Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged Gen Z and Gen Alpha to embrace leadership and put the country first, stressing the importance of national security
and strength. Addressing the 36th convocation ceremony of Dr M G R Educational & Research Institute in Chennai, the Finance Minister stated the country was ready to listen to the aspirations of the youth, but implored them to step forward with a deep sense of responsibility and civic duty. "Whether you call yourselves Gen Z or Gen Alpha, we are all ready to listen to what you have to say... you must reflect on what is happening around you, what your role is, and what can be achieved for the country through you," Sitharaman said, invoking the famous ethos of asking what one can do for one's country. She also said youngsters should ponder over the question, "as youth, what is my responsibility, what should I do for the country. You should ask yourselves what you can do for the country, rather than asking what the country has done for you; you must realise the value of your own contributions to the nation," she stated. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged Gen Z and Gen Alpha to take up leadership and put the country first. "Take up leadership. You must lead, and you must put the country first. Only if the country remains secure and strong will we have a home to live in. We should never give up our country," she said, pointing to ongoing global conflicts where citizens have been displaced from their homelands. The Finance Minister also highlighted India's macroeconomic stability amid geopolitical uncertainties. She also pointed to the growing opportunities for young professionals in Tamil Nadu, describing the state as an industrial and technology hub. Nirmala Sitharaman stated how the Sriperumbudur-Oragadam corridor has emerged as a major global hub for automobile manufacturing and smartphone exports. Tamil Nadu has around 350 global capability centres (GCCs), accounting for about 10% of the national total, she stated. Coimbatore has about 80 GCCs employing 12,000 professionals, while clusters are also expanding in Madurai and Tiruchirappalli.
