Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, 8 August told graduating students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi convocation that the decisions and choices made by India's youth over the next three decades will directly shape the country's path to becoming a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India). Underscoring a rapidly shifting global order, he stressed that those who commit to continuous learning will be best placed to succeed.

Key Message to Graduates

Addressing an audience that included more than 3,000 graduating students — among them 587 PhD scholars — Modi drew attention to the accelerating pace of technological change and its power to redraw industries and professions. 'The world's strategic equations are changing quickly, and the global balance of power is shifting every moment. The biggest force behind this transformation is the rapid pace of technology,' he said. 'Today, no one can say with certainty what the world will look like over the next 20–30 years. But whenever a period of change comes, it brings challenges as well as new opportunities.'

He urged graduates to anchor their personal and professional decisions in national purpose. 'Whatever you do over the next 30 to 35 years of your lives will influence our journey towards a Viksit Bharat. Hence, every decision you make should also be focussed on how it will benefit the country,' Modi said.

Research and Innovation Push

Modi highlighted a suite of government initiatives designed to strengthen India's research ecosystem and retain scientific talent. He cited the Prime Minister's Research Fellowship, a newly launched Research, Development, and Innovation Scheme, and the establishment of the National Research Foundation as pillars of this effort. Funding of up to ₹1 lakh crore is being mobilised for the research sector, he said.

He also pointed to the 'One Nation, One Subscription' initiative, under which prestigious international research journals are now accessible to students and researchers in even the smallest towns across India at no additional cost — a move aimed at democratising access to global knowledge.

Honours and Supercomputing Facility

The Prime Minister personally presented IIT Delhi's top academic honours to outstanding students, including the President's Gold Medal, Director's Gold Medal, Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal, and the Perfect Ten Gold Medal.

Modi also virtually inaugurated 'Param Pragya', an AI-powered high-performance supercomputing facility at IIT Delhi's Sonipat campus. The facility is expected to advance the institute's capabilities in artificial intelligence, data science, advanced computing, and interdisciplinary research.

Broader Significance

The address comes as the government has ramped up investment in higher education infrastructure and research capacity, positioning IITs as engines of the Viksit Bharat mission. Notably, the convocation also underscored the growing emphasis on PhD-level research — with 587 doctoral degrees conferred in a single ceremony, reflecting a broader national push to deepen India's scientific talent pool. With the National Research Foundation now operational and substantial research funding in the pipeline, the policy framework is beginning to align with the ambitions Modi articulated on Saturday.