Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2025 in New Delhi today. Speaking on the occasion, he noted the presence of numerous distinguished guests from India and abroad at the Summit and extended his greetings to the organizers and all those who shared their thoughts. Shri Modi noted that Shobhana ji mentioned two points which he observed carefully. The first was her reference to his previous visit when he had given a suggestion, something rarely done with media houses, but he had done so. He expressed happiness that Shobhana ji and her team had enthusiastically carried it out. He highlighted that when he visited the exhibition, he saw how the photographers had captured moments in such a way that they became immortal, and he urged everyone to see it. Shri Modi further remarked on Shobhana ji’s second point, interpreting it as not just a wish that he continue serving the nation, but as Hindustan Times itself saying that he should continue serving in the same way, for which he expressed special gratitude.
Shri Modi highlighted that the theme of this year’s summit is Transforming Tomorrow. He pointed out that Hindustan Times has a 101-year history and carries the blessings of great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Madan Mohan Malaviya, and Ghanshyamdas Birla. He remarked that when this newspaper discusses Transforming Tomorrow, it gives the nation confidence that the transformation happening in India is not merely about possibilities but is a true narrative of changing lives, changing mindsets, and changing directions.
Noting that today also marks the Mahaparinirvan Diwas of the chief architect of Indian Constitution, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Shri Modi, on behalf of all Indians paid tribute to him. He highlighted that we stand at a juncture where one-fourth of the 21st century has already passed. He noted that in these 25 years the world has witnessed many ups and downs, including financial crises, a global pandemic, technological disruptions, a fragmented world, and ongoing wars. The Prime Minister emphasized that all these situations in some form are challenging the world, which is filled with uncertainties. “In this era of uncertainty, India is showing itself in a different league, brimming with self-confidence”, exclaimed Shri Modi. He added that when the world speaks of slowdown, India writes a story of growth; when the world faces a crisis of trust, India is becoming a pillar of trust; and when the world moves towards fragmentation, India is emerging as a bridge-builder.
Underscoring that just a few days ago India’s Quarter-2 GDP figures were released, showing a growth rate of more than eight percent, which reflects the new momentum of progress, the Prime Minister emphasized that this is not just a number but a strong macro-economic signal, a message that India today is becoming the growth driver of the global economy. He highlighted that these figures come at a time when global growth is around three percent and the economies of the G-7 average about one and a half percent. He underlined that in such circumstances India has emerged as a model of high growth and low inflation. Shri Modi recalled that there was a time when economists expressed concern about high inflation, but today the same economists speak of low inflation.
Emphasising that India’s achievements are not ordinary, nor are they merely about statistics, but represent a fundamental change brought by the nation in the past decade, the Prime Minister noted that this fundamental change is about resilience, about the tendency to find solutions to problems, about removing clouds of apprehension and expanding aspirations. He added that it is for this reason that today’s India is transforming itself and is also transforming the tomorrow to come.
Prime Minister Modi remarked that while discussing transforming tomorrow, it must be understood that the confidence in transformation is based on the strong foundation of the work being carried out today. He emphasized that today’s reforms and today’s performance are paving the way for tomorrow’s transformation.
Highlighting the approach with which the government is working, Shri Modi noted that a large part of India’s potential remained untapped for a long time. He stated that when this untapped potential receives greater opportunities, when it participates fully and without hindrance in the nation’s development, the transformation of the country is certain. The Prime Minister urged reflection on eastern India, the North East, villages, tier-two and tier-three cities, the women power, the innovative youth, the maritime strength and blue economy, and the space sector, pointing out that their full potential had not been utilized in previous decades. He underlined that today India is working with the vision of tapping this untapped potential. Shri Modi further noted that unprecedented investment is being made in modern infrastructure, connectivity, and industry in eastern India. He remarked that villages and small towns are being equipped with modern facilities, that small towns are becoming new centers for startups and MSMEs, and that farmers in villages are forming FPOs to directly connect with global markets.
“India’s women power is achieving remarkable feats and that daughters of the nation are excelling in every field”, exclaimed the Prime Minister, emphasizing that this transformation is no longer limited to women empowerment alone, but is transforming both the mindset and the strength of society.
Prime Minister highlighted that when new opportunities are created and obstacles are removed, new wings are added to soar in the sky. Citing the example of India’s space sector, which earlier remained under government control, Shri Modi noted that reforms were introduced to open the space sector to the private sector, and the results are now visible to the nation. He stated that just 10–11 days ago he inaugurated Skyroot’s Infinity Campus in Hyderabad. He underlined that Skyroot, a private Indian space company, is working towards the capacity to build one rocket every month and is developing the flight-ready Vikram-1. The Prime Minister remarked that the government provided the platform and India’s youth are building a new future upon it, affirming that this is the true transformation.
