Here is the full text of Exclusive Interview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Press Trust of India:
On the trade deal
QUESTION: In the last month or so, India’s global interaction has seen a sharp uptick in trade deals. The centrepieces are the trade deals with the EU and the tariff breakthrough with the US. How will these change the trajectory of India’s growth and economy?
ANSWER: India’s global interaction and integration have seen a sharp uptick over the last few years. These trade agreements may have happened recently, but they are the outcome of a more competitive domestic industry, a confident approach and an open outlook. These are rare qualities in today’s world.
Before we speak of India’s successful trade agreements in recent years, it is important to recall where we stood just over a decade ago. During the years of the UPA government, they tried to secure some trade deals. Yet the journey was marked by uncertainty and inconsistency. Largely because their economic mismanagement left India unable to negotiate from a position of confidence, they did not lay the environment to bring negotiations to a conclusion. Talks would begin and then break down. In the end, despite prolonged negotiations, very little of real substance was achieved.
But once we came in, we led an economic resurgence through our policy-driven governance, strengthened our economic fundamentals and created a rules-based system. When we ensured political stability, policy predictability and a reform-oriented approach, the world wanted to invest in India.
Our reforms helped both our manufacturing and service sectors and encouraged productivity and competitiveness among our MSMEs. As a confident, competitive and fast-growing economy, many nations saw the benefits of pursuing trade agreements with us.
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.
Over the last few years, we have built a strategic and purposeful network of Free Trade Agreements. We now have FTAs with 38 partner nations, an unprecedented milestone in India’s trade history. A remarkable feature of these trade agreements is that they span continents and include countries of varying economic strength. This gives our manufacturers and producers enough diversity and depth to sell our products across many markets.
These FTAs have opened up the markets of major economies to India’s manufactured products. For instance, the India-UK FTA and the India-E.U. FTA will eliminate tariffs on 99% of our exports to these countries. Merchandise trade with both Australia and the UAE has doubled since the signing of FTAs with these countries.
Our service sector and its professionals are well known worldwide. They have already made India a hub of Global Capability Centres in different domains. These trade agreements have further boosted their opportunities with greater regulatory certainty, mutually beneficial frameworks and greater mobility across our partner nations.
Our manufacturing sector has been taking giant strides in over the past few years and these trade agreements will help integrate India and Indian products more deeply into global supply chains. They will give better returns to Indian producers and manufacturers and also contribute to increasing prosperity for our people.
The trade agreements of the past few years have come at a historic and opportune time for both our manufacturing and service sectors. They are creating a huge number of opportunities for our youth. I am confident that they will make an impact on the world with the quality and competitiveness of our goods and services. Once our youth make an impact on the minds of the common people of our partner nations, there will be no looking back.
These trade agreements are significant not merely because of tariff reductions but because of supply-chain integration and market access in advanced economies. They gradually liberalise manufacturing tariffs, deepen services integration and create new avenues for labour-intensive exports such as textiles, footwear, electronics and engineering goods. In that sense, they support structural transformation rather than simply boosting headline trade numbers.
These FTAs also anchor domestic reform to external commitments. They widen export opportunities, reduce tariff disadvantages relative to competitors, and integrate Indian firms more deeply into global value chains. They reinforce India’s transition toward becoming a more open, confident and globally engaged economy, aligned with the long-term vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Q: In recent trade agreements, MSMEs have featured prominently, something we did not see earlier. Is this growing focus a reflection of stronger export competitiveness among Indian MSMEs, or does it signal a more deliberate policy shift to integrate smaller firms into global value chains?
A: We are entering into these historic trade deals from a position of strength. The vision of Made in India has filled our MSMEs with new confidence and vigour. As a country that is part of various trade agreements, making Indian products and services globally competitive is crucial. Our stance on ‘Zero Defect, Zero Effect’ has resonated deeply with the youth, start-ups and small and medium businesses.
Trade competitiveness is not only about tariffs. It is about liquidity, certification, technology adoption and compliance with global standards. Our FTAs are designed to reduce non-tariff barriers and expand market access for MSMEs in sectors such as textiles, leather, processed food, engineering goods, chemicals, handicrafts and gems and jewellery.
The objective is clear: MSMEs must move beyond being peripheral suppliers. They must become technologically upgraded, globally integrated and export-oriented enterprises that form the backbone of India’s participation in global value chains.
