Prez highlights India’s global role in speech

President Droupadi Murmu told the nation on Sunday that India was spreading the message of world peace amid global conflicts as she underlined thatthe principles of atma nirbharta (self-reliance) and swadeshi were guiding the Indian economy towards continuous growth.

- Saubhadra Chatterji

Droupadi Murmu

Addressing the nation on the eve of 77th Republic Day, President Murmu also exhorted citizens to participate in the mission to make India a developed nation by 2047, the centenary of the country’s independence, hailed women's developmentand a raft of government schemes, and underlined the importance of recent labour reforms.

“In our tradition, we have been offering prayers for peace to prevail in the entire universe. The future of humanity can remain secure only if there is peace in the whole world. In an atmosphere marked by conflicts in many parts of the world, India is spreading the message of world peace,” she said.

Murmu, who was elected in 2022, praised Indians across sectors for “strengthening our vibrant republic” and reminded that, “the framers of the Constitution provided a strong bedrock for the spirit of nationalism and the unity of the country through constitutional provisions.”

“India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy. Despite global uncertainties, India is recording continuous economic growth. We are moving towards achieving our goal of becoming the world’s third-largest economy in the near future,” she added.

She argued that by investing in the creation of world-class infrastructure, India was rebuilding its economic strength at a much larger scale.

“In this journey of shaping our economic destiny, Atmanirbharata and Swadeshi are our guiding principles. The most important decision for the economic integration of the country after independence, the implementation of GST, has established the system of ‘One Nation, One Market’,” she said.