Poor in India can dream, says its first tribal president

India's new President Droupadi Murmu inspects an honour guard after her swearing-in ceremony, at India's presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, India July 25, 2022. REUTERS/Altaf Hussain

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's first president from a marginalised tribal community, Droupadi Murmu, said on Monday after being sworn in that her election was an "achievement of every poor person in the country".

Murmu's elevation to India's highest constitutional post has been seen as an important gesture of goodwill by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the communities that make up more than 8% of its 1.4 billion people ahead of a general election due by 2024.