India mother of democracy, we debate on issues democratically: Modi
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called India the "mother of democracy" while stressing that diverse views and open debates are central to Indian society. Addressing the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, he cited India's linguistic diversity, its massive media ecosystem, and the rise of digital participation as proof of this democratic spirit. "India is mother of democracy, we have over 100s languages....80,000 registered newspapers....In age of social media, we have over 500 million YouTube users and instagram users," he said.
Mantra
'Power to empower': PM Modi shares vision
He also unveiled his vision of "power to empower" at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum.
He stressed that the real question is not who has power, but how it is being used for people's benefit.
"The right question is: how is this power being utilized? Will technology only be beneficial for a few people or will create opportunities for crores of people? Will knowledge remain the strength of a few people, or empower everyone?" he said" he asked.
Empowerment
Power to enable over power to control
PM Modi argued that the approach called for a shift in thinking, prioritizing empowerment over control, cooperation over competition and helping others succeed over individual success.
"This seeds a new thinking — power to empower. Ahead of power to control, power to enable. Ahead of power to compete, power to cooperate. Ahead of power to succeed, power of helping others to succeed," he said.
Digital impact
India has lifted 250 million people out of poverty: PM
The prime minister further said the government's role should be to strengthen citizens rather than make them dependent.
"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. Following this path, India has lifted 250 million people out of poverty in the last ten years—more than the population of many countries in the world..."
Power dynamics
'India's confidence is at an unprecedented level'
For India, reforms are not a compulsion; "they are our conviction," Modi continued.
"In a world full of uncertainties, India offers the confidence of reliability and stability. India's growth rate in the April-June quarter of this year was 7.8%, and this growth stands on a strong foundation..."
He added, "Today, our foreign exchange reserves exceed $700 billion... As a result of this strength, India's sovereign ratings are being upgraded. Today, India's confidence is at an unprecedented level."
Twitter Post
This decade brought global challenges like never before
#WATCH | Delhi | PM Narendra Modi says, "This decade of the 21st century has brought global challenges like never before. In the last six years, we witnessed a global pandemic. Then, wars broke out in various regions... The very things that once connected the world are now… pic.twitter.com/asQap4yGYD
— ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2026