PM Modi at 25 Years: ‘We Will Do It’ Becomes Mantra for Viksit Bharat 2047

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday turned the milestone of completing 25 years in public office into a call for a much larger national mission, urging Indians to approach the 2047 developed-India goal with confidence summed up in three words: “We will do it.”

Addressing the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha in New Delhi, Modi laid out an expansive vision for the country two decades ahead.

He said India should aim to become one of the world’s three largest economies, establish itself as a major manufacturing centre and emerge as a global market leader by the time the country marks 100 years of Independence in 2047.

The Prime Minister said the ambition should extend well beyond economic growth.

India, he said, should aspire to become a country whose achievements in education, healthcare, sport, entertainment, innovation, technology and other fields attract global attention.

He also called for greater Indian leadership in artificial intelligence, space technology and efforts to address climate-related challenges.

Using the country’s population as a source of strength, Modi argued that India possesses the human capacity needed to tackle its challenges.

He said the objective should ultimately be to develop solutions in India that can subsequently be adopted by other countries.

He referred to Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar as an example of how an individual achievement can draw international attention, while expressing the aspiration that the world should eventually associate India with aircraft manufactured domestically as well.

From governance experience to a national roadmap

Looking back at his years in government, Modi contrasted the economic and policy environment before 2014 with developments under his government since then.

He pointed to reforms, exports and agricultural performance while arguing that policy direction and implementation had altered the country’s trajectory.

He said the experience of running Gujarat had shaped his understanding of how government decisions affect ordinary people.

When he became Gujarat chief minister in 2001, he said he had no previous experience of administering a government or navigating the bureaucracy. His principal source of confidence, according to his account, was his faith in people.

That period, he said, exposed him to the practical difficulties that can prevent government schemes from reaching their intended beneficiaries.

Understanding why files become delayed and how policies can be taken to the last mile later became useful when he assumed national office in 2014.

Modi described his transition to the prime minister’s office as the beginning of a larger responsibility rather than simply a personal achievement.

He said India at the time faced economic difficulties and widespread uncertainty, and that he responded by returning to the public with a message of confidence and collective effort.

‘The solution must be for everyone’

A significant portion of his speech focused on the idea that development should not be divided along social or political lines.

Without naming political opponents, Modi argued that basic problems such as inadequate irrigation or electricity shortages do not discriminate between communities or castes. Therefore, he said, public solutions must also be designed for everyone.

He also cited the removal of Article 370 and the government’s campaign against Naxal violence as examples of issues that, in his view, had remained unresolved for years before his government acted on them.

Twenty-five years of lessons

The anniversary also prompted Modi to speak less about political milestones and more about the experiences he said had shaped him.

He recalled the earthquake in Bhuj, floods in Morbi, the early setback faced by the Chandrayaan programme and the Covid-19 pandemic as episodes that tested his ability to respond to difficult circumstances.

The Prime Minister said he did not regard the completion of 25 years as an occasion for personal celebration. Instead, he said the more important question was how much the country had moved forward during that period.

Modi also described himself as a lifelong learner. Recalling his school days in Vadnagar, he said his curiosity and desire to learn had stayed with him.

During a temple visit in Delhi on Wednesday, he said he prayed for the country as well as for the strength to continue serving people and for his ability to keep learning.

He said supporters, critics, successes and failures had all contributed to his understanding of public life. In his telling, victories taught humility, setbacks taught resilience, criticism encouraged introspection and opposition demonstrated the importance of democracy.

From October 7, 2001 to the 2047 vision

Modi assumed office as Gujarat chief minister on October 7, 2001. Twenty-five years later, he marked the anniversary by expressing gratitude to the people, the Constitution, democracy, party workers and allies who, he said, had been part of the journey.

He said the milestone should not be viewed as the destination.

Rather, it should serve as another starting point for the next phase of national development.

His central message was therefore directed beyond his own political journey. The task ahead, he said, is to mobilise the country’s vast population around an ambitious national objective and maintain the confidence that the targets set for 2047 can be achieved.

“We will do it”, he said, presenting the phrase as a collective commitment rather than a personal slogan.