New Delhi, June 11 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday outlined his vision for the country and its place in the world , urging states to compete with each other and citizens to step up, even as he blamed the Congress for hurting development during its decades in power. In an address at a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to mark his government completing 12 years in power and he himself becoming India's longest continuously-serving elected Prime Minister, Modi underlined his government's agenda for the middle class, stressed on the reforms undertaken by his administration and said that the current dispensation's India-first agenda had enabled quick decision making and futuristic planning, especially in critical sectors. He said the pace of decision-making by the Union government will pick up but added that India must accelerate the "speed and scale" of work to meet the expectations of her people and the world. "We have to stay one step ahead of others," he said. He also urged states to push for self-sufficiency. "Now is the time for a new kind of healthy competition among states; India's progress will come from such progress of the states. Let us make the next decade not only one of achievements but also of excellence," he said. On Wednesday, Modi became India's longest continuously serving, elected prime minister. According to the government, Modi completed 4,399 consecutive days as an elected prime minister on June 10, overtaking Jawaharlal Nehru's record of 4,398 continuous days in office between 1952 and 1964. As he underlined the accomplishments of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government in the past 12 years, Modi said, "We have to keep our eyes on the target of (developed India by) 2047 and increase our speed. Today, India's share in global growth is steadily rising; therefore, India must now consider global parameters, global competition, and a global perspective. The world needs solutions from us and we have to fulfil these expectations without losing time. Yehi samay hai, sahi samay hai (this is the right time)," he said. Referring to reforms as a "conviction and not a compulsion," for the government, Modi said the NDA's policies positioned India as one of the major economies, despite global challenges. "Despite this global slowdown, India achieved a remarkable growth rate of 7.7% in 2025-26. In the last quarter, which ended on March 31, " he said. Modi blamed the previous Congress government's policies for slowing down the country's growth and economic progress. "... A major success of the NDA's 12 years in power is that the country has broken free from the web of Congress's vicious cycle. Today, every citizen of the country is filled with the dream of a Viksit Bharat [developed India]," he said. The changes in policymaking and implementation, Modi said, resulted in a system that delivers results. "Work happens promptly and on a large scale, rather than being stalled. Therefore, the story from 2014 to 2026 isn't just about numbers-it's about India realising its full potential and moving forward. It is a story of a nation achieving remarkable results and working diligently to reach new heights," he said....