Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the international community to adopt “inner peace” as a “global policy” and embrace yoga as a shared responsibility for global harmony and well-being.
Addressing the 11th International Day of Yoga celebrations at the picturesque Visakhapatnam coastline, PM Modi said yoga must evolve from a personal or cultural pursuit into a collective global mission.
“Let this be the day when inner peace becomes a global policy, where yoga is embraced not just as a personal practice, but as a powerful tool for global partnership and unity,” he said. “Let every country and every society make yoga a shared responsibility, a common contribution toward collective well-being.”
The event—organised with the support of the Andhra Pradesh government—saw thousands of yoga enthusiasts gather along the Vizag beachfront, where Indian Navy ships were stationed nearby, creating a striking backdrop. Modi was joined by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan, and dignitaries from across Andhra Pradesh.
Calling for a global mass movement anchored in yoga, the Prime Minister said:
“Come, let us all together make yoga a mass movement—a movement that takes the world towards peace, health, and harmony. Where every person starts the day with yoga and finds balance in life. Where yoga becomes the medium to bind humanity together.”
Marking the 11th year since the United Nations declared June 21 as International Yoga Day, the Prime Minister extended greetings to people across the world. He reflected on India’s proposal at the UN in 2014, which received the support of more than 170 countries in record time.
Modi also emphasised yoga’s transformative role in shifting focus from self to society, and from the individual to the planet.
“Yoga teaches us that we are not isolated individuals; we are an integral part of nature,” he said. “This awareness expands over time—we begin to care not only for ourselves, but also for our environment, our society, and our planet. Yoga is a system that takes us from ‘Me’ to ‘We’.”
The Prime Minister commended the state government’s commitment to the event and praised the leadership of Naidu and Kalyan.
“Yoga is for everyone—beyond boundaries, beyond backgrounds, beyond age or physical ability. It is a universal gift that unites humanity in health, harmony, and consciousness,” he said. “I congratulate Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan for hosting such a wonderful event. Your inspiring leadership and this initiative to promote yoga are truly commendable.”
This year’s International Yoga Day celebrations witnessed large-scale participation across India, with lakhs of people joining community sessions and online events from different states.
