Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian diaspora in Paris on May 27, 2024, to mark his 12 years in office [1].
The speech serves as a high-profile summary of the administration's domestic achievements, linking the leader's personal trajectory to the nation's economic expansion.
Modi said that India's journey is about empowering people and transforming lives [2]. He highlighted several key metrics of growth, stating that the country's GDP has doubled [3]. He also said that the number of airports, universities, and highway construction have all doubled during his tenure [3].
Beyond infrastructure, the Prime Minister focused on poverty alleviation. He said that 250 million people have been lifted out of poverty [2].
Modi connected these national statistics to his own life story to illustrate the possibility of growth within the Indian democratic system. "From a tea seller to Prime Minister, India has doubled its scale," Modi said [3].
The event drew praise from political allies. Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the period was the "golden era of India's reconstruction" [1].
Addressing the diaspora in France allowed the Prime Minister to showcase India's perceived democratic strength and economic trajectory to an international audience. He positioned the 12-year milestone as evidence of a systemic transformation in how the country operates and builds its future.
“"India's journey is about empowering people, transforming lives."”
By framing India's economic growth through the lens of his own rise from a tea seller to the premiership, Modi is attempting to merge his personal brand with the state's developmental success. The focus on doubling GDP and infrastructure suggests a strategic effort to project India as a rising global superpower to the diaspora and international observers.
