Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian community in Melbourne during his third visit to Australia, highlighting the strengthened India-Australia bilateral relationship that has reached "remarkable heights" under his administration. The speech emphasized the cultural and economic contributions of the Indian diaspora in Australia, noting how Indian communities have created "Little India" markets and maintained strong cultural connections while contributing to Australia's growth.
Modi detailed India's economic ambitions, stating the country is "impatient to move forward" and aims to become one of the world's top three economies despite already being the fastest-growing major economy. He outlined significant technological achievements including India's successful Chandrayaan moon landing, development of 6G technology, and the rapid 5G rollout that now covers 99% of India's districts, making India the world's second-largest 5G market.
The address highlighted infrastructure development with metro rail networks expanding to over two dozen cities, serving 12.5 million daily passengers, making India the world's third-largest metro network. Manufacturing initiatives have grown with Indian-made mobile phones, electronics, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals expanding globally, while a new manufacturing ecosystem is being developed "from chips to ships."
Modi emphasized citizen-centric governance through initiatives like DigiLocker, which has over 700 million users storing more than 8.5 billion documents (850 crores), and digital healthcare systems including Digital Health IDs and the eSanjeevani platform that has conducted over 480 million teleconsultations with 225,000 healthcare providers. Passport processing times have reduced from weeks to just days.
The speech noted India's global humanitarian efforts, including relief operations in Venezuela, Türkiye, Syria, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, as well as COVID-19 assistance including medicine and vaccine supplies to over 100 countries. Modi highlighted sports development through the Khelo India Mission creating athletic pipelines and infrastructure, with India set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and bidding for the 2036 Olympics.
Educational partnerships were emphasized with thousands of Indian students in Australia and Australian universities like Deakin University and University of Wollongong opening campuses in India. India's startup ecosystem was noted as the world's third-largest with over 200,000 registered startups, adding 4,000 new startups monthly, including in defense and space sectors where an Indian space startup is preparing to launch satellites with its own rocket.
Modi concluded by encouraging participation in the Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz to connect the diaspora with Indian heritage and urged continued strengthening of India-Australia relations.