Gujarat BJP chief: Start-ups, manufacturing opening doors for India's youth
Synopsis
Gujarat BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma used PM Modi's 137th Mann Ki Baat broadcast as a platform to highlight India's start-up surge and manufacturing growth, telling youth in Gandhinagar that the country has shifted from import dependency in defence to active exporter — and from negligible mobile output to a full production ecosystem.
Key Takeaways
Gujarat BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma addressed youth in Gandhinagar on 30 August during PM Modi's 137th Mann Ki Baat broadcast.
Vishwakarma said India's youth are becoming job creators through innovation-based start-ups across sectors.
He cited India's shift from defence import dependency to exporting defence equipment worth crores of rupees.
Mobile manufacturing, once negligible in India, has expanded significantly, according to Vishwakarma.
Gujarat 's recovery from the 2001 earthquake , especially in Kutch , was highlighted as a development model.
BJP organised state-wide community listening sessions in Ahmedabad , Surat , Surendranagar , Nadiad , and other locations.
Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party president Jagdish Vishwakarma on Sunday, 30 August said that India's expanding start-up ecosystem and growing manufacturing base are generating wider opportunities for the country's young population, as he joined youth in Gandhinagar to watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 137th 'Mann Ki Baat' episode.
Vishwakarma's Message to Youth
Speaking at a youth-focused gathering at a café in Kudasan, Vishwakarma interacted with young attendees following the broadcast. He said today's youth are successfully building innovation-driven start-ups across sectors, transforming from job seekers into job creators and contributing meaningfully to national development.
'Today, young people are successfully establishing innovation-based start-ups in various fields, becoming job givers from job seekers and making a valuable contribution to the development of the country,' Vishwakarma said.
He attributed the rise of a new start-up culture to what he described as the youth-friendly approach of the Modi-led government and its associated schemes, adding that India's youth possess 'immense skills' that form the foundation for building a developed India.
Defence and Mobile Manufacturing Cited as Milestones
The Gujarat BJP chief pointed to tangible shifts in two key sectors. He noted that India, once heavily reliant on imports for defence equipment, is now exporting defence-related goods worth crores of rupees. On mobile manufacturing, he said the sector had grown from near-negligible levels to significant scale.
'Today, everything from a small pin to an aeroplane is being manufactured in India,' Vishwakarma said, invoking the government's broader 'Make in India' narrative.
Gujarat's Recovery Highlighted as a Model
Vishwakarma also drew attention to Gujarat's trajectory since the devastating 2001 earthquake, particularly in the Kutch region. He said the state had not only recovered but emerged as a model for development, crediting what he described as Prime Minister Modi's 'visionary and determined leadership' during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat.
BJP's State-Wide Mann Ki Baat Outreach
The Gandhinagar gathering was part of a broader, coordinated BJP programme across Gujarat, where party leaders joined community-specific groups to listen to the monthly radio address. BJP national general secretary Dr Satish Poonia watched the episode with members of the Rajasthani community at Sardar Smarak Bhavan in Ahmedabad. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel attended at Booth No. 172 of the Ghatlodia Assembly constituency in Thaltej.
Union Minister C. R. Patil joined chartered accountants and company secretaries in Surat, while BJP national vice-president Varsha Doshi participated with young farmers at Dudhai in Muli taluka of Surendranagar district. Separate programmes were held with women, farmers, livestock rearers, and members of the Scheduled Caste community in Nadiad, Bidada in Kutch, and Chandkheda in Ahmedabad.
Young attendees at the Gandhinagar event described 'Mann Ki Baat' as both inspiring and knowledge-enhancing, and said they intended to follow the programme every month. The 137th episode covered grassroots initiatives, entrepreneurship, social action, and youth-related issues, among other subjects.
Point of View
But Vishwakarma's framing — youth as job givers, not job seekers — reflects the party's effort to own the employment narrative ahead of electoral cycles. The defence and mobile manufacturing claims are directionally accurate but lack specifics: India's defence exports have grown sharply in recent years, yet the sector's global share remains modest. The 'pin to aeroplane' formulation is rhetorical shorthand for Make in India, a policy whose outcomes remain unevenly distributed across states. Gujarat's use as a model, with Modi's CM tenure as the anchor, is a recurring political motif that conflates state-level governance with national policy credit.
NationPress
30 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gujarat BJP chief Jagdish Vishwakarma say at the Mann Ki Baat event?
Vishwakarma said India's growing start-up ecosystem and manufacturing expansion are creating greater opportunities for youth, describing young Indians as job creators rather than job seekers. He made these remarks at a youth gathering in Kudasan, Gandhinagar, during the 137th Mann Ki Baat broadcast on 30 August.
What is Mann Ki Baat and what was covered in the 137th episode?
Mann Ki Baat is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio address to the nation. The 137th episode, broadcast on 30 August, covered topics including grassroots initiatives, entrepreneurship, social action, and youth-related issues.
How did the BJP organise the Mann Ki Baat 137 event across Gujarat?
The BJP held coordinated community-specific listening sessions across Gujarat, with party leaders joining different social groups. Events were held in Ahmedabad, Surat, Surendranagar, Nadiad, Kutch, and Chandkheda, among other locations, involving women, farmers, chartered accountants, Rajasthani community members, and Scheduled Caste groups.
What manufacturing achievements did Vishwakarma highlight?
Vishwakarma cited India's shift from being a defence equipment importer to exporting defence goods worth crores of rupees. He also noted that mobile manufacturing, once negligible in India, has grown significantly, framing both as outcomes of the Modi government's industrial policies.
Why did Vishwakarma mention the 2001 Gujarat earthquake?
Vishwakarma referred to Gujarat's recovery from the 2001 earthquake, particularly in Kutch, to illustrate the state's development trajectory. He credited Prime Minister Modi's leadership during his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister for the state's emergence as a development model.
