PM Modi at India-US Summit: Current situation demands fresh mindset where approach to development is human-centric
The pandemic has impacted several things but it has not impacted the aspirations and ambitions of 1.3 billion Indians, said PM Narendra Modi at the USISPF 3rd Annual Leadership Summit on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a Special Key Note Address at the USISPF 3rd Annual Leadership Summit on Thursday, through video conference.
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is a non-profit organisation that works for the partnership between India and the US.
The Theme of the five-day summit that began on the August 31 is “US-India Navigating New Challenges”.
The theme covers various subjects such as India’s potential in becoming a Global Manufacturing Hub, Opportunities in India’s Gas Market, Ease of Doing Business to attract FDI in India, Common Opportunities & Challenges in Tech Space, Indo-Pacific Economic issues, Innovation in Public Health and others.
PM Modi said, "When 2020 began, did anyone imagine how it would pan out? A global pandemic has impacted everyone. It's testing our resilience, public health system and economic system. The current situation demands fresh mindset where the approach to development is human-centric."
Talking about dealing the COVID-19 pandemic, PM Modi said that India, a country with 1.3 billion people and limited resources, has one of the lowest death rates per million in the world. The recovery rate is also steadily rising.We are second largest PPE kit manufacturers in the world.
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana provided support to 800 million Indians during the time of the pandemic. "The pandemic has impacted several things but it has not impacted the aspirations and ambitions of 1.3 billion Indians. In recent months, there have been far reaching reforms. These are making business easier and red-tapism lesser," he said.
Talking about why the world is looking towards India, the PM said, "The pandemic has also shown the world that the decision on developing global supply chains should not only be based on costs. They should be based on trust."
He also said that India understands it global responsibility and "1.3 billion Indians have embarked on one mission to make an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India). 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' merges the local with the global. It ensures India's strengths act as a global force multiplier." He added, "For challenges in India, you have a govt that believes in delivering results, for which ease of living is as important as ease of doing business. You are looking at a young country with 65 per cent population less than 35 years old."
Union Ministers and senior officials were also a part of the virtual summit.