WASHINGTON DC: Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the Indian diaspora as well as US businessmen to make full use of the growing India-US partnership and seize the moment.
Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) event, he said, “Technology handshake held at the White House today is a direct message to the companies, businesses, manufacturers and innovators of both the countries – This is the moment. India and US Governments have done the groundwork for you. But now, the responsibility to grow on this ground is yours. The one who plays will flourish. I’m sure that you’ll not let this opportunity slide.”
PM Modi emphasized that India’s success is driven by the aspirations of its people, and the India-US determination has the potential to change the fortunes of the world in the 21st century.
“I invite you to join the journey of India’s future. Let us come together for a better world, a better future…This is the time, the right time,” said PM Modi.
Highlighting India’s growth trajectory, he said, “You will be delighted to know how swiftly India is going ahead…Today, one new University is coming up in India every week. Every third day, one Atal Tinkering Lab is opening in India. Every second day, a new college is being opened. Every day a new ITI is being established in India. Every year one new IIT and one new IIM is being set up in India. Talents from such institutions are working for the welfare of humanity.”
PM Modi also explained how India has the biggest solution to one of the problems that the world will face in the future- ageing.
“India has the biggest solution to one of the problems we will face in the future- ageing. Ageing will impact manpower, consumption as well as innovation. Today, India is the youngest country in the world. Any country that will come in contact with India will be benefitted,” he said at the USISPF event.
India overtook China as the world’s most populous country. The current population of India is 1,420,237,316 as of Friday, June 23. China’s population reached its peak size of 1.426 billion in 2022 and has started to fall.
“Today, India is the youngest country in the world. We have the biggest talent pool of youth…Therefore, any country which associates with India would hugely benefit,” he added.
Projections indicate that the size of the Chinese population could drop below 1 billion before the end of the century. By contrast, India’s population is expected to continue growing for several decades.
PM Modi said that the “Ease of Doing Business” is a promise of the Indian Government, adding, “Whenever India has grown stronger, the whole world has benefitted.”
He said that the partnership between India and America will benefit the people of both countries.
“In the last 3 days, many historic steps have been taken to strengthen this partnership. India and America are moving forward as the most reliable partners,” added the Prime Minister.
He said that the neo-middle class is continuously growing in India and it has opened door to the new possibilities for the US.
“Neo middle class is continuously growing in India. This aspiration of the people of India is going to be the most important pivotal point of the India-US partnership. What India is doing to fulfill the aspirations of this section, has also opened door to the new possibilities for the US,” said PM Modi.
He said that the greatest driving force behind India’s success is the aspiration of Indians, adding that the India-US partnership can change the fortunes of the world in the 21st century.
“This is not very different from the American dream. Today, the share of private consumption in India’s GDP is the highest in the last 15 years,” said PM Modi.
He was happy over the fact that Indian companies were investing billions of dollars in the US. PM Modi said, “Indian companies are going global…Indian companies are operating in many states of the US and it will benefit the youth and the farmers of the US.”
“This partnership between India and America is in the interest of both countries. It is also in the interest of the people of both countries. That’s why it is equally necessary to strengthen it. Several historic steps have been taken for this. During my visit, the partnership between India and America in the defence sector attained a new height. When I spoke about this in Congress yesterday, the thunderous applause in the entire House could not stop,” he added.
Notably, American companies have invested around USD 16 billion in India in the last two years.
“US companies have invested more than USD 16 billion in India in the last 2-2.5 years,” said PM Modi.
He said that the partnership between the US and India is in the interest of both countries and in the interest of the people of both countries.
“Today, India is investing record more than USD 125 billion in infrastructure. This growth story of India provides innumerable opportunities for America. For you, it’s time to take first and fast-mover advantage,” added PM Modi.
He gave example aviation sector mega deal and said that the partnership between India and America in the defence sector has attained a new height during his US visit and Indo-US Defence Partnership is building a special kind of relationship with the people of each American state.
“Demand is increasing continuously in the aviation sector. To meet this demand, Indian airlines are placing orders for hundreds of aircraft, and American companies are also benefiting from this. The Indo-US Defence Partnership is building a special kind of relationship with the people of each state. Apache helicopters manufactured in Arizona, Super Hercules of Georgia’s C30s and others are strengthening India as well as America’s defence and aero sector,” said PM Modi.
He also gave example of the COVID-19 pandemic and how India increased its production and delivered the vaccine to more than 100 countries.
“History is witness that whenever India has become strong, the whole world has benefited. Even in this pandemic, we saw that when the world needed medicines, India increased its production and sent medicines to more than 150 countries. When the world needed corona vaccine, India increased production and delivered the vaccine to 100 countries. ‘Our heart is big’, our commitment to world peace is bigger than that,” said PM Modi.
He said that the way India faced this epidemic in Corona shows India’s potential.
“We are empowering the poor of India, increasing their ease of living. In 10 years, India has become the 5th largest economy from the 10th largest economy in the world. The way India faced this epidemic in Corona shows India’s potential,” added PM Modi.
“We have contained fiscal deficit and continuously increasing Capex. Our exports and forex are increasing. Besides, we are creating new records in the FDI,” said PM Modi. (ANI)