In a historic moment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the joint sitting of the US Congress. The Prime Minister has become the first Indian PM to address the joint meeting of the US Congress for the second time. He is the second world leader after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be accorded the privilege of addressing a joint House more than once.

PM Modi earlier addressed the US Congress in 2016 during the Barak Obama administration.

"It is always a great honour to address the US Congress and it is an exceptional privilege to do so twice," PM Modi said.

During his address, the Prime Minister spoke about terrorism and unity in diversity in India. He also said that India would become the 3rd largest democracy soon.

"Now, when our era is at a crossroads, I am here to speak about our calling for this century," Modi told lawmakers, drawing applause in the House chamber. "I can relate to the battles of passion, persuasion, and policy. I can understand the debate of ideas and ideology. But I am delighted to see you come together today to celebrate the bond between the world's two great democracies: India and the United States”.

"I agree with President Biden that this is a defining partnership of this century," he said. "Because it serves a larger purpose. Democracy, demography, and destiny give us that purpose."

Modi made it a point to dwell on the values of democracy, something he has been confronted with questions, and in the US which is also facing its own challenges. And all this, with a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. for their contribution towards “liberty, equality and justice”.

“Democracy is one of our sacred and shared values. It has evolved over a long time and taken various forms of systems. Throughout history, however, one thing has been clear: democracy is the spirit that supports equality and dignity. Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse, democracy is a culture that gives wings to thoughts and expression. India has been blessed to have such values since time immemorial. In the evolution of the democratic spirit, India is the mother of democracy.”

Talking about 2,500 political parties, 22 official languages, thousands of dialects, and cuisine that changes every 100 miles, he said, “And yet we speak in one voice… We are home to all faiths in the world and we celebrate all of them diversity is a natural way of life.”

“Today, the world wants to know more and more about India. I see that curiosity in this house to be honoured to receive over 100 members of the US Congress in India over the last decade. Everyone wants to understand India’s development, democracy, and diversity. Everyone wants to know what India is doing.”

Modi said India's vision is “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas”. “We are focussing on infrastructure developments. We have given nearly 14 million homes to provide shelter to over 150 million people, which is nearly six times the population of Australia,” he said.

PM Modi also made a strong push for reforming multilateral institutions, including the UN, and spoke glowingly of India's ties with the US, saying the two countries stand at a new dawn in their relationship that will not only shape their destiny but also that of the world. "We share a vision of a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, connected by secure seas, defined by international law, free from domination…"A region where all nations, small and large, are free and fearless in their choices, where progress is not suffocated by an impossible burden of debt, where connectivity is not leveraged for strategic purposes, where all nations are lifted by the high tide of shared prosperity," he said.

PM Modi also spoke about women’s empowerment, he said, “Today, in modern India women are leading us to a better future. India's vision is not just of development which benefits women, it's of women-led development where women lead the journey of progress."

PM Modi also spoke about the Indian Economy and said that the country will soon become the third-largest economy. He said when he first visited the US as prime minister in 2014 India was the 10th largest economy in the world. "Today, India is the fifth largest economy. And, India will be the third-largest economy soon. We are not only growing bigger but we are also growing faster. When India grows, the whole world grows. After all, we are one-sixth of the world's population," he said.

Today, the United States has become one of our most important defense partners. Today, India and the US are working together in space and in the seas, in science and in semiconductors, in startups and sustainability, in tech and in trade, in farming and finance, in art and Artificial Intelligence..., He said.

The Prime Minister added, “...We became the only G20 country to meet its Paris commitment. We made renewables account for over 40% of our energy sources 9 years ahead of the target of 2030. But we did not stop there. At the Glasgow Summit, I proposed mission LiFE...Our mission is pro-planet progress, pro-planet prosperity, pro-planet people."

Modi reiterated India's stance on the Ukraine and Russia conflict. “This is not an era of war but it is one of dialogue and diplomacy and we all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering,” he said.

“The stability of the Indo-Pacific region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership. We share a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. More than two decades after the 9/11 attacks and more than a decade after 26/11 in Mumbai, terrorism and radicalism still remain a danger for the whole world,” Modi said.

Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs and buts in dealing with it. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror, he said.

PM Modi received standing ovation and applause when he said, "There are millions here, who have roots in India. Some of them sit proudly in this chamber. There is one behind me, who has made history. I am told that the Samosa Caucus is now the flavour of the House." PM Modi concluded his address to the joint sitting of the US Congress amid a standing ovation and loud cheers from the Congressmen. 

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