Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the entire world is now accepting that India is the mother of democracy. He said that India's vibrant democracy has been a matter of pride for the countrymen for ages. Inaugurating the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan in Delhi this evening, Mr Modi said 'Bharat Mandapam' is a gift for the country as nation celebrates 75 years of Independence. He said every Indian is happy and full of pride after seeing 'Bharat Mandapam'. He also ppointed out that it is a historic day as Kargil Vijay Diwas is being celebrated today. He paid tributes to the heroes who sacrificed their life in the Kargil war.
 
Prime Minister also announced that the biggest museum of the world – 'Yuge Yugeen Bharat' – will be constructed in Delhi soon. He said that India is now achieving things that were unimaginable earlier and there will be no Indian who will not feel proud about the new Parliament building.
 
Mr Modi expressed confidence that India will be world's third largest economy in the third term of BJP-led NDA and India's growth will be even faster the third term. He urged everyone to think big, dream big, and act big. He stressed that India is progressing at a rapid pace adopting this principle.
 
Prime Minister said that in the last five years, 13.5 crore people have come out of poverty. He further stated that international agencies are also saying that extreme poverty in India is on the verge of ending. He emphasised that this shows that the decisions and policies that have been made in the last nine years, are taking the country in the right direction.
   
Mr Modi also released commemorative stamps and coins on the occasion.
  
 The project, which revamped the old and outdated facilities at Pragati Maidan, was developed as a national project at a cost of about 2,700 crore rupees. With a campus area of approximately 123 acres, the IECC complex has been developed as India’s largest MICE – Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions – destination. The Complex finds its place among the top exhibition and convention complexes in the world, in terms of the covered space available for events. It comprises of multiple state-of-the-art facilities including convention centre, exhibition halls, and amphitheaters.
 
Akashvani correspondent reports that the Convention Centre is developed as the centerpiece of Pragati Maidan complex. Its majestic multi-purpose hall and plenary hall have a combined capacity of seven thousand people, which is larger than the seating capacity of the famous Sydney Opera House in Australia. Its magnificent Amphitheater is equipped with a seating capacity of three thousand persons.