Bengaluru, Aug 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India was moving fast towards becoming the third major economy in the world, and this momentum was achieved through the spirit of “reform, perform and transform”.

The Prime Minister’s comments come days after US President Donald Trump’s “India a dead economy” jibe.

PM Modi said that during the past 11 years, India’s economy has grown from the 10th position to the top five globally, and is rapidly progressing towards becoming one of the top three economies.

Flagging off three Vande Bharat Express trains, laying the foundation stone for the Bangalore Metro Phase-3 project and inaugurating the Metro Rail Yellow line, the PM in his address outlined growth across sectors and said such achievements strengthened the resolve of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

“We are moving fast to become one of the top three economies of the world. How did we get this speed? We got it through the spirit of reform, perform and transform,” he said, adding that the speed was achieved through clear intention and honest efforts.

On infrastructure growth, he said in 2014, metro rail services were confined to just five cities.

“Today, metro rail networks span over 1000 km across 24 cities, making India the third-largest metro network globally,” PM Modi said. “Since independence, till 2014, only 20,000 km of the rail network had been electrified.  During 11 years alone, from 2014 to 2025, it has increased to 40,000 km. Similarly, from 74 airports in 2014, the nation today has more than 160 and likewise, the national waterways have gone up to 30 from only 3. India has also taken a big leap in the education and health sectors.”

He said that till 2014, there were seven All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and 387 medical colleges.

“It has now gone up to 22 AIIMS and 704 medical colleges, which are serving the people. In the past 11 years, more than a lakh new seats have been added to the medical colleges across the country. The IITs increased from 16 to 23, IIITs from 9 to 25 and IIMs from 13 to 21. Today, there are more opportunities available for students in the higher education sector,” the PM said.

He said that as the nation progresses rapidly, the lives of the poor and marginalised are transforming at the same pace.

“Before 2014, the total export was USD 468 billion, but today it is USD 824 billion. We used to import mobile phones, but now we are the top five exporters of mobile handsets. Our electronic export before 2014 was USD 6 billion, which has gone up to USD 38 billion,” PM Modi said.

He said India’s automobile export before 2014 was USD 16 billion and now it is more than double, making India the fourth major automobile exporter globally.

“These achievements give strength to our concept of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). We will march together and build a developed India,” the PM said.

He said the next big priority should be becoming self-reliant in technology.

“Indian tech companies have made a mark globally, developing software and products for the entire world,” PM Modi said.

Batting for focused efforts to lead in emerging fields, he stressed the need to strengthen Bengaluru and Karnataka’s presence in ‘Make in India’ and the manufacturing sector.

The PM urged that India’s products must adhere to the ‘Zero Defect, Zero Effect’ standard, meaning they should be flawless in quality and have no negative impact on the environment.

He expressed confidence that Karnataka’s talent will lead the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

“The journey towards ‘Vikasit Bharat’ would move ahead alongside Digital India. By way of initiatives like the India AI Mission, India is advancing towards global AI leadership,” PM Modi said.

“India is moving to assume the role of global leadership in the domain of Artificial Intelligence. The semiconductor mission is also gaining pace. India will soon get a ‘Made in India’ chip,” he said.

Regarding the space missions, the PM said India has become an example of “low-cost hi-tech space missions”, which means that India is moving ahead in areas of futuristic technologies.

He said that the speciality of such advancement is the empowerment of the poor, and digitisation has reached every village.

“Through UPI, India accounts for over 50 per cent of the world’s real-time transactions, he underlined,” PM Modi said.

New Delhi, Aug 10: India’s pride roared a little louder on World Lion Day 2025 as Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced that the Asiatic lion population has climbed to 891, a 32% jump since 2020 and the highest figure in modern history. Addressing a gathering at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary in Devbhumi Dwarka, Yadav called the rise “a global symbol of successful wildlife conservation” and traced the species’ remarkable recovery from just 284 lions in 1990. “If the Asiatic lion exists anywhere in the world today, it is in Gir, Gujarat, a testament to decades of relentless conservation,” he said, crediting the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who launched Project Lion in 2020 to safeguard the “King of the Jungle.”

The minister lauded forest officials, local communities, and wildlife enthusiasts for their role in reversing the lion’s decline. He said India’s conservation policies, rooted in co-existence, have not only doubled the population in a decade but also positioned Gujarat as the undisputed global home of the species. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel echoed the sentiment, describing the Asiatic lion as both “the pride of Gujarat and the heritage of India.” He said the state’s conservation drive has restored lions to the Barda region after 143 years, marking a milestone in ecological balance.mPatel also unveiled a ₹180-crore wildlife conservation initiative aimed at expanding lion habitats, upgrading veterinary care, and boosting eco-tourism infrastructure.

“Proactive habitat management, human–wildlife conflict mitigation, and community livelihood programmes will ensure that the roar of the Asiatic lion never fades,” he said.

Project Lion: First announced by PM Modi during his 74th Independence Day address in 2020, Project Lion is a 10-year, ₹2,927.71-crore plan to secure the species’ long-term survival. It includes a National Referral Centre for wildlife healthcare in Junagadh district, and the expansion of lion habitats beyond Gir to reduce pressure on core areas. Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, spanning 192 sq km across Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts, is emerging as the species’ second home. Natural migration in 2023 led to a population of 17 lions, six adults and 11 cubs, and plans are underway for a 248-hectare safari park to promote eco-tourism. The Government of India has granted in-principle approval for the Barda Safari Park and Zoo, expected to boost both conservation and local economies.

World Lion Day celebrations were held simultaneously across 11 districts of the Greater Gir Lion Landscape, home to around 35,000 sq km of the lions’ range. Lakhs of students participated, with satellite-linked events reaching classrooms in towns and villages. From the wilderness of Gir to the grasslands of Barda, the numbers tell a story of revival, one forged by scientific management, community involvement, and political will.