Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 10 June addressed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Conclave in New Delhi, drawing a pointed contrast between India's era of sluggish 3–4 per cent growth — historically labelled the 'Hindu Growth Rate' — and the accelerated trajectory the country has followed since the NDA came to power in 2014. The address served as both a political stocktaking and a forward-looking call to measure India by global benchmarks.

Reframing the 'Hindu Growth Rate'

Modi argued that the term 'Hindu Growth Rate' was a misnomer that unfairly stigmatised India's majority population. The sluggishness, he contended, was a product of Congress governance — its 'indecisiveness, policy failures, and absence of vision' — and should more accurately be called the 'Congress Growth Rate.' He credited the brief tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a moment that demonstrated faster development was possible, before what he described as the 'unfortunate' return of Congress in 2004 reversed that momentum.

The decade that followed, Modi said, was defined by 'massive scams worth thousands of crores' that eroded public trust and pulled the nation into a 'vortex of corruption.'

NDA's 12-Year Record: Key Claims

Modi positioned 2014 as a turning point, after which India shed what he called the baggage of stagnation. He highlighted the country's performance during the Covid-19 pandemic as evidence of resilience, noting that India recorded a 'satisfactory growth rate' even as major global economies faltered.

On economic relief, the Prime Minister pointed to the decision making income up to ₹12 lakh tax-free and the reduction in costs of aspirational goods as measures aimed at easing the burden on the middle class. He framed these as part of a broader effort to 'free the nation from uncertainty.'

'For us, the nation always comes first; when one works with a Nation First spirit, no decision is difficult,' Modi declared at the conclave.

Security, Social Reforms and Constitutional Implementation

Modi also cited decisive action on security and social policy as markers of NDA governance. He referenced surgical strikes against terrorists, efforts to curb Naxalism and Maoism, and landmark legislation including the women's reservation bill and the ban on Triple Talaq. These measures, he said, reflected a commitment to ensuring Constitutional implementation across India.

Alliance Support and the Formal Proposal

The conclave saw broad endorsement from NDA partners. The formal proposal was moved by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and seconded by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. It received support from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Union Ministers including Jitan Ram Manjhi, H.D. Kumaraswamy, Chirag Paswan, Jayant Chaudhary, and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. The proposal was subsequently read out to the gathering by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel.

India's Global Ambition: What Comes Next

Looking ahead, Modi urged the NDA to expand the speed and scale of progress achieved since 2014. 'The world seeks solutions from India. This is the time — the right time,' he asserted. He framed the alliance's 12-year record as the foundation for a 'Viksit Bharat' — a developed India — that competes and leads on the global stage. With India's share in the global economic landscape rising, the conclave signalled that the NDA intends to contest the next political cycle on a development and governance platform.