Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took a swipe at imported goods by referring to “small-eyed” Ganesh idols, urging traders to stop selling foreign products and instead contribute to the country’s growth through the “Make-in-India” initiative to further boost India’s economy.
Addressing a public rally in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar PM Modi said, “We must encourage village traders to pledge that no matter, however, much profit they make, they will not sell foreign goods. But unfortunately, even Ganesh idols come from overseas, small-eyed Ganesh idols whose eyes don’t even open properly. For Operation Sindoor, as a citizen, I have a task for you: go home and make a list of how many foreign products you use in 24 hours.”
He stressed that India’s climb up the global economic ladder should not just bring celebration, but also a sense of responsibility to aim higher. He stated that becoming the third-largest economy should now be the nation’s focus.
Reflecting on the country’s economic journey since he first assumed office, Modi said, “On 26th May 2014, I took the oath as the Prime Minister for the first time. At that time, India’s economy was at the 11th position…Today, India has become the world’s fourth-largest economy. It is a matter of pride for all of us that we have now surpassed Japan…I still remember the excitement across the country when we moved from sixth to fifth place, especially among the youth. The reason was that India had overtaken the United Kingdom, the very nation that ruled over us for 250 years.”
He added, “The pressure of becoming the third (largest economy) is more than the happiness of becoming the fourth (largest economy). The country is not ready to wait. If someone asks to wait, the slogan is raised ‘Modi hai toh mumkin hai’…Our goal is clear, by 2047, India must be a Viksit nation. No compromise. We will not mark 100 years of independence casually. We will celebrate it in such a manner that the flag of a Viksit Bharat will fly high across the world.”
Operation Sindoor is also about ‘Viksit Bharat’: Modi
PM Modi said that Operation Sindoor would now be driven by the collective strength of Indians, as he reiterated the importance of producing and purchasing goods made in India.
“On the night of May 6, Operation Sindoor began with the strength of our armed forces. But now, this Operation Sindoor will move forward with the strength of the people. When I speak of the strength of our armed forces and the people’s strength, I mean that every citizen should become a partner in the nation’s development. If we all contribute to building a Viksit Bharat by 2047 and to take our economy from the 4th to the 3rd position globally, we will not rely on foreign products,” Modi said.
His comments came as India officially overtook Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, according to the latest data.
Speaking at a press conference following the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog on the theme ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat 2047’, NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam confirmed the development using International Monetary Fund (IMF) data.
“We are the fourth-largest economy as I speak. We are a USD 4 trillion economy. This is not my data; this is the data from the IMF. India today is larger than Japan. It’s only the United States, China, and Germany which are larger, and if we stick to what is being planned, what is being thought through, it’s a matter of another two to three years; we would become the third largest economy,” said Subrahmanyam.
As per the IMF’s April World Economic Outlook report, India’s nominal GDP for fiscal year 2026 is projected to hit around USD 4.187 trillion, slightly ahead of Japan’s estimated USD 4.186 trillion. The report also forecasts that India’s economy will grow by 6.2% in 2025 and 6.3% in 2026—outpacing both global and regional averages.
(With ANI inputs)