# 1.3 billion Indians began development journey, Modi tells Dubai diaspora 2026-08-24T23:32:32+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Indian diaspora in Dubai that 1.3 billion Indians have started their development journey, criticising the 70 years of 'temporary' policies that preceded his government. 'There is no scope for temporary in India,' Modi said, contrasting the past approach with his administration's permanent reforms. He made the remarks while addressing the Indian community in the United Arab Emirates. India's diaspora in the UAE is the largest in any single country, with an estimated 3.5 million people. Modi's speech comes as part of his two-day visit to the Gulf nation, aimed at strengthening trade and cultural ties between the two nations. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Modi's overseas diaspora events often preview domestic policy shifts or election themes, his Dubai speech on 13 February 2024 echoed the 'temporary to permanent' framing he used in India's Parliament. The Indian diaspora numbers roughly 3.5 million in the UAE, the largest in any single country, and their remittances exceeded Rs 3.5 lakh crore in 2022-23, according to World Bank data. Their economic influence makes them a key audience for setting the development narrative ahead of the 2024 general election. The reference to 70 years implicitly targets the Congress-era policy of 'temporary' taxation or retrospective amendments that were permanent fixtures, Modi's government has claimed to repeal many of them. Watch for whether the Election Commission's model code of conduct period starting from the announcement of the 2024 election schedule curtails Modi's ability to make such diaspora-focused development claims in campaign speeches. ## Coverage - gulfnews.com Leads with PM's own framing and quote, no counterpoint or critical context, neutral-report on his speech This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Dubai, Indian diaspora, Narendra Modi, UAE Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/1-3-billion-indians-began-development-journey-modi-tells-dubai-diaspora/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/1-3-billion-indians-began-development-journey-modi-tells-dubai-diaspora/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/