JOIN USPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday replayed the role of being the country’s biggest salesman to the global audience saying, “India’s development agenda is ambitious and it seeks to provide jobs to everybody”.
Modi was addressing the gathering at the inaugural function of the eighth edition of his pet Vibrant Gujarat Summit that saw participation by representatives of 100 nations.
Reminiscent of his days as the chief minister of Gujarat, Modi rattled out figures and policy initiatives to highlight strengths of India to the global audience.
“India has 800 million people below the age of 35. Our youths are not merely looking for jobs, some are becoming entrepreneurs too. India is emerging as a hub producing the second largest number of scientists and engineers,” he said.
Modi said his government will continue to provide equal weightage to development of urban and rural India. “Our vision and mission is to bring a paradigm shift in polity and governance, from favouritism to level-playing field, from discretionary to system-based administration.”
He said several steps initiated by his government had seen India emerge as the fastest growing economy in the world, despite global slowdown.
“We seek to become the easiest place to do business and we are simplifying procedures to make it possible. India has become one of the most open economies and among the top 10 nations attracting FDI, with total FDI in the last two years reaching $130 billion.”
He said while India will continue laying emphasis on infrastructure and the prospect of emerging as the world’s largest construction market with houses for all by 2021, its development would be green.
“The world has spent two centuries exploiting nature but it is time to heal the world. We will do our bit by focusing on building 175 gigawatt of renewable power,” he said.
Some global business tycoons showered praises on Modi.
“Modi is one of the top three global leaders I have ever met,” Cisco boss John Chambers said.
Prem Watsa from Fairfax on the other hand said that he believed Modi can be Lee Kwan Yew of India.