New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday highlighted an article written by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, which underscores India’s distinctive approach to development through scale, skill and self-reliance.

In the article, posted by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on X social media platform, Puri notes that “while developed nations are turning inward, India continues to chart a different course, driven by reforms, digital innovation and the strength of its youthful workforce — factors that are powering the nation’s rise as the world’s growth engine.”

The article that comes in the run-up to the auspicious festival of Diwali, states: “As lamps are lit across India, a timeless scene from the Ramayana speaks to our present. Hanuman stands at the edge of the ocean, uncertain of his strength, until Jambavan reminds him of what he possesses. The leap that follows is not a miracle; it is self-belief on show. That is what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been preparing the Indian economy for — one that draws from its inner strength to overcome global turbulence. As the world turns inwards with new visa barriers and tariffs, India under Modi is turning its own confidence outward, transforming adversity into acceleration.”

The article further states that in recent months, the United States has imposed a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa petitions and a 100 per cent tariff on branded and patented pharmaceutical imports. These moves were framed as job protection, but they underscore a deeper trend: The return of protectionism and demographic anxiety in the developed world.

“India’s answer under Prime Minister Modi has been to strengthen the three pillars that no tariff can touch: Scale, skill, and self-reliance,” the article observes.

It further states that the contrast with the world is striking. China’s population is ageing rapidly, its median age is now past 40, while India’s remains under 29. Two-thirds of our people are below the age of 35.

That youthful energy, harnessed through skilling, education, and enterprise, is what makes India the growth engine of the world economy. It is not a slogan when global institutions report that India contributed more than 16 per cent of the world’s growth last year. It is the result of a decade of reform, investment, and infrastructure under the Prime Minister’s leadership.

It further points out that the RBI has raised India’s GDP forecast for FY26 to 6.8 per cent, citing resilient domestic demand, steady investment flows, and a healthy monsoon outlook. GST collections in September crossed Rs 1.89 lakh crore, the ninth consecutive month above Rs 1.8 lakh crore, showing both buoyant consumption and a widening tax base.

Foreign-exchange reserves have touched $700 billion, enough to cover almost 11 months of imports, while remittances in the June quarter stood at $33.2 billion, well above last year’s levels. The manufacturing PMI held strong at 57.7 and services at 60.9, reaffirming India’s status as the world’s fastest-growing large economy.

–IANS

sps/na