Bengaluru Nov 11 (Agency) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his government at the centre considers speed as aspiration and scale as strength of nation, unlike previous governments. “The previous governments used to consider speed, a luxury, and scale, a risk, but we changed this mindset. We consider speed, aspiration and scale, the strength of a nation,” he said addressing a rally after inaugurating a 108-feet tall statue of Bengaluru founder ‘Nadaprabhu’ Kempegowda and Terminal 2 of the international airport near here. PM Modi said the gigantic statue of NadaPrabhu Kempegowda will inspire people to work relentlessly for Bengaluru’s future, the India of the future.
He said India is known all over the world for its startups, and Bengaluru plays a vital role in getting India established as a startup hub. Modi said startups are not just a company, they are a belief, a solution to every challenge that the country is facing. He said the Vande Bharat Express, which was inaugurated today, is a symbol which sends the message that India has left the days of stagnation behind and wants to run fast and is doing everything possible for it. Modi said in the last three years Karnataka managed to attract Rs 4 lakh crore of investment when the world was affected by Covid.Last year, Karnataka was a pioneer in attracting FDI in the country, and investment was not limited to just the IT sector, it was spread from biotech to defence manufacturing, he said.Modi said the Union Government is also building new airports in the country.
“Before 2014, there were around 70 airports in the country. Now their number has increased to more than 140. Growing up, these airports are increasing the business potential of our cities,” he said. New opportunities are also being created for the youth, Modi said, adding that his government considers speed as India’s aspiration and scale as India’s strength. The PM said today India is working on a different level in terms of governance or building physical and digital infrastructure. “Today the whole world is shocked when it hears about India’s digital payment BHIM UPI,” he said. Modi said the success of Make in India programme, 5G technology, UPI, nothing would have been possible without the sheer contribution of professionals from Bengaluru. “The India before 2014 was something altogether different from the present prosperous and technically advanced India,” he said.