PM at Davos: India has given the world a Bouquet of Hope – of trust in democracy, tech, talent and temperament
New Delhi, Jan 17 (FN Bureau) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that India as a strong democracy has given the whole world a beautiful present – a Bouquet of Hope, in the form of Indians’ unflinching trust in democracy, the technology to empower the 21st century and the temperament and talent of Indians, as he projected India as a very attractive destination for business. Addressing the World Economic Forum at Davos in virtual mode, the Prime Minister outlined the economic reforms undertaken by his government for ease of business and the strides taken towards moving to a digital economy and enhanced connectivity. He also cited supply chain disruptions, inflation and climate change as examples of the common problems facing the world today, and also that of crypto currency. He urged on the need for a common approach by the international community to tackle these issues.
The PM said that India is currently going through another Covid-19 wave, with utmost caution and precautions, while also taking big strides in the economic sphere. Citing the 160 crore vaccines doses administered in the past year, he said “it fills us with self confidence”. “A strong democracy like India has given the whole world a beautiful present: a bouquet of hope. This bouquet contains, our Indians’ unwavering trust in democracy, the technology to empower the 21st century, the temperament and the talent of Indians,” he said. He said that India’s multi-lingual multi-cultural ethos is a great strength for the entire world, and “India is thinking not just for itself , but to work for humankind”. The PM said that during the corona times, India worked towards its vision of ‘One Earth One Health’ and thereby provided many countries with vaccines, and medicines, and helped save countless lives. “India is the third biggest pharma producer and is the pharmacy to the world. We are among those countries whose health professionals and doctors have won plaudits with their expertise and empathy,” he added. “India capabilities are an example to the world. We are sending a record number of software engineers to the world; 50 lakh are working in India.
India has the third most number of unicorns, while more than 10,000 startups were registered in the last three months. We have the biggest digital payments platform,” the PM enumerated. He said the government is pushing forward with ease of doing business and moving towards less involvement of the government, adding that his government has simplified the corporate tax and made it the most competitive in the world. He said in the past one year, his government has reduced over 25,000 compliances. “We have undertaken major economic reforms even in the corona times. Our commitment to reforms is a big reason that India is being viewed as the most attractive investment destination,” he said. Elaborating on the government’s policies, he said that 6 lakh villages are being connected with optical fibre. “Our target is to generate USD 80 billion through asset monetization. We have started the Gati Shakti Master plan for this by involving stakeholders. It is a national master plan, where through integrated development and implementation, we will work for seamless connectivity and speed in moving goods, people and services,” he added. He said his government’s Atmanirbhar mission is not just to focus on easing the process of business but to incentivize it, and added that in 14 sectors they have launched USD 26 billion worth production linked incentive schemes.
“Through Make in India we are Making for the World, we are moving forward with this vision. In telecom, defence, aerospace, and now in semi conductors it holds immense potential for India. We are making plans with the next 25 years in mind,” he outlined. He said that along with high growth, his government has kept welfare and wellness in mind. “Growth will be green and clean and sustainable and reliable, for global good,” he added. Touching on climate change, he reiterated India’s commitment, made at the COP26 in Glasgow, of targeting Net Zero by 2070. “We have targeted net zero by 2070. Though we contribute only 5 percent to global emissions, but to tackle climate change our commitment is 100 percent,” he said, adding that India’s initiatives of the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition of Disaster Resistant Infrastructure are proof of this.