‘Reform Is Not A Compulsion, It Is Our Conviction’: PM Modi Reinforces India's ‘Bright Centre Of Development’

PM Modi added that the government was undertaking “next-generation reforms” at the policy level, along with reforms in governance and ease of living.

Explaining his reference to PLP, Modi said there was a time when companies producing beyond a prescribed limit were punished.

Source : X@PMOIndia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India’s political stability and policy continuity have positioned the country as a “bright centre of development” amid global concerns over growth and the use of resources as instruments of leverage.

Addressing the ET Global Leaders Forum, Modi said India was undertaking policy-level reforms to accelerate development and secure its future.

“India is continuously taking steps that accelerate its development. I spoke on seven sectors on August 15th. India is carrying out reforms at the policy level to secure our future. It is reforming governance. Reform is not a compulsion for us; it is our commitment; it is our conviction,” he said.

PM Modi Lists Seven Focus Areas

Modi referred to his August 15 address from the Red Fort, where he spoke about seven sectors that India is focusing on, including manufacturing power, agriculture and food processing, technology and innovation, green economy and blue economy.

“Just last week, on August 15th, from the Red Fort, I spoke about the seven powers of the seven streams. I spoke about seven sectors, including manufacturing power, agriculture and food processing, technology and innovation, green economy, and blue economy, on which India has a strong focus,” he said.

He added that the government was undertaking “next-generation reforms” at the policy level, along with reforms in governance and ease of living.

‘Reform Is Our Commitment, Conviction’

The Prime Minister contrasted the government's reform approach with what he described as the earlier “production-linked punishment” model.

India has political stability and continuity in its policies. pic.twitter.com/b2e04sCv1H

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 21, 2026

“Reform is not a compulsion for us; it is our commitment, it is our conviction. How reform has changed our condition and direction since our government was formed in 2014. Hardly anyone knows about PLP, and you will be surprised to hear it. PLP means Production Linked Punishment, PLI means Production Linked Incentive; these two terms define different periods of India,” Modi said.

Explaining his reference to PLP, Modi said there was a time when companies producing beyond a prescribed limit were punished.

“Let me explain. There was a time in our country when if a company produced more than the set limit, it was punished. This was their production-linked punishment model. A notice was sent to them, so the company would destroy its own product,” he said.

He added that the government was now providing incentives to companies to increase production.

Modi Highlights Railway Safety Reforms

Modi also highlighted reforms in the railway sector, saying electronic interlocking systems had been installed at 6,500 railway stations.

“Recently, in the monsoon session of Parliament, we passed the Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026. Even when the opposition was constantly obstructing the process, we did not let the country's work stop. Today, 6,500 railway stations have electronic interlocking systems, which have prevented deaths due to human error,” he said.

He said unmanned railway crossings had been eliminated through a mission-mode approach.

“Thousands of people lost their lives due to unmanned crossings. We worked on a mission mode and eliminated unmanned crossings. This has reduced train accidents by 90 percent,” Modi said.

Railway Accidents Down To 12-15 A Year: PM

Modi said the number of railway accidents had declined significantly over the past 12 years.

“12 years ago, where there used to be around 150 railway accidents in a year, now it has come down to 12-15,” he said.

He also said the government had created a clear roadmap for reforms, with governance reforms at its core.

“The main direction of this roadmap has been governance reforms. For this, today in 21st century India, we are not just changing the regulations, we are changing the entire philosophy of regulation,” Modi said.

He said the government was moving away from the earlier approach of “Prohibited unless permitted” towards “Permitted unless prohibited.”