PM Modi urges students to carry Tamil culture across India and build Viksit Bharat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on students in Tamil Nadu to travel across the country and share Tamil culture wherever they go, framing the state’s heritage as a vital pillar of national unity and India’s global rise.

Speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of the Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Modi urged young people to dream big and lead the country towards becoming a developed nation by 2047. Addressing the gathering in Chennai with the Tamil greeting Nanbargale (friends), the prime minister told students that the world is actively seeking answers to modern challenges and that India's youth have the talent to provide them.

What happened

Modi called for a collective national effort to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, positioning India to become one of the world's top three economies and an international manufacturing powerhouse.

He placed cultural integration at the centre of national strength, asking students to act as cultural ambassadors by carrying Tamil language, literature, and history to every corner of India.

"I encourage you to discover India. Wherever you go, carry the Tamil culture with you," Modi said. "Share Tamil poetry, stories, and traditions with friends. Make friends with people from different backgrounds. Our nation’s unity is built by the friendships you forge."

In his address, Modi referenced the moral teachings of the ancient Tamil text Thirukkural, as well as the nationalist poet Mahakavi Subramania Bharati, noting how Bharati’s years spent in Kashi helped shape his national perspective and connected northern and southern traditions.

What the government highlighted

Modi highlighted the institutional transformation of Indian education and infrastructure under his administration since 2014. He pointed to the steady expansion of higher education institutions, the rise in university numbers, and the rollout of the National Education Policy, designed to nurture individual talent and vocational aptitude.

The prime minister also traced the growth of the host institution, recalling that Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya began in 1975 in Chennai's West Mambalam neighbourhood with just seven students and minimal infrastructure, before expanding into a network of 15 educational centres. He pointed to this growth as proof of what sustained local dedication can achieve within India's developmental journey.

Modi also underscored India's rising capabilities in global sports, expressing confidence that investment in youth talent and grassroots determination will continue to produce major milestones on the international stage.

Why it matters

The prime minister’s emphasis on Tamil culture reflects New Delhi’s sustained push to integrate regional languages and classical traditions into the mainstream of national governance and identity. By linking Tamil literary heritage directly to India's economic goals, the address reinforced the central government's message of national stability, cultural cohesion, and collective progress toward developed-nation status.