PM Modi Paints a Bold Future for India at SRCC’s Centenary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood before a packed auditorium at Shri Ram College of Commerce on Saturday, marking the college’s centenary with a speech that felt part memoir, part road‑map. He began by recalling the address he gave here back in 2013 – a talk that, he said, still echoes in corridors and cafés across the country.

Back then, Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat and a vocal opposition leader. He could have turned the platform into a scathing critique of the then‑centre, but chose instead to sketch a vision – what he calls “P2G2”, or Pro‑People Good Governance – a call for governments to act before crises strike, not after.

Fast‑forward thirteen years, and the prime minister argued that India has moved from “waking up when there’s a fire” to “building wells before the drought hits”. He pointed to the stark contrast between the gloom of 2013 – a World Bank‑cut GDP forecast, record‑high current‑account deficit, inflation hovering around 10 %, a slowdown in industry and a litany of security scares – and today’s picture.

“We are now posting 7.8 % quarterly growth even as the war in West Asia rages and trade headwinds bite,” Modi said, flashing a slide of the latest Japanese credit‑rating upgrade. He added that the growth is not just a number; it’s translating into new jobs and a confidence boost for entrepreneurs.

Security, he noted, has also shifted. The prime minister claimed that every time Pakistan tries a “misadventure”, Indian forces respond decisively, and that peace has expanded from Jammu & Kashmir to the North‑East. He even suggested that the “back of Maoist terrorism and Naxalism has been broken”.

One of the most tangible examples he offered was railway electrification. “India’s first electric train ran in 1925, a year after this college was founded,” he reminded the audience. “In the 90 years up to 2014, less than 30 % of our tracks were electrified. In just 12 years, we’re close to 100 %.” The rapid pace, he argued, is catching world attention and opening doors for fresh partnerships.

Turning to the future, Modi painted a picture that sounded almost futuristic. He spoke of turning India into a global manufacturing hub, of launching a home‑grown space station, and of staging an Olympics that the whole world watches – not merely as a sporting event, but as a showcase of Indian innovation and hospitality.

“Our youth will inherit a sky of opportunities,” he told the SRCC students, urging them to think beyond textbooks and to see how lowered tariffs and new market access could fuel their own ventures.

He also didn’t shy away from calling out the old guard. Those who once labelled India as part of the “Fragile Five” now have “a hard time swallowing the numbers”, he quipped, pointing to the dramatic turnaround in growth and confidence.

In closing, the prime minister asked the young audience to imagine a India that not only competes but leads – whether it’s building cars, satellites, or hosting an Olympics that captures the world’s imagination. The applause that followed was as much for the vision as it was for the reminder that the country’s report card, according to Modi, is finally looking green.