Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made his first public outreach to Gen Z after the recent CJP protests, telling young Indians that the country has faith in them and needs their contribution to its journey towards Viksit Bharat.
Addressing the 57th convocation ceremony of IIT Delhi, Modi said every generation faces challenges specific to its time and carries a corresponding national responsibility.
“We have faith in you. The country needs you,” the Prime Minister told the graduating students.
He said the decisions made by today's youth over the next three to four decades would have a significant bearing on India's development. Modi urged young people to consider the wider national impact of their choices and asked what their actions could contribute to the country's needs.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the rapid pace of technological change, saying global strategic equations and the balance of power were evolving quickly as technology transformed industries and professions.
He cautioned that it was difficult to predict what the world would look like two or three decades from now, but said those who continued learning and adapting would be better placed to succeed.
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Modi also pointed to the growing opportunities available to young Indians in emerging sectors. Referring to the successful launch of Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket, he said the expansion of India's space sector had opened new avenues for the country's youth.
“We have opened various ways in which our youth can contribute. New sectors have been opened,” he said.
Giving his remarks a Gen Z touch, Modi highlighted how young Indians were increasingly participating in areas once dominated by established institutions and large organisations.
“First in my bloodline to build a rocket,” he said, referring to the aspirations of a new generation of Indians entering the space sector.
He also cited the expansion of the drone sector, noting that drones were increasingly being used in areas including national security and the delivery of medicines.
The Prime Minister's address comes against the backdrop of the recent CJP-led protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. The protests had brought issues concerning education, employment and opportunities for young people into sharper public focus and eventually coincided with the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Modi's remarks at IIT Delhi therefore placed renewed emphasis on the role of young Indians in shaping the country's technological and economic future, while urging them to combine personal ambitions with a broader sense of national responsibility.
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