"“Any Gujarati, in any corner of the world, if they talk of Gujarat it is with the head held high. This is what Gujarat has achieved.” Shri Modi"
"“Relation with our roots must be strengthened as much as possible” Shri Modi"
"“It is my dream to turn Gandhinagar into a Solar City.” Shri Modi"

On April 9th 2013, Shri Modi addressed a gathering of the Kolkata Gujarati Samaj. He also visited the Kolkata Gujarati Samaj’s new building in Kolkata.

Below are excerpts from Shri Modi’s speech:

Any Gujarati, in any corner of the world, if they talk of Gujarat it is with the head held high. This is what Gujarat has achieved.

“Today, any Gujarati is questioned about the Gujarat development model, so today; the people of Gujarat are well-equipped with knowledge about Gujarat’s growth.”

“There was a time Kutch had negative growth. People went elsewhere, now it is reverse. People are returning to Gujarat.”

“Gujarat has scaled new heights of development. Due to this, in the entire nation Gujarat is known as a model of development.”

“In a place more commonly known for dust, fruits are being exported. This transformation does not happen overnight. This happened because we made people partners in development.”

“12-15 years ago if you met someone and said you are from Gujarat, the expression looked like food without salt. Today if you say you are from Gujarat do you notice the difference?”

“Any Gujarati, in any corner of the world, if they talk of Gujarat it is with the head held high. This is what Gujarat has achieved.”

Relation with our roots must be strengthened as much as possible

“I say, once a year, you must send your children for Gujarat Darshan. They see villages, Mohallas, relatives. We may have been out for years but we must link our new generations with Gujarat. Can it not happen from your schools, one tour comes to Gujarat? This is because we have to build a link with Gujarat.”

“Let us use social media & through Facebook, Twitter connect with people from Gujarat. If you are enthusiastic then I am ready! I have experienced power of social media.”

“I am one of the most active people on social media. I connect with lakhs of people.”

“Relation with our roots must be strengthened as much as possible.”

“We should have a good Gujarati library. Children can know who our writers are. Nowadays there is e-library where you can get over 20 lac books.”

“Gujarat Jova Jevu Che, Gujarat Java Jevu Che.”

“Gujarat is marching ahead with new dreams. Earlier we were not known for tourism. Gujaratis went all over but no one came to Gujarat!”

“Gujarat Jova Jevu Che, Gujarat Java Jevu Che.” (Gujarat is worth seeing, Gujarat is worth visiting)

“Gujarat's tourist growth is double of that of India. I tell you, come spend a few days in Gujarat.”

“It is my dream to turn Gandhinagar into a Solar City.”

“Our nation has energy crisis. In Gujarat we have lot of heat and sun rays. The same rays are now dear for us.”

Gujarat has earned praised for advances in solar energy. We were first state with solar policy:

“We have plans to produce 3000 MW solar energy. This will be a global record. It is also environment friendly. Gujarat has the largest canal network in the world. We have installed Canal top Solar panels. This has increased water retention and has generated solar power.”

“It is my dream to turn Gandhinagar into a Solar City. We got a Rooftop Policy to do so.”

A New Gujarat within Gujarat

“We have 1600 km coastline. In the past people thought what is this, only salty water and people left villages, went where place.”

“In coming days a new Gujarat within Gujarat will develop on the coast of Gujarat.”

“Dholera Special Investment Region will be six times the size of Shanghai.”

“We also plan to build GIFT, a city dedicated for Financial Technology.”

Gujarat’s Initiatives and Successes

“When people discuss infrastructure, they discuss roads. In Gujarat we have the longest network of water pipelines. Pipes are big enough for you to travel in them in a car.”

“The Central Government is fighting over 6 and 9 cylinders. We have a gas grid pipeline of 2200 Km.”

“Since 2009, every village in Gujarat has broadband connectivity.”

“In 2001, there were 11 universities in Gujarat, today there are 42 universities. We have specialized universities like GNLU, Petroleum University, Raksha Shakti University. Many youth will benefit from these universities.”

“Gujarat has 2.5 lakh Sakhi Mandals in the state. Women are engaged in economic activities worth 1700 Cr through Sakhi Mandals, we wish to increase this to 5000 Cr.”

“Gujarat has many policies to empower women. We have encouraged women to buy property on their name through incentives.”

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Joint Statement on the visit of PM Modi to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
December 16, 2025

At the invitation of His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Hon’ble Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Shri Narendra Modi visited the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on December 15-16, 2025.

The Leaders acknowledged the fact that the visit of Prime Minister Modi is taking place at a significant time, as the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.

The Leaders appreciated the long-standing relationship between their countries which is characterized by mutual trust, warmth and goodwill. They positively assessed the multi-faceted India-Jordan relations that span across various areas of cooperation including political, economic, defence, security, culture, and education among others.

The Leaders appreciated the excellent cooperation between the two sides at the bilateral level and in multilateral forums. They warmly recalled their earlier meetings in New York (September 2019), in Riyadh (October 2019), in Dubai (December 2023) and in Italy (June 2024).

Political Relations

The Leaders held bilateral as well as expanded talks in Amman on 15 December 2025, where they discussed relations between India and Jordan. They also agreed to expand cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual interest and to stand together as trusted partners in pursuing their respective development aspirations.

The Leaders noted with satisfaction the regular convening of political dialogue between the two countries as well as the meetings of the various Joint Working Groups in diverse areas. They further agreed to fully utilize the established mechanisms to consolidate bilateral relations. In this regard, the leaders commended the outcomes of the Fourth Round of Political Consultations between the two foreign ministries that was held in Amman on April 29, 2025. The fifth round will be held in New Delhi.