Underlining that another change in India deserves discussion, Shri Modi recalled that there was a time when reforms were reactionary, driven either by political interests or by the need to manage a crisis. He emphasized that today reforms are undertaken with national goals in mind. The Prime Minister highlighted that improvements are happening across every sector, with India’s pace remaining constant, its direction consistent, and its intent firmly rooted in Nation First. He underlined that the year 2025 has been a year of such reforms, with the most significant being the next-generation GST. Prime Minister noted that the impact of these reforms has been witnessed across the country. He further remarked that this year a major reform was also introduced in the direct tax system, with zero tax on income up to 12 lakh rupees, a step that was unimaginable even a decade ago.
Mentioning that continuing the series of reforms, Shri Modi said just three to four days ago the definition of a Small Company was amended. He highlighted that as a result, thousands of companies have now come under the ambit of simpler rules, faster processes, and better facilities. The Prime Minister further noted that nearly 200 product categories have also been removed from the mandatory Quality Control Order.
“Today’s journey of India is not only about development but also about a change in mindset, a psychological renaissance”, said the Prime Minister. He emphasized that no nation can progress without self-confidence, and unfortunately, long years of colonial rule had shaken India’s confidence due to colonial mindset. The Prime Minister highlighted that this colonial mindset has been a major obstacle in achieving the goal of a developed India, and therefore today’s India is working to free itself from it.
Noting that the British knew well that to rule India for a long time, they had to strip Indians of their confidence and instill a sense of inferiority, which they did during that era, Shri Modi remarked that Indian family structures were labeled as outdated, Indian attire was termed unprofessional, Indian festivals and culture were called irrational, yoga and Ayurveda were dismissed as unscientific, and Indian inventions were ridiculed. He underlined that these notions were repeatedly propagated, taught, and reinforced for decades, leading to the shattering of Indian self-confidence.
Remarking on the widespread impact of the colonial mindset, Shri Modi said he would cite examples to illustrate it. He highlighted that today India is the fastest-growing major economy in the world, being described as a global growth engine and a global powerhouse, with one achievement after another. He emphasized that despite India’s rapid growth today, no one refers to it as the ‘Hindu rate of growth’. He recalled that the term was used when India struggled for growth rates of two to three percent. The Prime Minister questioned whether linking a country’s economic growth to the religion or identity of its people could have happened inadvertently, asserting that it was instead a reflection of the colonial mindset. He remarked that an entire society and tradition were equated with unproductivity and poverty, with attempts made to prove that India’s slow growth was due to Hindu civilization and culture. Shri Modi pointed out the irony that those so-called intellectuals who find communalism in everything failed to see communalism in the term Hindu rate of growth, which was made a part of books and research papers during their era.
PM Modi remarked that the colonial mindset had devastated India’s manufacturing ecosystem and explained how the nation is reviving it. He highlighted that even during the colonial period India was a major producer of arms and ammunition, with a strong network of ordnance factories, exporting weapons and having them widely used in world wars. The Prime Minister noted that after independence, the defense manufacturing ecosystem was destroyed, as the colonial mindset led those in government to undervalue weapons made in India, turning the country into one of the world’s largest defense importers.
Emphasising that the same mentality affected the shipbuilding industry, which for centuries had been a major center in India, the Prime Minister recalled that even five to six decades ago, forty percent of India’s trade was carried on Indian ships, but the colonial mindset gave preference to foreign ships. He remarked that the result is evident, as a nation once known for maritime strength became dependent on foreign ships for ninety-five percent of its trade, leading India today to pay nearly $75 billion, or about six lakh crore rupees, annually to foreign shipping companies.
“Whether it is shipbuilding or defense manufacturing, today every sector is striving to leave behind the colonial mindset and achieve new glory”, underscored the Prime Minister.
Shri Modi remarked that the colonial mindset caused great damage to India’s governance approach, as for a long time the government system was marked by distrust of its own citizens. He recalled that earlier people had to get their own documents attested by a government officer, but this distrust was broken and self-attestation was accepted as sufficient.
Highlighting that there were provisions in the country where even minor mistakes were treated as serious crimes, Shri Modi said to change this the Jan-Vishwas law was introduced, through which hundreds of such provisions were decriminalized. He further noted that earlier even for a loan of one thousand rupees, banks demanded guarantees because of excessive distrust. The Prime Minister emphasized that this vicious cycle of distrust was broken through the Mudra Yojana, under which guarantee-free loans worth 37 lakh crore rupees have been given so far. He remarked that this money has given confidence to the youth of families who had nothing to offer as guarantee, enabling them to become entrepreneurs.
