New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday declared that India is poised to soon become the world’s third-largest economy.

"In just a few years, we've risen from the world's 11th largest economy to the 5th largest," said the Prime Minister, underlining the rapid economic progress.

As of 2025, India remains the fifth largest economy globally, trailing behind the US, China, Germany, and Japan in terms of total GDP.

Addressing a media house event, PM Modi highlighted the government’s achievements during the first 100 days of 2025, stressing the importance of youth aspirations in shaping the nation’s future.

"Youth aspiration has been the focus of the first 100-day decisions of the government. We have exempted tax on Rs 12 lakh income, which will benefit young professionals. We became the fourth largest nation to allow satellite docking and undocking, we are opening the nuclear energy sector like we did with the space sector, and we also announced the decision to set up the 8th Pay Commission. The gig economy will also receive social security coverage," he said, asserting that inclusivity is not just a promise but a policy.

He underlined “the mantra of performance" as the energy behind Rising Bharat.

Emphasising that delaying projects hampers the nation’s progress, while performance and swift action drive development, the PM said, “Delay is the enemy of development, and our government is committed to defeating this enemy”. He cited the example of Assam’s Bogibeel Bridge, whose foundation was laid by former Prime Minister Deve Gowda in 1997 and initiated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. However, the project stalled under subsequent governments, causing hardships for millions in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, he added. He highlighted that his government restarted the project in 2014 and completed it within four years, in 2018.

He also mentioned Kerala’s Kollam Bypass Road project, which had been pending since 1972. He noted that the previous governments worked on it for 50 years, while the project was completed within five years, under his government.

Discussing the upcoming WAVE Summit, an initiative by the government, PM Modi remarked, “We have a vibrant movie, podcast, and gaming industry, and we have decided to take it to the next level by the ‘Create in India’ move through the WAVE platform.”