Speaking on Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi put forward the position that the country's economic trajectory rested on solid foundations and an ongoing programme of reforms, and that its ambitions on the world stage were oriented toward mutual benefit rather than advancement at other nations' expense, asserting that growth was not pursued by taking from others.
Speaking at the Bloomberg Economic Forum, Modi pointed to a 7.8 per cent expansion in gross domestic product during the April-to-June quarter, foreign-exchange reserves above USD 700 billion, and a legislative programme covering taxation, insolvency, and labour as indicators of the country's underlying stability, adding that a world marked by uncertainty had found in India a source of dependable and steady performance. He pointed to what he described as a durable economic base underpinning that expansion, noting that India's current account deficit had narrowed from above 4 per cent roughly a decade and more ago to approximately half a per cent at present.
In his address, Modi put forward the view that a nation's economic and technological standing ought to be gauged not solely by the influence it holds, but by the degree to which it opens doors for other countries to advance. He framed his overall stance around a single guiding question — not whether power exists, but how it gets put to use — distilling that outlook into the phrase "power to empower."
Three areas drew attention in the prime minister's address — the country's digital public infrastructure, a startup sector that has been broadening its reach, and advances in clean-energy capacity — each presented as evidence that homegrown strengths can underpin growth that reaches across society.
Positioning India as a dependable partner for commerce and investment, Modi told the gathering that the country stood ready to help navigate an era of strained geopolitical relationships, disrupted trade flows, and intensifying rivalry over emerging technologies and natural resources. Speaking to the assembled audience, Modi argued that once-neutral economic infrastructure — supply chains, energy sources, critical minerals, payment networks, and technology — had been repurposed by governments into tools for extracting concessions or applying geopolitical pressure, a transformation that, in his view, raised the value of trustworthy partners and economies capable of weathering external disruptions.
Describing an active knowledge-transfer programme, Modi noted that digital identity systems, payment platforms, and public infrastructure models developed domestically were being offered to partner nations — with countries across the Global South at the front of those conversations — adding, in his own words, that policy reforms in this context stemmed from choice rather than obligation. He described reform as a core commitment held by his side.
Expanding ties with nations across the Global South stood at the heart of what Modi described as India's ambition — an offer to share its accumulated knowledge in digital payments, digital identity systems, and public infrastructure. Growth in India's startup landscape and renewable-energy infrastructure formed part of the prime minister's address, alongside a position that advances in technology and innovation ought to reach people regardless of their income level or where they live.
Speaking at a forum of heads of state, Modi argued that his country's growth trajectory could function as a source of engineering know-how, trained professionals, and workable solutions for other nations working through their own development paths. Citing advances in digital infrastructure, a maturing startup ecosystem, expanding renewable-energy capacity, and improving economic data, he argued that the country's development path could serve as one model for broad-based growth at a moment when trade-route disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and contests over technology and natural resources are reordering global relationships. The phrase he offered — "Power is to empower" — framed his position that the true measure of economic and technological capacity rests not on its size alone but on whether it translates into higher living standards, wider access to opportunity, and practical assistance for other nations navigating shared challenges.
Vaccine shipments dispatched to upwards of 100 nations were put forward by Modi as a demonstration of how domestic production capacity can be turned toward addressing worldwide demand. At the multilateral gathering, he also appealed for nations to work more closely together on issues spanning climate change, public health, artificial intelligence, and economic security.
Those remarks arrived at a moment when India is working to draw in foreign investment, carve out a broader position within global supply networks, and build stronger economic ties with developing economies. The organisation, Modi said, expands alongside a changing world.