Many global brands, across fields as diverse as smartphones and aviation, have integrated Indian MSMEs into their value chains. The growing prominence of MSMEs in India’s recent trade agreements reflects both the improved competitiveness of Indian small businesses and a clear policy shift to integrate them into global value chains.
Through the deals we signed with Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the EU, and the U.S., we have opened access for our MSMEs, particularly in labour-intensive sectors, to export to these countries with near-zero tariffs or tariffs much lower than those of other exporting countries. This will benefit our MSMEs in textiles, leather, footwear, engineering goods, processed food, chemicals, handicrafts, gems and jewellery.
These agreements are designed not just to increase trade volumes but to embed Indian MSMEs into global markets. Additionally, our FTAs help unlock funds for R&D, testing and certification for MSMEs, and support their environmental sustainability.
These measures establish India as a reliable partner and Indian MSMEs as reliable suppliers. So, the answer is both: Indian MSMEs are more export-ready than before, and India’s trade policy now deliberately places MSMEs at the centre of global integration. These FTAs are tools to ensure that our youth are not just suppliers to the domestic market, but active participants in global trade and growth. At the macro level, these are conscious policy choices in our rapid march towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
At the same time, we are making sustained efforts to make MSMEs stronger domestically. The Economic Survey highlights the strong upward trend in bank credit to Micro and Small Enterprises and the sustained improvement in asset quality across the financial system. In this year’s Budget, we have addressed one of the most persistent constraints faced by MSMEs: access to affordable working capital. Key measures include expanding credit guarantee coverage, strengthening receivables financing through TReDS platforms, rationalising GST processes to reduce working-capital blockages, and continuing the prioritisation of MSME lending within the banking system. Public sector banks have also introduced improved credit assessment frameworks to ease the flow of finance to smaller firms.
Q: The government recently presented the Union Budget for 2026-27 in the parliament. The government’s strong push for capital expenditure has continued this year also. What are a few strategic choices your government has made in this year’s budget?
A: For a long time, high-quality infrastructure had been neglected, posing a challenge for the people and Indian businesses. Broken and outdated infrastructure has no place in a nation that aspires to create a Viksit Bharat.
Therefore, we revolutionised the sector with our speed, scale and focus on creating next-gen infrastructure, while upgrading the existing infrastructure. In the last decade or so, India has seen perhaps the most expansive infrastructure-building effort in our history, an unprecedented emphasis on quality! The most important aspect of this has been the way we have created infrastructure with the future in mind.
At a time when India is placing orders for thousands of aircraft, the number of airports has doubled.
At a time when India is urbanising rapidly, the number of cities with metro services has more than quadrupled.
At a time when rural aspirations are growing, rural roads and internet connectivity are expanding rapidly.
At a time when path-breaking trade agreements with around 38 countries have been concluded and trade volumes are set to grow massively, we have invested in a transformational expansion of our freight corridors, ports, and coastal connectivity.
The Economic Survey has underscored that capital accumulation, labour formalisation, and digital public infrastructure together have elevated India’s potential growth rate to 7%.
The recent Budget is a good reflection of our governance style and priorities.
Productive spending has been a hallmark of our government. The high Capital Expenditure reflects our focus on infrastructure and capital investment, which are strong engines for long-term growth. For the next financial year (2026-27), our overall capital expenditure stands at about Rs. 12.2 lakh crore. To put this in perspective, this represents a 5-times increase compared to 2013. This reflects a conscious strategic choice to invest in assets that create productivity, jobs, and future economic capacity rather than short-term populism. This shows that our focus is on improving the quality of life for the people, creating jobs for our youth and advancing the nation’s progress towards Viksit Bharat.
We have recorded a capital outlay of almost Rs. 3 lakh crore for Indian Railways, with a priority on high-speed connectivity, freight capacity, and passenger safety. Seven new high-speed rail corridors are proposed to be developed to connect major Indian cities, including the South High-Speed Diamond corridor, which will significantly benefit Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
At the same time, the Dedicated Freight Corridors are being expanded to decongest passenger routes and reduce logistics costs for industry.
On the roads front, allocations for national highways have increased nearly 500% compared to a decade ago.
At the same time, we are investing in sunrise sectors, including the Biopharma SHAKTI mission, the India Semiconductor Mission, the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme, rare-earth corridors, and chemical parks. These will provide a new impetus to jobs and investment while strengthening India’s future.
