Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Friday that India is among the top 5 economies of the world, and stands among the world’s top three startup ecosystems. The driving force behind these achievements is the vigour and capabilities of our youth, he highlighted.

Addressing the Rashtriya Yuva Mahotsav at Tapovan Ground in Nashik, the PM said that the youth power has propelled India to stand out as the powerhouse of innovation and register unprecedented levels of patent filings, thereby making India emerge as a global manufacturing hub.

Highlighting the thoughts of eminent spiritual leaders Sri Aurobindo, and Swami Vivekananda, Modi said: “Sri Aurobindo believed that if India wants to achieve her goals, the youth of India will have to move forward with independent thinking. Swami Vivekananda too used to say that India’s hopes rest on the character and commitment of her youth.”

The guidance of Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda serves as a great inspiration for the country’s youth in 2024, he added.

Earlier in the day, the PM paid tributes to Swami Vivekananda on his Jayanti to mark the National Youth Day. He also shared a video of his views on Swami Vivekananda.

“His thoughts and messages, full of energy and enthusiasm, will continue to inspire the youth to do something from time to time,” Modi said in a post on X.

In his address, Modi said, Swami Vivekananda ji also used to say that India’s hopes rest on the character of India’s youth, their commitment, and their intellectuality.

“This guidance of Swami Vivekananda is a great inspiration for the youth of India today in 2024.”

Highlighting the work of the NDA government in the last 10 years, the PM said: “In these 10 years, we strived to provide open skies to the youth and remove obstacles in their way. Be it education, employment, entrepreneurship or emerging sectors, startups, skills or sports, a modern dynamic ecosystem is being created in every field today to support the youth of the country.”

“The PM Vishwakarma Yojana has been started to help the youth who do wonders with their hand skills. With the help of the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana, crores of youth have been linked with various kinds of skills. New IITs and NITs are continuously opening in the country.”

“The whole world is looking at India as a skilled force. To enable our youth to showcase their skills abroad, the government is also providing training to the youth going abroad. Our youth will benefit greatly from the mobility agreements that the government has signed with many countries like France, Germany, UK, Australia, Italy, and Austria,” he added.

“This is the time for you to expand your dreams. Now we do not just have to find solutions to problems or just have to overcome challenges, but we have to set new challenges for ourselves.”

“We have set a target of a Rs 5 trillion economy, and become the third largest economy in the world to fulfil the dream of the Self-Reliant India campaign,” Modi said.

Betting high on the manufacturing sector, the PM said like the IT sector, India needs to be made the manufacturing hub of the world. Along with these aspirations, we also have responsibilities towards the future, he added.