At the BJP headquarters' Diwali Milan event, PM Narendra Modi urged journalists to spread awareness against drug abuse and highlight India's achievements.
“There was a time when ‘Garibi Hatao’ was a common refrain from the Red Fort. Recently, the World Bank came out with a report that said India uplifted 50 crore people from poverty," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday while addressing journalists at the Diwali Milan gathering.
Referring to India’s progress in reducing poverty, Modi cited the World Bank’s latest estimates. The bank’s October 2026 Poverty and Equity Brief estimated that around 49.6 crore people moved above the lower-middle-income poverty threshold between 2011 and 2023.
The report also recorded a fall in India’s extreme poverty rate from 27.1% to 2.6% during the same period. However, this is a separate measure: the 49.6-crore figure refers to the $4.20-a-day poverty threshold, while extreme poverty is measured using the $3-a-day threshold, both based on 2021 purchasing power parity.
Modi’s remarks drew a contrast between the long-standing political slogan of poverty removal and the poverty reduction figures cited in the World Bank report.
PM Modi On How Media Has Changed
The Prime Minister also reflected on his long association with journalists, recalling his early days in the BJP when he was responsible for arranging chairs and looking after reporters attending Diwali Milan gatherings.
He said his connection with the media had evolved over the years, from handling press releases to witnessing the rise of social media platforms and Instagram reels.
Modi also recalled that sending a press release once meant finding a fax machine. He said the media landscape had changed considerably with the growth of digital technology.
‘Mobile Phone Has Become An OB Van’: PM Modi
Speaking about technological changes in journalism, Modi said mobile phones had taken over several functions once performed by outside broadcast (OB) vans.
“Today, a mobile phone itself has become an OB van," he said.
He pointed to the growing number of individual news channels and podcasts, observing that people now have platforms to express opinions on almost every subject.
Comparing the trend with the popularity of cricket experts in the past, he said every street now seemed to have people offering opinions on news and current affairs.
Modi said the diversity of views was important for democracy and acknowledged the role played by the Indian media in keeping public debate alive.
PM Modi Urges Media To Highlight India’s Success Stories
The Prime Minister appealed to journalists and media organisations to give more space to stories about India’s achievements and communicate them to audiences abroad.
“I request Indian media to work on success stories of the country; a lot of such work is already being done," he said.
He also urged journalists to spread awareness about the fight against drug abuse.
“I also request you to spread awareness about fight against drug abuse," Modi said.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the challenges faced by field reporters, noting that they often put their lives at risk while covering events. He also spoke about the importance of deadlines, linking them to the country’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
“Deadline is necessary be it for press or nation. Today we too are working with a deadline: 2047," he said.