An important feature of this budget has been our continued stress on trust-based governance. Across sectors, ministries, and processes, we are massively reducing paperwork, decriminalising offences, and reducing compliance requirements. This is because we envisage the state as an enabler, and we trust the citizens. This will have a far deeper impact on people’s lives than the numbers in typical budgets.
Q: This year’s Budget was not the run-of-the-mill “bahi khata” document. It reads like a vision statement for India’s future, focused on strengthening our economy. Why, particularly now? Have you determined that India is now ready to launch into the next phase of development toward a moonshot for Viksit Bharat by 2047? Was it a now-or-never situation?
A: First of all, I would respectfully say that none of our budgets has been made with an attitude of creating a run-of-the-mill ‘bahi khata’ (बही खाता) documents. Because that is not our approach.
It is a privilege of mine that the people’s blessings have been with me for a long time, and I have served for 25 years as the head of government, first at the state level and now at the national level. If one takes a closer look at my approach in the last 25 years, it becomes clear that our work doesn’t happen in bits and pieces. There is a broader strategy, a plan of action and an effective implementation that reflects the ‘whole of the nation’ thinking, continuity of purpose and a long-term vision, progressively unfolding step by step, year after year.
Since 2014, the nation has come to view the Budget as far more than a ledger of numbers, facts, or ad hoc announcements. Each budget has contained intent, a clear-cut roadmap, and a sequence of actions, each with stated timelines for achieving them. Then we focus on implementation, and in the next Budget, it is taken to the next logical step.
In these years, we have addressed the structural gaps left behind by earlier administrations, undertaken bold structural reforms, expanded opportunities for the poor, empowered our youth, strengthened the role of women and ensured dignity and security for our farmers.
Along with this, we deployed an inclusive, tech-driven yet human-centric welfare architecture that reaches the last mile and leaves no one behind.
At every stage, the guiding focus has been nation-building, strengthening the economy and laying the foundations of Viksit Bharat.
This Budget represents the next level in this journey, imparting momentum to our ‘Reform Express.’ It is designed to accelerate momentum and prepare our youth for the opportunities of a rapidly changing world.
A few years ago, I had said from the ramparts of the Red Fort, “Yahi Samay Hai, Sahi Samay Hai” (यही समय है, सही समय है). The ‘now is the time’ sense of purpose that you are alluding to has always been there within us. But today, that sense of urgency has become a national conviction, a whole-of-society resolve.
There is a new confidence in our nation. 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.
We are living in a post-pandemic world order that is opening new doors for India; countries eager to partner with us in trade and innovation, we have a young and increasingly skilled population; and we are focusing on strong growth accompanied by low inflation and macroeconomic stability. Our youth are creating waves in fields as diverse as space, sports and startups. We have ensured political stability and a reform-oriented policy environment. And because of these developments, people are seeing this as a historic opportunity for India.
Even as these developments were gaining momentum, the nation also witnessed the historic Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, which infused the people with a sense of mission.
Further, see the behavioural transformations that have taken root over the last few years. Whether it is cleanliness or any other issue, people know that building a developed nation is not just about infrastructure or economy, but also about social habits.
So, this is not a ‘now or never’ moment born out of compulsion. It is a ‘we are ready’ moment born out of preparation and inspiration. This Budget reflects this yearning to become a developed nation.
Therefore, this budget should not be seen just as Budget 2026. This is the first budget in the second quarter of the 21st century. This budget consolidates the gains made since 2014 and builds upon them to impart momentum for the next quarter-century. Just as the decisions and initiatives taken in the 1920s laid the foundation for independence in 1947, the decisions we are taking now are laying the foundation for Viksit Bharat by 2047.
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Q: From the budget announcements, it seems that India has doubled down on the manufacturing sector, like electronics, semiconductors, defence, containers, bio-pharma and textiles. What results have been yielded by previous efforts? Why do you think manufacturing specifically has the potential to provide employment and economic growth?
A: It is well known that with industrialisation and urbanisation, large numbers of youth from rural and semi-rural areas find it aspirational to move to cities and work in globally connected industries. Only a manufacturing and services revolution could fulfil their aspirations. These should have been addressed long before our government came in, but unfortunately, not much happened in this direction under earlier governments. But we have changed the approach.
