Modi defended India’s 7.8% GDP growth, calling it evidence of economic resilience amid global disruptions.
He revived his 2013 “half-filled glass” analogy, accusing critics of maintaining a pessimistic view of India’s progress.
Modi contrasted 2013 economic challenges with India’s current position as the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attacked critics of India’s GDP numbers and said those who pushed the country into the “Fragile Five” could not accept its rise as the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
Speaking at the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi, he pointed to 7.8% growth in the April-June quarter as proof of economic resilience amid the war in West Asia and disruptions to global trade.
His remarks came amid debate over the latest GDP figures and revisions under the new GDP series, with economists questioning how far headline growth is translating into jobs, investment and broader economic activity.
SRCC Address Revisited
Modi returned to Shri Ram College of Commerce for its centenary celebrations, 13 years after his widely discussed 2013 address there. He revived his old “half-filled glass” analogy to attack what he described as persistent pessimism about India.
In 2013, Modi had said some people saw a glass as half full and others as half empty, while he saw it as completely full, with one half water and the other air. On Saturday, he said the same mindset still shaped some criticism of India.
“For them, the glass will always be half empty. I am talking about the glass, not about anything else remaining empty,” Modi said.
Report Card Claim
Modi framed the speech as a review of promises and performance. He said the event gave him a chance to compare the ideas he had set out at SRCC in 2013 with his government’s record after taking office in 2014.
“I have come before you with my report card,” he said. He added that “the echo of lies cannot stand before the roar of truth”.
Modi drew a contrast with 2013. He recalled a weak rupee, inflation of nearly 10%, a record current account deficit, slowing industrial growth, corruption allegations and what he described as “policy paralysis”.
He also referred to terror attacks, violence along the Line of Control and unrest in different parts of the country to underline what he called the mood of pessimism at the time. India was then grouped among the “Fragile Five”, emerging economies seen as especially exposed to global financial shocks.
“The world was calling India one of the ‘Fragile Five’. Today, the world is watching India become the fastest-growing major economy,” Modi said. Referring to the latest GDP numbers, he added that they showed the economy’s strength despite geopolitical and trade pressures.
“India is not only growing, it is also creating new employment opportunities,” he added.
