India no longer bound by borders: PM

Netherlands hands back Chola dynasty copper plates to India

Describing India as a “land of opportunities”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the country is undergoing an “unprecedented transformation” and its aspirations are “no longer limited to its borders”. Addressing the Indian community in The Hague, the Prime Minister also said that India is dreaming big and its youth aspires to reach the sky.

“India of the 21st century is a land of opportunities. India is both technology-driven and humanity-driven. India is becoming as modern as it is ancient. Therefore, this is also the time to reconnect with the villages of your ancestors in India, and to participate in the journey towards a developed India,” Modi said in his over 40-minute speech.

He urged all “friends of India” in the Netherlands to deepen their engagement with India. “This will strengthen India’s capabilities, and it will also bring greater returns on your investments — and this is Modi’s guarantee,” he said, amid applause from the audience.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands handed back 11th-century Chola dynasty copper plates to India, in an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signifying the strengthening of ties between the two countries. India has been pursuing the return of the Anaimangalam Copper Plates, known in the Netherlands as the Leiden Plates, since 2012.

“A joyous moment for every Indian! Chola Copper Plates dating back to the 11th Century will be repatriated to India from the Netherlands,” Modi said in a social media post after attending the restitution ceremony.

He said the copper plates comprise a set of 21 large plates and three small plates containing texts largely in Tamil and relating to Rajendra Chola I, formalising an oral commitment made by his father, King Rajaraja I.

“They also showcase the greatness of the Cholas. We in India are immensely proud of the Cholas, their culture and their maritime prowess,” Modi said. The PM thanked the Government of the Netherlands and Leiden University, where the plates had been kept since the mid-19th century.

The Prime Minister on Saturday invited Dutch companies to design, innovate and manufacture in India, saying the country offers immense opportunities.

In his remarks at the CEO Roundtable, the Prime Minister said today's India is a symbol of scale and stability, and no country in the world can match its speed in infrastructure, clean energy, and connectivity. This is why India is contributing 17% to global growth, the PM said.

Modi further said manufacturing in India is becoming very cost-effective, and in the services sector, it has become the engine of efficiency and innovation on the strength of its talent.

"We are continuously reducing compliance and increasing the ease of doing business. We have recently carried out next-generation reforms in taxation, labour code, and governance," he told the business leaders.

“Today, our India too is dreaming on a very grand scale. Today, the nation is saying — we do not seek merely transformation; we seek the best. And not only the best, but we want the fastest. That is why, when aspirations in India are unlimited, our efforts too are becoming limitless,” Prime Minister said.

Modi said the youth of India aspire to touch the skies now, and cited that as a reason behind India’s startup ecosystem getting stronger. “Now we are the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world,” he added.

“Today, India’s aspirations are not limited merely to its own borders. India wishes to host the Olympics, become a global manufacturing hub, emerge as a leader in green energy, and serve as an engine of growth for the world,” he said.

Modi said that India is passing through a phase of “unprecedented transformation”.

He further said, “You may have seen recently that India hosted the world’s largest and most successful AI Summit. Before that, India had also successfully hosted the G20 New Delhi Summit. These were not merely one-time events; this has now become the character and confidence of today’s India.”

“India reached a part of the Moon where no one had reached before. India is also successfully working on one of the world’s most advanced fast breeder reactors in the field of nuclear energy,” said Modi, referring to India’s space mission and energy sector.

“Today, our startups are doing remarkable work in sectors such as AI, defence, and space. With time, this culture of research and innovation is becoming even more expansive,” he said.