Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, at Samvidhan Sadan in New Delhi on January 15, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Emphasizing that democracy delivers results in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (January 15, 2026) said the nation has shown the world that democratic institutions and processes give stability, speed, and scale to its development.
Democracy delivered results in India because the people of the country were at the heart of governance,Mr. Modi said inaugurating the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in New Delhi.
India has turned diversity into the strength of its democracy, he added.
“In India, democracy means last-mile delivery,” he said, adding that welfare measures undertaken by the government with a spirit of public welfare, reach every individual without discrimination. “Due to this spirit of welfare, 25 crore people have come out of poverty in recent years. In India, democracy delivers”.
The prime minister recalled that when India gained Independence, many doubted whether democracy could survive amidst the country’s immense diversity.
“However, this very diversity became the strength of Indian democracy,” he said.
“Contrary to these doubts, India has demonstrated that democratic institutions and processes provide stability, scale, and speed to its development,” he said.
About 61 speakers and presiding officers from 42 Commonwealth nations are attending the CSPOC which is being hosted by India for the fourth time.
The CSPOC is deliberating on a wide range of contemporary parliamentary issues, including the role of speakers and presiding officers, in maintaining strong democratic institutions.
Mr. Modi said that when India attained independence, apprehensions were expressed that democracy would not survive in a country with such diversity. He emphasized that India turned this very diversity into the strength of its democracy and further noted that another major concern was that even if democracy somehow survived in India, development would not be possible.
“India has proved that democratic institutions and democratic processes provide stability, speed, and scale to democracy,” he said.
“In India, democracy means last-mile delivery”, he said adding that India works with a spirit of public welfare, ensuring benefits reach every individual without discrimination.
He highlighted that due to this spirit of welfare, 25 crore people have come out of poverty in recent years. “In India, democracy delivers”.
The PM highlighted that the scale of India’s democracy is truly extraordinary. Referring to the general elections held in 2024, he underlined that they were the largest democratic exercise in human history.
Published – January 15, 2026 07:43 pm IST
