‘Our national character has revealed itself…’ – Firstpost

With the five-day AI Impact Summit set to begin on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is building the foundations of a strong artificial intelligence ecosystem by expanding computing power and increasing data centre infrastructure capacity.

In a written interview with PTI, he said data centres would become a major source of employment for young people, adding, “we invite the whole world’s data to reside in India.” The summit is being described as the first major AI gathering in the Global South, and PM Modi is scheduled to address the main plenary on February 19.

Union Budget not a routine exercise

In the interview, PM Modi spoke extensively about the Union Budget, stating that none of his government’s budgets had been prepared as routine “bahi khata” documents, as “that is not our approach.”
Referring to his earlier Red Fort address in which he declared, “Yahi Samay Hai, Sahi Samay Hai”, he said this sense of urgency continues to guide his government.

“Today, that sense of urgency has become a national conviction, a whole-of-society resolve. There is a new confidence in our nation,” he said. “Our national character has revealed itself even in times of different kinds of challenges, and we are a bright spot of growth even in difficult global circumstances.”

Defence allocation rises 

On defence modernisation, Modi said his government had been clear from the outset that it would do whatever is required to support and strengthen the armed forces. He cited the allocation of Rs 7.85 lakh crore to defence in the Union Budget, noting that the outlay is 15 per cent higher than the previous Budget and represents the biggest chunk assigned to any ministry or department.

Referring to Operation Sindoor, he said the country is proud of the courage displayed by the armed forces. “During the operation, one could see the benefits of the reforms we have undertaken in the last decade. Therefore, defence budgets, modernisation, etc.—all these are parts of our continuous effort and need not be linked to any particular issue,” he said, adding, “The country has to be strong and prepared at all times, and that is what we are doing.”

Productive spending and call for private investment

Describing productive expenditure as a defining feature of his administration, Modi said the Union Budget deliberately steered away from short-term populism and instead directed record capital outlays towards infrastructure to generate employment and sustain growth.

He added that after significant government-led capital expenditure in recent years, the next phase requires stronger participation from the private sector. “Policy can only create the enabling framework. The next phase of transformation requires a decisive response from the private sector,” he said. “Indian firms must invest more aggressively in research and development, adopt frontier technologies, deepen supply-chain capabilities and compete on quality and productivity rather than on protected margins.”

Infrastructure expansion over the past decade

PM Modi said that for years, inadequate and outdated infrastructure had created difficulties for both citizens and businesses. “Broken and outdated infrastructure has no place in a nation that aspires to be Viksit Bharat,” he said.

He stated that the government had transformed the sector through speed and scale while upgrading existing facilities. Over the past decade, he said, India has witnessed one of the most extensive infrastructure-building efforts in its history, undertaken with long-term objectives.

He highlighted that the number of airports has doubled and orders for thousands of aircraft have been placed; the number of cities with metro services has more than quadrupled; rural roads and internet connectivity are expanding rapidly; and major investments have been made in freight corridors, ports and coastal connectivity.

Trade agreements and global engagement

On recently concluded trade deals, PM Modi said several countries are recognising the advantages of business agreements with India, describing it as a confident, competitive and fast-growing economy.

“To understand the difference between the earlier approach and ours, consider the EU trade agreement. It was discussed and negotiated even under the previous government. But it was our government which eventually sealed a win-win deal for our economies,” he said, adding, “We are entering into these historic trade deals from a position of strength.”

PM Modi also praised Nirmala Sitharaman, who on February 1 became the only Union Finance Minister to present nine consecutive budgets.
“It is a matter of national pride that our Finance Minister, Nirmala-ji, has presented the Budget nine consecutive times… several women across India feel inspired by this,” he said.