PM Modi tells students: Reform, perform, transform works the same in government and in business
Yesterday in Hyderabad, Prime Minister Modi was at the Indian School of Business for their big 20th year convocation. Around 900 students were graduating from both the Hyderabad and Mohali campuses. He used the chance to talk about something simple that he’s been saying for a while now. He told them straight: the same formula that works in good governance also works in business. Government brings the reforms, the bureaucracy actually performs, and when people join in, real transformation happens. That’s it. He said institutions like ISB should study this properly and show it to the world as a case study. He reminded everyone that for almost thirty years before 2014, India needed reforms but kept missing them because there was no political will and too much instability. Big decisions just didn’t get taken. After 2014 things changed. Political will came back, reforms started happening regularly, the system began delivering on the ground, and people started participating more. That’s when results started showing up faster. He made it clear this isn’t only for government. He looked at those management students and said this same mantra is for you too. Once you start working, you’ll take a lot of decisions. But decisions alone are not enough. You have to make sure they get implemented properly and actually change things on the ground. He gave the example of sports. After 2014, Indian athletes started doing much better. Why? Because talent started getting spotted early, there was proper support, selection became more transparent, and training facilities improved. Schemes like Khelo India and the Olympic Podium Scheme helped create that environment. Reform led to better performance, and that performance turned into real transformation in sports. He also pointed out how the world is looking at India differently now. Fastest-growing major economy in the G20, second in internet users, strong start-up scene, record FDI, digital payments that the world notices, and we even made our own Covid vaccine and sent it to over a hundred countries. “Today the world is realising that India means business,” he said. The message for the students was simple. Whether you’re running a government department or a company, the cycle is the same: fix what’s broken, make sure people actually deliver, and bring everyone along so the change sticks. That’s when transformation really happens. He asked the ISB people to look closely at how this has worked in India these past years and share those lessons. For the graduates, it was a practical note to take with them. Policy ideas are fine, but execution is what counts. Reform, perform, transform — same in governance, same in business. That’s the whole thing, really. No big theory, just a clear three-step way of working that he’s been pushing. Sources:Economic Times Government coverage of the ISB Hyderabad event (May 2022)Business Standard report on the same speechNews18 and other contemporary reports from the convocation Publisher By – Rohit Manral Written By – Anjali Pandey