7 October
2026 · Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha, Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi · on completing
25 years as head of government
“If these 25 years are to be assessed, it will not be by where I have reached; the real evaluation will be by where my country has reached.”— Prime Minister, New Delhi, 7 October 2026
- 25 years — gratitude From the oath as Chief Minister of Gujarat on 7 October 2001 to today, 25 continuous years as head of government — the result of the people’s blessings; a bow to India’s democracy and Constitution; greetings to the participants of the Seva Jyoti Yatra.
- Prayer at the Shri Vinayak temple A morning prayer for the country and for 140 crore Indians, and one for himself — for the strength to work for the country with even more energy, and that his ability to learn may never diminish.
- ‘This capital belongs to the country’ 25 years of public trust and experience are, in his own words, ‘not Modi’s alone — the country’s capital’; every child of Bharat Mata has a right to it; every citizen has the greatest claim on him.
- Every event taught something The Morbi flood taught the spirit of service, the Bhuj earthquake taught persistence in reconstruction, Chandrayaan taught rising after failure, and Corona taught the value of the nation’s collective consciousness; every village and every poor person taught that means may be limited, but dreams must be big.
- ‘We will do it’ Not a day for memories but for renewing resolve; the goals repeated with the gathering — Viksit Bharat 2047, a top-3 economy, Atmanirbhar Bharat, a global manufacturing hub, hosting the Olympics, steps in space.
- Mission, not glorification 25 years are not an occasion for personal glorification; organisational work till the age of 50 without contesting a single election — ‘not for ambition, but for a mission’; the Gita’s karma yoga — karma as dharma, karma as sadhana for the country, no concern for reward or credit.
- The real evaluation The assessment of 25 years is not ‘where I have reached’ but ‘where my country has reached’; the chance to serve a sacred land like India is itself priceless.
- The Gujarat years In 2001, no experience of running a government, no knowledge of administration — only faith in the people; decisions, policies and their implementation with the people; ‘Gujarat showed it can be done’, and the lessons of problems on the ground, stuck files and last-mile delivery are still in use today.
- The picture since 2014 From an economy called a ‘gone case’ to talk of resilience today; from policy paralysis to a reforms express; from finding ways to import to export records; from importing mobile phones to Made in India phones; from blackout headlines to talk of solar capacity; the past decade the fastest-growing one for agriculture.
- Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas = saturation If the problem is everyone’s, the solution must be for everyone — a dry field or a dark village does not belong to one caste or community; every eligible beneficiary covered, no one left out, no one robbed of their rights — the real story of change.
- Big, extraordinary goals Small or easy goals would be an injustice to Bharat Mata and to the nation’s capability; Viksit Bharat, Atmanirbhar Bharat, a top-3 economy, wiping out poverty, a drugs-free India; India as the name the world takes for tourism, education, entertainment, health and wellness, sports, innovation and technology; today the world talks of India’s pilots, one day of a Made in India plane.
- India 100 years ago In the 1920s even freedom was hard to imagine, yet the country was free within about 20 years; fewer than 40 crore then, more than 140 crore now — so Viksit Bharat 2047 ‘will certainly be achieved’; a young India is history’s biggest opportunity, not to be lost.
- Achievements that give confidence From the Fragile Five to the top five; 60 years to reach a $1 trillion economy, more than $2 trillion of growth in 12 years with the right policies; in Corona India saved itself and helped more than 100 countries; the COP21 pledges met ahead of time — the only G20 country to do so; the wall of Article 370 broken, the back of Naxalism broken, terror answered; 25 crore people out of poverty in a decade.
- The closing faith ‘Never underestimate India’s capability’; complete faith in the capability of 140 crore Indians — ‘we will see India become developed before our own eyes’; there is no reason for India to stop now.