Manufacturing has always been central to our vision of Viksit Bharat. Any country that wants to grow at scale and grow quickly cannot do so by remaining only a consumer. It must become a producer of high-quality, globally competitive goods.
This conviction led to the launch of ‘Make in India’ and, over time, to targeted interventions such as the Production Linked Incentive schemes. These initiatives are instruments that are rebuilding India’s industrial base, integrating us into global value chains, and creating large-scale employment. We have also been working to support our youth in developing the skills necessary to be part of global value chains.
The outcomes of these efforts are now clearly visible. India’s goods exports have repeatedly broken earlier records in recent years. A country that imported almost all its mobile phones a decade ago is today the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer, with exports forming a significant share of production. In fact, globally celebrated phone brands are being produced in India.
Defence manufacturing is rising, India is a trusted global supplier of pharmaceuticals, and our electronics manufacturing has expanded as well. Similar progress can be seen in textiles, engineering goods and chemicals as well.
The transformation is evident even in sectors that were once taken too lightly, such as toys. India was a net importer of toys not long ago. Today, toy exports have grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade.
It is well known that India has seen a startup revolution, thanks to our young innovators. We went from just a few hundred startups to over 2 lakh in just a decade. Often, we think of these as just tech startups. But among these, there are a number of manufacturing-related startups, creating attractive employment opportunities for our youth.
As a result of this growth in manufacturing, large number of jobs have been created for our youth. Manufacturing is especially important for job creation because it creates jobs across the skill spectrum. Each manufacturing unit also generates a wider ecosystem of ancillary industries, logistics and services.
This manufacturing resurgence has also been reinforced by a cultural shift. There is growing pride among citizens in buying Made in India products. Therefore, over the last 10-11 years, our policy, production, and public sentiment have come together to do wonders for manufacturing.
Support for legacy industrial clusters will help sectors such as textiles, apparel, leather and footwear, engineering goods, chemicals and traditional handicrafts.
The pharma sector has been a strong contributor to our growth. The Biopharma SHAKTI initiative will further boost it.
We have also consciously worked to expand India’s manufacturing portfolio beyond traditional strengths. We are moving into strategic and sunrise sectors. It is important that India does not remain dependent on imports in areas that will define the future economy. Budget 2026 takes this manufacturing strategy further. It addresses strategically important sectors such as rare earths, semiconductors and container manufacturing.
The record capex allocation will also benefit the manufacturing sector.
Taken together, Budget 2026 is all about strengthening the manufacturing ecosystem, expanding value addition and creating conditions for skill and scale to come together. The end result will be Aatmanirbharta and massive job creation.
However, I want to use this opportunity to make a request to the dynamic private corporate sector. Policy can only create the enabling framework. The next phase of transformation requires a decisive response from the private sector.
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. Incentives and tariff preferences can catalyse growth, but durable competitiveness must rest on innovation, efficiency and scale.
Equally, as productivity rises, the gains must be shared fairly between workers, shareholders and owner-managers. Sustainable growth requires social legitimacy. Rising real wages, skill upgrading, and stable employment reinforce domestic demand and social cohesion, which, in turn, support long-term investment.
The state has focused on infrastructure, macro stability, regulatory reform and trade access. The next leap toward Viksit Bharat by 2047 will depend on how boldly Indian enterprise invests in innovation, builds long-term capacity and positions itself as a globally competitive, technologically confident and socially responsible engine of growth.
Q: Similarly, the IT sector and data centres have been granted some tax incentives. How will that help India’s long-term vision to become a tech powerhouse and a leading AI country?
A: The world has been undergoing significant shifts in its technological landscape. Now, nations cannot be content with just digital adoption but must also aspire to digital leadership. As we saw in the digital payments space, only with digital leadership will digital inclusion become possible.
During the Industrial Revolution, we were left behind due to colonisation. During the earlier manufacturing revolution, we were left behind due to neglect by post-independence governments. But now, in this technological and data-driven revolution, it is important that we take the lead.
India, with an aspirational population of 140 crore people, is one of the world’s largest generators and consumers of data. We are one of the most diverse nations in the world, and our data also reflects this diversity. Such a massive and diverse data pool has great potential only when it can be leveraged safely and productively. So, we are paying attention to every aspect of the data ecosystem, including security, skills, software and infrastructure.
For security, we brought in the Digital Personal Data Protection law to build a safe, secure, privacy-protecting, rights-based framework that empowers citizens.
