At IIT-Delhi, PM Modi asks students to measure career by nation's needs, not salaries

Prime Minister Narendra Modi challenged graduating engineers at IIT-Delhi to define their career success by their contributions to India's needs, rather than by salary or startup valuations. "The basis of every decision of yours should be what the benefit to the country will be," he told the students at the 57th convocation ceremony.

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the basis of every decision of yours should be what the benefit to the country will be.

Modi highlighted the volatile global landscape, driven by rapid technological advancements, making it impossible to predict future industries. "No one can say with certainty what the world will look like 20 or 30 years from now... but remember what I am saying: the one who keeps learning will win," he advised. He contrasted the clear national goal of the independence generation with the current graduates' role in shaping India's development over the next three decades.

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Unlike your university exams, life’s most critical challenges are entirely out of syllabus.

The Prime Minister also addressed the broader youth population, framing them as central to India's economic ascent. He pointed to the burgeoning startup ecosystem, the expanding semiconductor industry, and young engineers launching rockets as evidence of this momentum. Modi cautioned against the pressure of comparison, stating, "life is absolutely not a leader-board; your real race is not with anyone else, it is with yourself."

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The strategic equations of the world are changing rapidly. The global balance of power is shifting every moment. And the biggest force driving these changes is the speed of technology.

His remarks, delivered amid ongoing protests over a leaked exam paper, did not reference the controversy. Instead, he focused on inspiring young Indians to contribute to a "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India), echoing his recent sentiments about young people driving global development.

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No one can say with certainty what the world will look like 20 or 30 years from now... but remember what I am saying: the one who keeps learning will win.