Moscow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday morning addressed the Indian community in the Russian capital, thanking the people for taking the time to meet him. PM Modi expressed happiness to greet the Indian diaspora in Russia in his first bilateral visit after taking the reins of the government for the third consecutive time.
"I want to thank all of you for coming here. I have not come here alone, I have come with a lot of things. I have brought with me the fragrance of the soil of India. I have brought with me the love of 140 crore countrymen," he said in his opening remarks. Noting that it has been a full month since he took oath as the Prime Minister for the third time, Modi vowed to work with three times the strength at three times the speed. He said the government's goal was to make India the third-largest economy in the world and provide 3 crore homes to the poor.
"Today's India makes sure it achieves the target it sets. Today, India is the country that takes Chandrayaan to the part of the moon where no other country in the world could reach. Today, India is the country that is giving the most reliable model of digital transactions to the world. Today, India is a country that has the third largest startup ecosystem in the world. When you people gave me the opportunity to serve the country for the first time in 2014, there were hundreds of startups, today there are lakhs of startups," he said.
'World surprised to see India's growth'
The Prime Minister further said the world was surprised to see the pace of India's growth in the last 10 years. "When people from the world come to India, they say 'Bharat badal raha hai'. They are clearly able to see the transformation and reconstruction of India. When India organises successful events like G20, the world speaks in one voice, 'Bharat badal raha hai'. When India doubles the number of its airports in just 10 years, the world says India is changing," he added.
He further asserted that the last ten years were just a 'trailer', and the next ten years in India will see faster growth in development and that all 140 crore Indians are envisioning the dream of a developed India. "India is transforming because India trusts the capability of its 140 crore citizens... it has faith in Indians spread across the world. India is transforming because 140 crore Indians want to fulfil the dream of making it a developed country as a resolve," he added.
PM Modi mentions India's victory in T20 World Cup
PM Modi told the Indian community in Moscow about creating at least 3 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis' by empowering women self-help groups operating in Indian villages, saying their annual income should be more than Rs 1 lakh. "Today's India is full of self-confidence, unlike the situation before 2014, and this is our biggest capital...It's in my DNA to challenge all the challenges; India will write a new chapter of global growth in coming years," he said.
"Today, the country is full of self-confidence and this is the biggest asset of India. You too must have celebrated the victory in the recent T20 World Cup...The real story of winning the World Cup is also the journey of victory. Today's youth of India does not accept defeat till the last ball and the last moment," he further said, in a reference towards the India's historic victory in the T20 Cricket World Cup.
He further said India is now being seen as a strong pillar and 'Vishwa Bandhu' of the new-emerging multipolar global order and the country's growing capabilities have given the hope of stability and prosperity to the world. He also noted the role of cinema, particularly the movies of Raj Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty, in strengthening India-Russia relations
PM Modi describes Russia as 'all-weather friend'
India has decided to open two more consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg in Russia to ease mobility and trade, announced the Prime Minister. He also thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his contribution to boosting ties between India and Russia for over two decades.
"On hearing the word Russia, the first word that comes to mind of every Indian is India's all-weather friend (sukh-dukh ka saathi) and a trusted ally. No matter how much the temperature goes down to minus during the winter season in Russia but India-Russia friendship has always in 'plus', full of warmth. India-Russia relations are built on strong foundations of mutual trust and mutual respect," he said.
"This is my sixth visit to Russia in the last ten years and I have met him (Putin) 17 times in these years. All of these meetings have been to enhance mutual trust and respect. When our students were stuck here in the midst of conflict, President Putin helped them reach India... Now we are also working on the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor. Both our countries are discovering each other through Ganga Volga dialogue and civilisation," he added.
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