PM Modi announces new Indian consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg at Moscow event | TOP QUOTES

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (July 9) began his address to the Indian community, expressing gratitude for their presence. "Thank you for taking the time to come here. I am deeply grateful. I have not come here alone; I have brought with me the fragrance of India's soil and the love of 140 crore Indians," he said.

Over the past decade, PM Modi and President Putin have met 16 times. Their most recent in-person meeting occurred on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in 2022.

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Here are top quotes from PM Modi's speech:

1. "I want to thank all of you for coming here. I have not come here alone, I have come with a lot of things. I have brought with me the fragrance of the soil of India. I have brought with me the love of 140 crore countrymen."

2. "This is my first conversation with the Indian diaspora after forming the govt for the third time. Today, on 9th July and it has been a full month since I took oath as the PM of India for the third time and I took a vow that I will work with 3 times more strength, at 3 times more speed and it is also a coincidence that the number 3 is also present in many of the government's goals. The government's goal is to make India the third largest economy in the world in the third term."

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3. "In the third phase, the government's target is to create 3 crore houses for the poor, to create 3 crore 'Lakhpati Didi'. We want to empower the women self-help groups running in villages in India, we want in my third phase, 3 crore women from among the poor women of villages become 'Lakhpati Didi', that is, their annual income should be more than Rs 1 lakh."

4. "Today's India makes sure it achieves the target it sets. Today, India is the country that takes Chandrayaan to the part of the moon where no other country in the world could reach. Today, India is the country that is giving the most reliable model of digital transactions to the world...Today, India is a country that has the third largest startup ecosystem in the world."

5. "When you people gave me the opportunity to serve the country for the first time in 2014, there were hundreds of startups, today there are lakhs of startups. Today, India is a country that is filing patents and publishing research papers in record numbers."

6. "The world is surprised to see the pace of development that the country has achieved in the last 10 years. When people from the world come to India, they say 'Bharat badal raha hai'. They are clearly able to see the transformation of India, the reconstruction of India. When India organises successful events like G20, the world speaks in one voice, 'Bharat badal raha hai'."

7. "When India doubles the number of its airports in just 10 years, the world says, 'Bharat badal raha hai'. When India electrifies more than 40,000 kilometres of railway lines in just 10 years, the world also realises the power of India, they say the country is changing."

8. "Today when India builds the world's tallest railway bridge, world's tallest statue, the world says, India is changing and how is India changing because India trusts the support of its 140 crore citizens, trusts the support of Indians spread across the world. Because 140 crore Indians now want to fulfil the dream of making India a developed country by taking a resolution."

9. "Today my Indian brothers and sisters who live in different parts of the world are proud of the achievements of your motherland...I just want to ask you, has the world's perspective towards you changed or not? Today 140 crore Indians believe in solving the problems that have been going on for decades."

10. "Today 140 crore Indians are busy in preparing to be at the forefront in every field. We not only brought our economy out of the crisis of COVID, but India has also made its economy one of the strongest economies in the world. We are not only removing the shortcomings of our infrastructure, but we are also creating global milestones. We are not only improving our health services, but we are also providing free treatment to every poor person in the country and run the world's largest health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat."

11. "Before 2014, we had sunk into the depths of despair. Today, the country is full of self-confidence and this is the biggest asset of India. You too must have celebrated the victory in the recent T20 World Cup...The real story of winning the World Cup is also the journey of victory. Today's youth of India does not accept defeat till the last ball and the last moment."

12. "India is sending a great team to the Paris Olympics. You will see how the entire team and athletes will show their strength. This self-confidence of the youth is the real capital of India and this youth power shows the biggest potential to take India to new heights in the 21st century...During the elections, I used to say that the development that India has done in the last 10 years is just a trailer, in the coming 10 years, we are going to grow even faster. From semiconductors to electronic manufacturing, from green hydrogen to electric vehicles and world-class infrastructure, India's new pace will write a new chapter of world development...From global poverty to climate change, India will be at the forefront in challenging every situation."

13. "I am happy that India and Russia are working shoulder to shoulder to give new energy to Global Prosperity. All of you present here are giving new heights to the relations between India and Russia.  You have contributed to Russian society with your hard work and honesty. On hearing the word Russia, the first word that comes to every Indian's mind is India's partner in happiness and sorrow, India's trusted friend, we call it 'Dosti'...No matter how much the temperature goes down to minus during the winter season in Russia but India-Russia friendship has always been in Plus, it has always been warm. This relationship is built on the strong foundation of Mutual Trust and Mutual Respect."

14. "I want to share some good news with you all. We have decided to open new consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg. This will enhance travel and business trades."

15. "The song was once sung in every household here, 'Sir pe lal topi Russi, phir bhi dil hai Hindustani.' This song may have become old, but the sentiments are ever-green. Artists like Raj Kapoor, Mithoon Da have strengthened the friendship between India and Russia...The strength of our relations has been tested many times and every time our friendship has emerged stronger. I would especially like to appreciate the leadership of my dear friend, President Putin. He has done a wonderful job to strengthen this partnership for more than 2 decades. This is the sixth time I have come to Russia in the last 10 years and in these years we have met each other 17 times. All these meetings have increased trust and respect. When our students were stuck in the conflict, President Putin helped us in getting them back to India. I once again thank the people of Russia and my friend, President Putin."