PM Narendra Modi addressing the gathering at SRCC
NEW DELHI: Thirteen years after delivering a landmark address that redefined his national political narrative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped onto the campus of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on September 5, 2026 evening as the chief guest for the institution’s 100th anniversary celebrations. Coinciding with National Teachers’ Day, the event underscored a quarter-century of governance for Modi across state and central leadership roles.
The last time Modi addressed the prestigious commerce college was in February 2013. At that time, serving his 12th year as Gujarat Chief Minister and fresh off his fourth electoral victory in Gandhinagar, he was yet to be formally declared as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate. Returning to the North Campus venue with 12 years as Prime Minister and three consecutive Lok Sabha mandates behind him, the visit marks a significant symbolic milestone.
Titled ‘Emerging Business Models in the Global Scenario’, Modi’s 2013 SRCC address transcended traditional business policy and served as an early blueprint for his national governance manifesto. Aimed squarely at young voters, he famously urged political institutions to view India’s youth not merely as “new-age voters,” but as the foundational “new-age power” capable of driving global economic leadership.
Highlighting India’s demographic dividend, he contrasted an aging global populace with India’s youth-heavy demographic, coining high-impact phrases such as “minimum government, maximum governance” and declaring that “government has no business to do business.”
It was during this speech that Modi introduced his famous optimism metaphor—holding up a glass of water and asserting that while some saw it as half full or half empty, he viewed it as completely full: half with water and half with air. In another widely circulated anecdote, he remarked that while India was once stereotyped as a land of “snake-charmers,” young tech-savvy Indians operating a computer mouse had transformed the nation into “mouse-charmers” shaping the modern world.
The Prime Minister’s return on September 5 brings his institutional association full circle. Earlier in April 2026, PM Modi had hosted the SRCC Governing Body and a college delegation at his official residence, releasing a commemorative postage stamp to mark the college’s centenary year.
The Teachers’ Day address aligns with the ruling administration’s intensified outreach toward young, educated voters, leveraging modern mediums and direct dialogues to address emerging youth aspirations, digital innovation, and higher education reforms. Coinciding with the 100-year legacy of Sir Shri Ram’s founding vision, the event brought together current students, distinguished alumni, and veteran educators to celebrate SRCC’s enduring contribution to nation-building.
