New Delhi, Oct. 31 -- Union petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that India's real strength lies not in its metros but in its smaller towns and villages, where transformative change is taking shape quietly and powerfully.

Speaking at the second edition of the Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital's annual donor and leadership conclave, "India for Bharat 2025", Puri praised the Bihar-based hospital's "football-to-eyeball" initiative, calling it "a shining example of what compassion, innovation, and dedication can achieve".

"I think if you have to discover the potential of India, it's not in the metros but in the smaller cities - the tier 2 and 3 towns and the villages," Puri said, recalling his work as the former ho...