Source & Credit: MEA India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian community in Kuala Lumpur on February 7, 2026, praising their contributions and announcing major cultural and diplomatic initiatives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian diaspora at a grand community reception in Kuala Lumpur on February 7, 2026, during his official visit to Malaysia.
Source & Credit: MEA India
On arrival, the Prime Minister received a rousing welcome from members of the Indian community. The highlight of the event was a special cultural performance by 800 artistes on stage, showcasing Indian traditional dances. The performance entered the Malaysian Book of Records as the largest Indian traditional dance performance in the country.
As a special gesture, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim joined Prime Minister Modi at the event, reflecting the close friendship between the two leaders and the strong ties between India and Malaysia.
Source & Credit: MEA India
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi thanked the Indian community for the warm and colorful welcome. He also expressed appreciation to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his presence and kind words. He praised the Indian diaspora for its significant contribution to Malaysia’s progress and prosperity and for strengthening India–Malaysia friendship. He reaffirmed India’s strong commitment to the welfare of Indian nationals in Malaysia and to deepening people-to-people ties.
Source & Credit: MEA India
The Prime Minister highlighted that Diwali has been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, calling it a symbol of shared culture and diversity. He recalled the role of the AZAD HIND FAUJ (Indian National Army) in Malaysia and paid tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Describing the India–Malaysia partnership, Prime Minister Modi introduced the term IMPACT – India Malaysia Partnership for Advancing Collective Transformation. He urged the community to support the visions of Viksit Bharat and Malaysia Madani.
Source & Credit: MEA India
Prime Minister Modi spoke about India’s rapid progress in recent years, highlighting growth in infrastructure, green development, solar energy, digital technology, and emerging sectors. He noted that India has risen from the 11th largest economy to the 4th largest globally and is set to become the 3rd largest soon. He also said that nearly 50 percent of global real-time digital payments take place in India and announced that UPI-based payments will soon be available in Malaysia, boosting tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
As a tribute to shared heritage, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of a dedicated Thiruvalluvar Center at Universiti Malaya. He also announced Thiruvalluvar scholarships to promote academic exchanges and strengthen cultural links, especially in Indian philosophy and the Tamil language.
Source & Credit: MEA India
Prime Minister Modi further announced that India will open its first Consulate in Malaysia. The announcement was welcomed with applause by the community and is expected to strengthen cooperation and outreach to the Indian diaspora.
Malaysia is home to over 2.9 million people of Indian origin, making it the third-largest Indian diaspora in the world. Recent initiatives for their welfare include extending the OCI Card facility up to the sixth generation and replenishing the Indian Scholarships Trust Fund with 3 million Malaysian Ringgit for Malaysian-Indian students.
Source: MEA
