Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about India's achievements, while addressing the US Congress at Capitol Hill, on Thursday, June 22 (June 23 IST).

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He first spoke about India's national health insurance programme, that ensures free medical treatment for around 500 million people. "That's greater than the population of South America," he said.

He also said India has taken banking to around 500 million unbanked people, which is close to the population of North America. Earlier this month it was reported that India is expected to cross 10 billion Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions in June.

He said the value of direct income transfers to farmers, thrice a year, has crossed $320 billion and India saved $55 billion in the process.

"Today, there are over 850 million smartphone and internet users in the country. This is more than the population of Europe," the PM said. Last year, it was reported that India had the second-highest number of active internet users then of 692 million people.

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He said in India, technology is not just about innovation, but also about inclusivity. "Today, digital transformation is protecting the rights of the people while protecting their privacy. The digital public infrastructure has helped us reach citizens with financial assistance, within seconds," he said, adding that 850 million people received direct benefits, financial transfers, directly into their bank accounts.

He also spoke about how women are taking the lead in the country and why it is necessary to always invest in and encourage women to grow. "Today, in modern India, women are leading us to a greater future... Women are leading the journey of progress," he said.

Referring to President Droupadi Murmu, the PM said a woman from a humble, tribal background is the head of state. "There are nearly 1.5 million elected women leaders at various levels. That too, local governments. India has the highest percentage of women airline pilots in the world. They have also put us on Mars by leading our Mars mission," he said, adding that investing in a girl child uplifts the family. "Investing in women can transform the nation," he said.

And when it comes to protecting the planet, India is the only G20 country that has met its Paris commitments, he said. "The Indian culture deeply respects our environment and our planet. While becoming the fastest-growing economy, we grew our solar capacity by 2,300 percent. Yes, you heard it right. 2300 percent. We were the only G20 country to meet its Paris commitments. We made renewables account for over 40 percent of all our energy sources, nine years ahead of the 2030 target," he said.

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