Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared on Sunday that the strength of “Yuva Shakti” will make India a developed nation.

The prime minister was addressing the “Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025” at Bharat Mandapam here on the occasion of National Youth Day celebrated in commemoration of the birth anniversary of spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda. He said, “India is truly blessed to have such a ‘Yuva Shakti’.

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I have faith that this ‘Yuva Shakti’ will make India a developed nation. People who calculate data may think it is impossible…I know it is a huge target but certainly not impossible.”

Citing the immense faith Vivekananda had in the youth of the nation, Modi said he believed that his disciples would come from the younger generation, who would solve every problem, like lions. He said since he had faith in Vivekananda and his beliefs, he trusted his vision for the youth. “If Swami Vivekananda were among us today, he would be filled with new confidence upon witnessing the awakened power and active efforts of the 21st-century youth,” he added.

Recalling the G-20 Summit hosted at Bharat Mandapam in 2023, Modi highlighted the significance of the venue stating that the world leaders were at the same venue to discuss the future of the world while today, the youth of India were charting the roadmap for the next 25 years of India. Recounting a conversation with young athletes at his residence, he said one of them referred to him as a friend.

Emphasising his bond of friendship with the youth of the nation, the prime minister stated that the strongest link in friendship is trust. He expressed his immense trust in the youth, which inspired the formation of MY Bharat and the foundation of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue. Stating that setting big goals and achieving them within a timeframe is not impossible, he said, “Without a clear goal, nothing can be achieved, and today’s India is working with this mindset.”

Highlighting several examples of achieving goals through determination over the past decade, Modi said India resolved to become open defecation-free, and within 60 months, 60 crore citizens achieved this goal. Nearly every family in India now has access to banking services, and over 100 million gas connections have been provided to free women’s kitchens from smoke.

Noting that India is achieving its targets ahead of schedule in various sectors, the prime minister said during the COVDI-19 pandemic, while the world struggled for vaccines, Indian scientists developed a vaccine ahead of time.

He also highlighted India’s commitment to green energy, noting that India was the first country to meet the Paris Agreement commitments, nine years ahead of schedule. “Achieving big goals is not solely the responsibility of government machinery but requires the collective effort of every citizen,” said Modi.

The prime minister announced that the ideas and suggestions from the Young Leaders Dialogue will now become part of national policies, guiding the country’s development. He also urged the youth to take these ideas to every corner of the country, connecting other young people in every district, village, and neighborhood with the spirit of a developed India.

Sharing his vision of a developed India and emphasising its economic, strategic, social, and cultural strength, Mod said in a developed India, both the economy and ecology would flourish, offering numerous opportunities for good education and income. He also expressed confidence that India would soon become the world’s third-largest economy.