Looking forward, the Leaders reaffirmed their determination to sustain the positive trajectory of relations between the two countries, to promote high-level interactions, and continue to cooperate and collaborate with each other.

Economic Cooperation

The Leaders appreciated the strong bilateral trade engagement between India and Jordan, currently valued at USD 2.3 billion for 2024, making India the third largest trading partner for Jordan. They agreed on the need to diversify the trade basket to further enhance bilateral trade. The Leaders also agreed on the early convening of the 11th Trade and Economic Joint Committee in the first half of 2026, to monitor progress in economic and trade relations.

The Leaders welcomed the convening of the Jordan- India Business Forum on the sidelines of the visit on 16 December 2025. A high-level business delegation from the two countries discussed ways to further strengthen and expand trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Leaders acknowledged the importance of cooperation in the field of customs. They further agreed to fully utilize the Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters. This agreement facilitates sharing of information to ensure proper application of Customs Laws and combating of customs offences. It also provides facilitation of trade by adopting simplified customs procedures for efficient clearance of goods traded between the two countries.

Both Leaders underlined the potential for enhanced economic cooperation between the two countries, taking into account Jordan’s strategic geographic location and advanced logistics capabilities. In this context, both sides reaffirmed the importance of strengthening transport and logistics connectivity, including the regional integration of Jordan’s transit and logistics infrastructure as a strategic opportunity to advance shared economic interests and private-sector collaboration.

Technology and Education

The two sides reviewed bilateral cooperation in the fields of digital technology and education and agreed to collaborate in various fields such as the capacity building of officials in digital transformation, promoting institutional cooperation for feasibility study in the implementation of Digital Transformational solutions and in other areas. They also agreed to explore further avenues of cooperation in the implementation of digital transformation initiatives of both the countries. The two sides expressed interest in expanding and upgrading the infrastructure and the capacity building programs of the India and Jordan Centre of Excellence in Information Technology, hosted at Al Hussein Technical University.

The two sides discussed the road map for collaboration in the field of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). In this context, both sides welcomed the signing of a letter of intent for entering into an agreement on sharing of Indian experience of DPI. Both sides agreed to collaborate in ensuring a safe, secure, trusted and inclusive digital environment.

The two sides recognized the vital role of technology in education, economic growth and social development and agreed on continued collaboration in the areas of digital transformation, governance and capacity building.

The Indian side highlighted the important role of capacity building in sustainable development and expressed commitment to continue collaboration in this field through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme in various fields including information technology, agriculture, and healthcare. The Jordanian side appreciated the increase of ITEC slots from 35 to 50 with effect from the current year.

Health

The Leaders underscored their commitment to working together in the field of healthcare through sharing of expertise, especially in advancing tele-medicine and capacity building in training of health workforce. They acknowledged the importance of health and pharmaceuticals as a key pillar of bilateral cooperation, underlining its role in promoting the well-being of their peoples and in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Agriculture

The Leaders acknowledged the crucial role of the agricultural sector in advancing food security and nutrition and expressed a shared commitment to strengthening collaboration in this sector. In this context, they reviewed current cooperation between the two sides in the field of fertilizers, especially phosphates. They also agreed on increasing collaboration in exchange of technology and expertise to enhance the efficiency of agriculture and related sectors.

Water Cooperation

The Leaders welcomed the signing of the MoU on Cooperation in the field of Water Resources Management & Development and acknowledged the importance of cooperation between the two sides in areas such as water-saving agricultural technologies, capacity building, climate adaptation and planning and aquifer management.

Green and Sustainable Development

The Leaders discussed the importance of increasing collaboration in the field of climate change, environment, sustainable development and encouraging the use of new and renewable energy. In this context, they welcomed the signing of the MoU on Technical Cooperation in the field of New and Renewable Energy. Through the signing of this MoU, they agreed on the exchange and training of scientific and technical personnel, organization of workshops, seminars and working groups, transfer of equipment, know-how and technology on a non-commercial basis and development of joint research or technical projects on subjects of mutual interest.

Cultural Cooperation

The two sides expressed their appreciation for the growing cultural exchanges between India and Jordan, and welcomed the signing of the Cultural Exchange Programme for the period 2025–2029. They supported the idea of expanding cooperation in the fields of music, dance, theatre, art, archives, libraries and literature, and festivals. They also welcomed the signing of the Twinning Agreement between the City of Petra and Ellora Caves Site, focusing on the development of the archaeological sites and on promotion of social relations.

Connectivity

The two sides acknowledged the importance of direct connectivity in fostering bilateral relations. It is an important cornerstone for promotion of trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges and helps in cultivating deeper mutual understanding. In this regard, they agreed to explore the possibility of enhancing direct connectivity between the two countries.

Multilateral Cooperation

His Majesty King Abdullah II praised India’s leadership in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA). India welcomed Jordan’s expression of willingness in joining the ISA, CDRI and GBA. The two sides recognized biofuels as a sustainable, low-carbon option to achieve decarbonization commitments and deliver greater economic and social development for the people of both countries.

At the end of the visit, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to His Majesty King Abdullah II for the warm reception and generous hospitality extended to him and his accompanying delegation. He also conveyed his best wishes for the continued progress and prosperity of the friendly people of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. For his part, His Majesty extended his sincere wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the friendly people of India for further progress and prosperity.