Modi called for greater cooperation with India, saying, “This will also increase India's potential, and the return on your investments will also be higher. This is Modi's guarantee.”
The Hague: Describing India as a “land of opportunities”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the country is undergoing an “unprecedented transformation” and its aspirations are “no longer limited to its borders”.
Addressing the Indian community in The Hague, the Prime Minister also said that India is dreaming big and its youth aspires to reach the sky.
“India of the 21st century is a land of opportunities. India is both technology-driven and humanity-driven. India is becoming as modern as it is ancient. Therefore, this is also the time to connect with your ancestral villages in India, and to participate in the journey of developed India,” Modi said in his over 40-minute speech.
He called for greater cooperation with India, saying, “This will also increase India's potential, and the return on your investments will also be higher. This is Modi's guarantee.”
The Prime Minister said India’s ambitions were expanding rapidly. “Today, our India is dreaming big. Today, the country is saying - we don't just want transformation, we want the best. And we don't just want the best, we want the fastest. And that's why when aspirations are unlimited in India, efforts are also becoming limitless,” he said.
Highlighting the role of youth, he said India has become the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem and noted growth in innovation across sectors.
“India's aspirations today are no longer limited to its borders. India wants to host the Olympics, become a global manufacturing hub, emerge as a leader in green energy and become the growth engine of the world,” he said.
Referring to India’s recent achievements, he cited hosting of major global events and advancements in space exploration.
“You must have seen recently that India hosted the world's largest and most successful AI Summit. Before that, India also successfully hosted the G20 Summit. And this was not a one-time event. This has now become the character of today's India,” he said.
He added, “India reached the moon where no one could reach before.”
The Prime Minister said India’s democratic participation continues to strengthen, with high voter turnout and increased participation of women in elections.
“Today, voters in India are enthusiastic. We feel proud that voting records are being broken every year,” he said, adding that India remains the “Mother of Democracy”.
On bilateral ties, Modi said the Netherlands could serve as a gateway for Indian businesses entering Europe and highlighted cooperation in areas such as energy and water security.
He also referred to global challenges, including the Covid pandemic and geopolitical conflicts, cautioning that prolonged crises could impact global development.
“If these situations are not changed rapidly, the achievements of the past several decades will be washed away. The vast majority of the world's population will again slip into the quagmire of poverty,” he said.
He said India and the Netherlands are working towards building resilient supply chains and enhancing cooperation in green hydrogen and trade.