As for skills and software, the talent of Indian youth in the data science space is world-renowned.
The focus on data centres fulfils the infrastructure part of this ecosystem.
When we think of technology, we often focus on what is visible, such as applications, platforms and devices. But equally important are the foundational layers that make all such things possible. Data centres are one such critical layer. The importance of this becomes even more apparent when we look at the domain of artificial intelligence. AI needs computing power and data centre infrastructure. By expanding capacity today, we are laying the foundations for a thriving Indian AI ecosystem.
Recognising this potential, major investments have already been announced in this space by international and Indian companies in the recent past. The tax incentives announced in the Budget are designed to accelerate investment in this space, lower the cost of building advanced facilities and position India as a globally competitive destination for data infrastructure. The result of this, too, will be a massive number of jobs for our youth!
We invite the whole world’s data to reside in India!
Q: Defence outlay in the budget has seen a significant jump. Is this a result of success and lessons learnt from Op Sindoor? Does this also signal continued mistrust of our neighbours, and how real is the danger of another war with Pakistan?
A: In this year’s Budget, a record Rs. 7.85 lakh crore has been allocated to the defence sector. This is 15% higher than the previous Budget and is also the biggest chunk allotted to any ministry or department.
If you look at the details, too, there are noteworthy aspects. For modernisation, Rs. 1.85 lakh crore has been allotted, which is 25% above last year’s allocation. The capital expenditure allotment for the three forces is almost Rs. 2.20 lakh crore.
Out of this Rs. 2.2 lakh crore, 75% is reserved for procurement from domestic defence industries.
This not only enhances security but also creates jobs and strengthens our industrial base. The results are already visible: defence exports have crossed Rs. 23,000 crore, a nearly 35-fold rise in the past decade, and indigenous defence production has touched record levels.
We are very sensitive to the well-being of our ex-servicemen. Hence, the allotment for the healthcare scheme exceeds Rs. 12,000 crore. In percentage terms, it is a 45% rise.
But, there is something more that I wish to place on record…
Since Day 1, our Government has been clear- we will do whatever it takes to support our defence forces and strengthen them. Yes, this year’s allocation is a record high, but viewing it in isolation only provides a limited perspective. You may recall that it was our Government that fulfilled a four-decade long demand of OROP. It is one of our biggest tragedies that those who ruled the nation for decades used the defence sector only to enrich their own pockets, as evidenced by the number of defence-related scams during their tenure.
As technology reshapes the world, our armed forces must be equipped with the best of Indian innovation and industry. As a nation that is playing an increasingly important role in the world, we have a duty to modernise our defence sector in line with current realities.
We have been working on modernisation and self-reliance in this sector for the last 11 years. See the number of startups working in this sector now. We believe in giving Indian talent the opportunity to support our forces and contribute to a stronger India.
The second part of your question pertains to Operation Sindoor…the entire nation is proud of the courage shown by our armed forces during Operation Sindoor. 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.
Yes, the reality is that our nation has to be strong and be prepared at all times, and that is what we are doing.
Q: India’s ‘Reform Express’ continues to gain momentum in many sectors. Are you satisfied with the progress made? How has that helped a common person on the street? If you had to prioritise just three economic reforms for the next decade, what would they be?
A: You’ve asked whether I am satisfied with the progress made in the Reform Express. I must say that by temperament, I am never fully satisfied. I believe public life demands a certain constructive restlessness, a constant urge to do more, to improve faster, to serve better. So yes, there is always a strong desire to achieve more for our people and to take our country forward.
At the same time, it is important to acknowledge the scale of progress achieved in the journey of Reform Express. Reform is the commitment of this government, something we have shown in letter and spirit. I am proud to say that we have moved from incremental adjustments to systemic transformation.
There are numerous examples of this:
Take the GST reform. The two-slab structure has eased the burdens of households, MSMEs, and labour-intensive sectors.
We changed the definition of small companies, which helped reduce compliance costs.
The FDI reform allowing 100% FDI in insurance has led to better choices for people, especially the middle class.
Several outdated laws are now history.
Earlier, there were no ministries specifically focused on developing crucial sectors such as skill development, fisheries, cooperatives, and AYUSH. We changed that and now, each of these sectors is thriving.
For decades, the nation waited for labour reforms. It was our Government that initiated them, ensuring that workers’ interests are protected and that businesses thrive.
