Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Indians in Jakarta, Indonesia on Tuesday. During this he said that President Prabowo proudly said that he has Indian DNA. With that one sentence he won the hearts of millions of Indians. The PM said, 'I want to say that DNA is based on mutual trust, common history and common civilizational heritage. The relationship between India and Indonesia is a relationship of civilizations. Empires were formed and destroyed and global politics changed, but this unbreakable bond between India and Indonesia has always remained. This is our biggest strength.
He further said, 'Wherever I went here, whoever I met, love, respect and belongingness for India was clearly visible on every face. I saw that the Indian song 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai…' is very popular here. Today I told President Prabowo about this and said that when India and Indonesia move together, it goes beyond 'a little' and becomes 'a lot'. This morning I also had the privilege of receiving Indonesia's biggest honour. Indonesia's biggest honor…it is the pride of 140 crore Indians. This award is another symbol of the deep friendship between Indonesia and India.
The PM said, 'Football fever is going on in the world these days. Here in Indonesia too, the craze for football is tremendous. You all have brought that energy, that enthusiasm here too and it is visible. And a strange coincidence has happened that whenever I come to Indonesia, there is a storm of FIFA World Cup, but all you people living in Indonesia are the man of the match. Today's events have become a living picture of grand India.
Regarding the cultural bond between the two countries, PM Modi also said that whether it is the tradition of floating small boats made of banana peels in the Mahanadi, staging the Mahabharata through 'Wayang Kulit' or the worship of 'Devi Sri', every tradition reflects the deep cultural bond between India and Indonesia. The history of this relationship is as old as it is rich.
He said that 'India is modernizing ports, building new ships and exploring sea routes to strengthen its maritime sector, in such a situation Indonesia is a very good friend of ours. Be it Indonesia or India, our common goal is development. We can neither wait nor stop. Today, India's economy is playing an important role in furthering the growth of the world. Even when such a big crisis of Corona hit the world, India's economy did not stop. Even when such a big crisis was going on in West Asia, India's economy did not stop.
PM Modi said, 'India's growth rate during the entire financial year 2025-26 was 7.7%. This pace is the result of the reforms done in India. We performed well and that is why change is coming in India. This pace, this progress, has not happened just like that. India has made many reforms one after the other, we have consistently performed well. That is why the country is changing today. Reforms, Perform, Transform, we are moving ahead with this mantra. The pace and scope of India's progress, if I had to describe it in one line, I would say that the hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion people are moving forward.
Speaking about DBT, the PM said that 'Another such system has been created in India which is unprecedented and wonderful. This is direct benefit transfer. This is such a foolproof system in which the entire amount reaches the beneficiaries without any leakage. In the last 12 years, Rs 50 lakh crore has been sent to people's bank accounts. When such a system is created, people's confidence increases.
Urging Indians living in Indonesia, he said, 'You should tell your Indonesian friends about India and encourage them to come here. Now with the availability of direct flights, traveling to India has become very easy. The Indian community should also encourage the young generation living in Indonesia to know more about India.
