New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Saturday, 13 years after his speech at the college first brought his “half water, half air” glass analogy into the spotlight.
This time, Modi was at SRCC for its centenary celebrations. But his return to the campus also offered a chance to look back at how much has changed since his 2013 visit, when he was Gujarat’s chief minister and was still months away from becoming the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
Remembering that speech, Modi brought up the same glass analogy again. A glass, he said, should not simply be seen as half empty or half full. It is also full of air. For him, the point was about looking at opportunities instead of focusing only on what is missing.
At Saturday’s event, the Prime Minister connected that message to India’s economic journey over the past 13 years. He highlighted the latest GDP numbers, which showed India’s economy grew 7.8% in the April-June quarter of 2026-27.
Modi also recalled how India was described as one of the “Fragile Five” economies around the time of his 2013 SRCC speech. He argued that the country’s economic position today is very different.
The latest government data showed real GDP growth of 7.8% in the first quarter of 2026-27, while real gross value added (GVA) grew 8.2%. Investment and household consumption also recorded growth during the quarter.
The numbers, however, remain part of a wider political and economic debate. Modi used the figures to highlight the performance of his government, while questions have also been raised about the changes in India’s GDP calculation and the new base year used for the latest estimates.
The SRCC speech was not all about the economy. Modi also made an effort to connect with younger members of the audience, using terms such as “OG” and “flex” and referring to the film Dhurandhar.
His return to SRCC was also symbolic. In 2013, he stood before a college audience as a state chief minister looking to expand his political reach. Thirteen years later, he returned as Prime Minister.
The campus may have changed, and the audience may be different, but one thing remained the same: Modi’s “half water, half air” message.
And this time, he used that old line to reflect on what he described as India’s journey from 2013 to 2026.
ALSO READ: PM Modi’s Blunt SCO Message : ‘Terrorism Can’t Be Strategic Asset’