Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday marked 25 uninterrupted years as a head of government with a renewed pledge to work towards a “Viksit Bharat”, saying he would continue serving the country with the same “spirit of duty and devotion” and with greater energy to realise the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047.
Modi, who first took office as Gujarat chief minister on October 7, 2001, described the quarter-century as a “deeply fulfilling journey of service”. He thanked President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan for their greetings on the milestone and credited the participation of Indians for the changes witnessed during this period.
‘Journey of service’
Responding to Murmu’s greetings, Modi said the progress witnessed by the country had been possible because crores of Indians had chosen to participate in its transformation with confidence and determination.
“Rashtrapati Ji, thank you for the wishes and generous words,” Modi said in a post on X. “I shall continue to serve our nation with the same spirit of duty and devotion as we all move together towards building a ‘Viksit Bharat’.”
The Prime Minister said the transformation was particularly meaningful because its impact could be seen in people’s everyday lives. He described his 25 years in government as a journey shaped at every stage by the “affection, faith and blessings” of the people.
Responding separately to Radhakrishnan, Modi said public trust and participation had strengthened his journey. “I remain committed to working with even greater energy to realise our collective vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’,” he said.
25 years at helm
Modi has served continuously as a head of government since October 7, 2001, when he was sworn in as Gujarat chief minister. He subsequently led the BJP to victories in the 2002, 2007 and 2012 Gujarat Assembly elections.
After moving to national politics as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, he became Prime Minister in May 2014 following the party’s Lok Sabha victory. He retained office after the 2019 election and began a third consecutive term as Prime Minister after the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The October 7 milestone therefore marks 25 years since Modi first assumed executive office as the head of an elected government, spanning his tenure in Gujarat and his years as Prime Minister.
‘We Will Do It’
Earlier in the day, Modi addressed the “Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha” organised to mark his quarter-century as a head of government and coined the slogan “We Will Do It” while setting out his vision for India in 2047.
“The dream we are seeing today in 2026 of a developed India will surely come true. There is no reason for India to stop now,” Modi said.
Drawing a comparison between India’s population around a century ago and today, he said the country had fewer than 40 crore people then but now had more than 140 crore citizens who could collectively drive its development.
“The 140 crore citizens together will build a developed India by 2047, and we certainly will. We Will Do It,” he said.
Modi highlighted what he described as the achievements of his governments across different sectors and argued that several developments once considered difficult or impossible had been accomplished. His remarks framed the 2047 target — the centenary of Independence — as the next major national objective.
Warning over divisions
Alongside the development pitch, Modi used the occasion to flag caste-based political divisions as a challenge to the country’s progress.
He argued that attempts to fragment society for electoral or “vote-bank” considerations could undermine national unity. The Prime Minister said adversity did not distinguish between communities or castes and urged people not to allow such divisions to weaken the country’s collective strength.
The remarks came against the backdrop of caste and social representation continuing to occupy a prominent place in political debate, with Opposition parties pressing issues such as a nationwide caste census and greater representation. Modi’s comments represented his political assessment of those divisions rather than an independent finding.
Prayers and pledge
Modi also offered prayers at the Shri Vinayaka Temple on Wednesday morning as he marked the milestone and renewed his pledge to serve the country with dedication.
The anniversary was marked by greetings from senior constitutional and political figures as well as a special resolution adopted by the Union Cabinet recognising his 25 years as a head of government.
For Modi, the milestone links two distinct phases of his political career — nearly 13 years at the helm in Gujarat and more than 12 years as Prime Minister. His message on completing the quarter-century, however, was directed towards the next two decades, with the 2047 Viksit Bharat goal at the centre of his government’s political and development narrative.