is also being promoted through the National Ayush Mission. Digital technology has also played a big role in this. Through the Yoga Portal and YogAndhra Portal, more than 10 lakh events have been registered across the country. Today, events are being organised at so many places in every corner of the country. This also shows how much the scope of yoga is expanding.

Friends,

We all know that today the mantra of Heal in India is also becoming very popular in the world. India is becoming the best destination for healing for the world. Yoga also has a big role in this. I am happy that a Common Yoga Protocol has been created for yoga. More than 6.5 lakh trained volunteers of Yoga Certification Board, 10-day yoga module in about 130 recognized institutes and medical colleges, many such efforts are creating a holistic ecosystem. Trained yoga teachers are being deployed in our Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the country. Special e-AYUSH visas are being given so that people from all over the world can benefit from this wellness ecosystem of India.

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Friends,

Today on Yoga Day, I would like to draw everyone's attention towards obesity once again. Increasing obesity is a big challenge for the whole world. I had also discussed this in detail in Mann Ki Baat programme. For this, I had also started a challenge to reduce 10 percent oil in our food. I once again appeal to the countrymen and people across the world to join this challenge. We need to spread awareness on how we can reduce oil consumption in our food by at least 10 percent. Reducing oil consumption, avoiding unhealthy diet and doing yoga is the key to better fitness.

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Friends,

Let us together make Yoga a mass movement. A movement that takes the world towards peace, health and harmony. Where every person starts the day with yoga and finds balance in life. Where every society is connected to yoga and is free from stress. Where yoga becomes a medium to bind humanity together. And where 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health' becomes a global resolution. Once again, while congratulating the leadership of Andhra, congratulating the people of Andhra and congratulating the yoga practitioners and yoga lovers spread across the world, I wish you all a very Happy International Yoga Day. Thank you!