Noting that in the country it was always believed that once something was given to the government, it was a one-way traffic with nothing coming back, Shri Modi emphasized that when trust between the government and the people becomes strong, the results are evident through another campaign. The Prime Minister highlighted that it would be surprising to know that 78 thousand crore rupees lie unclaimed in banks, 14 thousand crore rupees with insurance companies, three thousand crore rupees with mutual fund companies, and 9 thousand crore rupees in dividends, all unclaimed. He underlined that this money belongs to poor and middle-class families, and therefore the government is working to return it to its rightful owners. Shri Modi further noted that special camps have been started for this purpose, and so far in about 500 districts such camps have returned thousands of crores of rupees to the rightful beneficiaries.
Emphasising that this is not merely about the return of assets but about trust, about the commitment to continuously earn the trust of the people, Shri Modi added that the trust of the people is the nation’s true capital, and such campaigns could never have been possible under colonial mindset.
“The nation must be completely freed from colonial mindset in every sphere”, stressed the Prime Minister. He highlighted that just a few days ago he made an appeal to the country, urging everyone to work with a ten-year time frame. Shri Modi further noted that Macaulay’s policy, which sowed the seeds of mental slavery in India, will complete 200 years in 2035, meaning ten years remain. He emphasized that within these ten years, all citizens must ensure that the country is liberated from colonial mindset.
“India is not a nation that simply follows a set path, and for a better tomorrow it must expand its horizons”, underscored the Prime Minister. He emphasized the need to understand the future requirements of the country and find solutions in the present. He highlighted that this is why he often speaks about the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat campaigns, noting that if such initiatives had begun four to five decades earlier, India’s situation today would have been very different. Shri Modi recalled the example of the semiconductor sector, mentioning that five to six decades ago a company had come forward to set up a semiconductor plant in India but was not given due attention, resulting in India falling behind in semiconductor manufacturing.
The Prime Minister further remarked that the energy sector faced a similar situation, pointing out that India currently imports nearly 125 lakh crore rupees worth of petrol, diesel, and gas annually. He underlined that despite the country being blessed with abundant sunlight, until 2014 India’s solar energy generation capacity was only 3 gigawatts. He highlighted that in the past ten years this capacity has risen to around 130 gigawatts, with 22 gigawatts added solely through rooftop solar.
Shri Modi remarked that the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana has given citizens direct participation in the campaign for energy security. He highlighted that as the Member of Parliament from Varanasi, he could cite local figures, noting that more than 26,000 households in Varanasi have installed solar plants under the scheme. He emphasized that these installations are generating over three lakh units of electricity daily, saving people nearly five crore rupees every month. Underlining that this solar power generation is reducing around ninety thousand metric tons of carbon emissions annually, which would otherwise require planting more than forty lakh trees to offset, the Prime Minister clarified that he was only presenting the figures from Varanasi, urging reflection on the immense national benefit of the scheme. He remarked that this is an example of how a single initiative can hold the power to transform the future.
Shri Modi pointed out that before 2014 India imported 75 percent of its mobile phones, whereas today mobile phone imports have nearly dropped to zero and the country has become a major exporter. He emphasized that after 2014 a reform was introduced, the nation performed, and the transformative results are now being witnessed by the world.
Underlining that the journey of transforming tomorrow is a journey of numerous schemes, policies, decisions, public aspirations, and public participation, Shri Modi emphasized that it is a journey of continuity, not limited to the discussion of a summit, but a national resolve for India. The Prime Minister concluded by underlining that in this resolve everyone’s cooperation and collective effort are essential, and he once again expressed his deep gratitude to all.
Click here to read full text speech
India is brimming with confidence. pic.twitter.com/5Cqes5YRWq
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 6, 2025
In a world of slowdown, mistrust and fragmentation, India brings growth, trust and acts as a bridge-builder. pic.twitter.com/4dxbPFlqXi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 6, 2025
Today, India is becoming the key growth engine of the global economy. pic.twitter.com/IInnCzhgSA
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 6, 2025
India's Nari Shakti is doing wonders. Our daughters are excelling in every field today. pic.twitter.com/G5lordAkYn
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 6, 2025
Our pace is constant.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 6, 2025
Our direction is consistent.
Our intent is always Nation First. pic.twitter.com/Z0N1oyAcjZ
Every sector today is shedding the old colonial mindset and aiming for new achievements with pride. pic.twitter.com/ua5dg0ttF4
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 6, 2025
