India grows with the world: Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister on Tuesday said India’s economic growth was anchored in strong fundamentals and a sustained reform drive, declaring that the country sought to expand its global economic influence through shared prosperity rather than at the expense of other nations.

Speaking at the Bloomberg Economic Forum, PM Modi said, “India is the mother of democracy, and the people openly debate different issues and discuss different perspectives.” He said this a day after the Delhi police’s clampdown on the protest against the Election Commission sparking international headlines.

“And that is not all. In the age of social media, India has more than 500 million YouTube users and over 500 million Instagram users. And in the present era, one of the major forces that has played a significant role in this has been digital power,” Modi added. At another point in his speech, the PM said: “The government has authority, but its purpose should not be to make its citizens dependent on the system. Rather, its purpose should be to strengthen and empower its citizens, and India is on this path.”

He spoke about the responsibility that comes with authority. “Whoever possesses knowledge, wealth, and power, how they use it is crucial. The true value of power lies in its purpose, and it’s crucial to understand this philosophy in today’s times… Our thousands of years of tradition have taught us this, and in India, we have demonstrated its application in our governance and work culture…,” he said.

Modi said India’s economic growth was anchored in strong fundamentals and a sustained reform drive. India, he said, sought to expand its global economic influence through shared prosperity. “We do not grow at anyone’s cost. We grow with the world. And for the world,” Modi said, pitching India as a reliable economic partner amid geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions and growing competition over critical technologies and resources.