India has boarded ‘Reform Express’: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday declared that India has boarded the "Reform Express," and will continue at the same speed.

- BY S VENKAT NARAYAN Our Special Correspondent

He credited "pathbreaking reforms" that have put India at the "centre of global attention.He laid emphasis on "collaboration over control and facilitation over regulation" ahead of the union budget. An official statement affirmed that India has overtaken Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy.

In an article on social media, the PM said that "India has boarded the Reform Express."

"2025 will be remembered as a year for India when it focused on reforms as a continuous national mission, building on the ground covered over the past 11 years. We modernised institutions, simplified governance, and strengthened the foundations for long-term, inclusive growth," he wrote.

India remains the fastest-growing major economy in the world with 7.8% real GDP growth in Q1 of 2025-26 and 8.2% in Q2.

Modi said the reforms reflected a shift from a control-based economy to one built on trust and facilitation, and urged investors and institutions in India and abroad to deepen their engagement with the country's growth story.

"These reforms are aimed towards building a prosperous and self-reliant India. Building a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) is the polestar of our development trajectory. We will continue pursuing the reform agenda in the coming years," the PM said.

"I urge everyone in India and abroad to deepen their bond with the India growth story. Keep trusting India and investing in our people!"