Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday invited the world to invest in India as this is the best time to do so in the country which is poised to emerge as the third-largest economy in the coming years.
Delivering a special ‘State of the World’ address to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Davos Agenda, via video conferencing, he underlined the role India played in handling the Covid-19-sparked crisis and managing the world’s largest vaccination drive.
Citing statistics, PM Modi presented India as not only a future technology and economic powerhouse of the world but also showcased the country as an indispensable member of the world community.
He said: “We have not just set a record of administering 1.6 billion Covid-19 vaccine shots, but also stood with the countries which were in need during the pandemic. India always follows the vision of ‘One Earth, One Health’, and supplied Covid vaccines to over 150 nations along with life-saving drugs.”
“India’s health professionals, who are always regarded for their sensitivity, won the hearts of the people. Our 5-million software professionals did not let the world stop digitally by working day and night tirelessly,” Modi said.
He elaborated on India’s economic and technology reforms and said the present government has removed over 25,000 hurdles to start a business in India.
“Today, India is the land of over 60,000 registered startups, 80 unicorns, a country of more than 4 billion UPI transactions, and a nation with 600,000 villages connected digitally and spending about USD 1.3 trillion on connectivity,” Modi said.
Without naming the United Nations, he also favored restructuring and reforms in international organizations. When these organizations were formed, he said, the world was different. Over the years, things have changed, and “it is the call of the day that all the democratic countries should come together and make the changes for a better tomorrow”.
The Prime Minister also suggested the world start rethinking its lifestyle, which is damaging the global environment, whereas the Indian culture still banks on its age-old traditions of preserving nature. India advocates growth, which should be green, clean, sustainable, and reliable.
“Through the International Solar Alliance and COP21, the world witnessed India’s commitments towards saving the Earth,” he said.
Besides PM Modi, the four-day Davos summit is also being attended by PM Kishida Fumio (Japan), PM Naftali Bennett (Israel), PM Scott Morrison (Australia), President Joko Widodo (Indonesia), President Xi Jinping (China), and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, along with top industry leaders, international organizations and civil society groups.