'New India that can set difficult targets & achieve them'

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that India's success in administering over 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses in nine months has given a befitting reply to those who questioned its capabilities and asserted that this highlights a "new India" which can set difficult targets and achieve them. In his address to the nation a day after India crossed the landmark, Modi dwelt at length about its significance and also projected a picture of optimism and hope about India's growth after a spell of pandemic-induced setback, saying experts and world agencies are very positive about its economy.

Indian companies and start-ups are receiving record investment and generating employment, he said. Often attacked by opposition parties and critics for his government's handling of the pandemic, Modi got back at them and asserted that the administration of 100 crore doses is a new chapter in history and reflects India's capabilities.

It is a matter of pride for all that the country's vaccination programme was "science-born, science-driven and science-based" in which there no place for any "VIP culture", he said. Modi also talked about the apprehensions and doubts raised earlier on India's capacity to fight the pandemic.

Modi said 100 crore doses was not just about a number but a symbol of the country's capability and a picture of "new India". "... It is the writing of a new chapter, a country that knows how to set difficult targets and achieve them. It is a picture of that new India that has the strength to strive for achieving its goals," the prime minister said.

The prime minister said there is confidence in the country today. From various strata of society to the economy, at every level and everywhere, there is "optimism, optimism and optimism", he said while also emphasising that people should not drop their guard during the festive season and continue with Covid-appropriate behaviour such as masks.