India is a digital leader in the world today. It was made possible by a fundamental reform in how our people transact, via the UPI platform.
For our youth, reforms have created an ecosystem where aspiration is supported by opportunity. India has emerged as one of the world’s leading StartUp ecosystems. Young innovators today can convert ideas into enterprises with far fewer obstacles than before.
For MSMEs, which are the backbone of our economy, reforms have improved access to credit, simplified tax processes and strengthened integration into global value chains. At the same time, we have significantly increased the investment and turnover limits for MSMEs to ensure they can continue to receive these benefits while they grow and integrate into global value chains.
Most importantly, reforms have helped the common citizen. The menace of middlemen has reduced. In parallel, infrastructure expansion has improved connectivity and reduced logistics costs.
Often, there is a limited understanding of the word ‘reforms’ as as referring only to the economy and industry. But reforms in the social sector are as important. Programmes like Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks have transformed lives in areas once neglected as ‘backward’. Similarly, the PM-JANMAN scheme identifies those tribal communities that have been particularly disadvantaged and works for their welfare.
As for prioritising three reforms for the next decade, our direction is clear, rather than limiting it to a fixed number. First, we will continue structural reforms that improve competitiveness and productivity. Second, we will deepen innovation in technology, manufacturing and services. Third, we will simplify governance further so that citizens and businesses can operate with greater ease and trust.
Q: You have often emphasised that women should be at the centre of Viksit Bharat’s vision. In what specific ways does this Budget lower barriers and expand opportunities for women to participate more fully in India’s growth?
A: I would like to state unequivocally that the welfare of women guides every decision our Government takes. This is clearly reflected in our schemes over the last decade.
Right from the birth of the girl child to the fulfilment of women’s aspirations, we have initiatives and reforms that are working for women at every step. Whether it is Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Swachh Bharat, scholarships for girls, PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, MUDRA or PM Surakshit Matritva Yojana, the flagship schemes of our government are addressing women’s needs and aspirations.
This year’s Budget is also no exception.
In fact, it is a matter of national pride that our Finance Minister, Nirmala Ji has presented the Budget 9 consecutive times, which is a record and a matter of pride in itself. Several women across India feel inspired by this.
Let me share key Budget announcements that will further women’s empowerment.
The first one pertains to entrepreneurship, especially in rural areas. An initiative has been announced that will use innovative finance models to support community-owned retail outlets. When women control market access, supply chains and retail platforms, they move up the value chain. This directly lowers the barriers of capital access, market access and scale.
This should be seen alongside our efforts to encourage entrepreneurship among women, such as Self-Help Groups, the MUDRA Yojana and Lakhpati Didis, through which crores of women have become self-reliant. This also boosts women’s social status.
It is well known that the Khadi, village industries, handloom, and handicrafts sectors see significant participation by women. The Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj initiative strengthens this sector by providing training, skilling, quality, and market access to people. The consolidation of various existing schemes under a National Handloom and Handicraft Programme will also provide an integrated, focused approach.
In the past few years, it has been a matter of pride for us that Indian women are leading the way in various domains of science and technology. Whether it is space or startups, they are making a great impact. In this budget, an initiative has been announced that will be a force multiplier for this movement. It is linked to education and mobility, particularly in STEM. One of the biggest silent barriers for girls, especially those from poor or rural backgrounds, in pursuing higher education in science and technology is safe accommodation. By supporting Girls’ STEM hostels in every district, we can expect a significant rise in education and innovation among women.
Many girls drop out not because of a lack of talent, but because commuting long distances to labs and late study hours are difficult. This intervention directly addresses that constraint.
Then there is the care economy. Women have always been at the centre of caregiving, but this is largely in the informal sector. By training 1.5 lakh caregivers next year and expanding institutions for Allied Health Professionals, with a target of 1 lakh trained over 5 years, we are embarking on a large-scale effort to formalise care work. This does two things: it creates dignified, certified employment for women and simultaneously strengthens India’s healthcare capacity.
The Budget also factors in the new-age sectors of the economy. Through AVGC Creator Labs in 15,000 schools and 500 colleges, and the establishment of formal creative infrastructure, we are ensuring that sectors like animation, VFX, gaming and digital content have record levels of women’s participation. These are sunrise sectors and women’s participation will make them even more vibrant.
It is my conviction that women will play the most important role in creating Viksit Bharat.
