‘Don’t Forget What You Got!’ PM Modi Reminds Indians of ₹12 Lakh Tax Relief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a gentle reminder for India’s taxpayers: the government has given them tax relief, and apparently, the good news deserves to be remembered, not forgotten after the next news cycle.

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit on October 22, Modi said he repeatedly has to remind people that annual income of up to ₹12 lakh can attract zero income tax under the new tax regime, subject to applicable conditions. Adding a touch of humour, he remarked, “Jo mila, woh hazam, aisa nahi chalta hai”, suggesting that people cannot simply receive a benefit and then move on as if nothing happened.

The remark drew laughter from the audience, but it also carried a message: taxpayers should remember the relief announced in the Union Budget 2025-26. After all, when the government announces a tax benefit, it seems citizens may need more than a budget document to appreciate it, they may need the Prime Minister himself to remind them.

Perhaps the message is that gratitude, too, needs a gentle nudge. With tax relief on the table, the middle class is being reminded not just to check its savings, but also to remember who announced the benefit.

But the tax quip was only one part of the address. Modi also made a pitch for India’s changing economic identity, declaring that the country was moving beyond being the world’s “Back Office” to becoming its “Brain Office”, a centre for innovation, original technology and product development. He cited nearly 1.5 lakh patent filings in 2025 and said Indian students had developed more than 325 chip designs, highlighting the country’s growing technological ambitions.

The Prime Minister also cited the creation of more than 3.5 crore Lakhpati Didis and around 70 lakh jobs under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana as examples of economic progress.

The speech took a political turn when Modi targeted the Congress, accusing it of repeatedly trying to launch its leader. In a sharp jibe, he compared the party’s attempts to launch its political face with the frequency of rocket launches by ISRO from Sriharikota.

Turning to global affairs, Modi warned that trade, technology and sea routes were increasingly being weaponised amid geopolitical tensions. He called for reforms in international institutions, including the United Nations, and a stronger voice for the Global South. Recalling India’s supply of vaccines and medicines to more than 100 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, he argued that international cooperation must remain effective during crises, not just in good times.

Modi concluded by linking India’s ambition of becoming a developed nation with global prosperity, saying that a stronger India could help build a better world.