Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation

Salient Points of PM Narendra Modi’s address at the Inauguration Ceremony of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017 on 10 Jan, 2017

  • I welcome you all to the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. I also wish you a very happy, prosperous and successful new year. I fondly recall the modest launch of this event in 2003. Since then it has been a very successful journey.
  • Your presence is a source of motivation for business leaders as well as young entrepreneurs gathered here.
  • . Without your support, this event could not have seen eight biennial chapters; each better and bigger than the earlier one.
  • The presence of political and business leaders from more than 100 countries, and a large number of organisations from around the world make this a truly global event.
  • I would urge the participants to reach out to each other and to derive the greatest benefit from this summit.
  • Gujarat, the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, also represents the business spirit of India. Through the ages, it has led in commerce and enterprise
  • As I have often said India’s strength lies in the three Ds: Democracy, Demography and Demand.
  • Over the last two and a half years, we have also evolved a culture of healthy competition among states. States are being rated on parameters of Good Governance.
  • Coming to Demography, ours is a nation of vibrant youth. The disciplined, dedicated, and talented youth of India offers a globally unmatched work-force.
  • On the Demand front, our rising middle class offers a huge domestic market.
  • The seas that surround the Indian peninsula, connect us to some of the world’s biggest markets, including Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
  • Nature has been kind to us. Our three crop seasons enable us to grow food, vegetables and fruits in abundance.
  • India is now an emerging R&D hub. We produce the world’s second largest number of scientists and engineers.
  • Our entertainment industry is making waves worldwide. All this helps ensure a good quality of life, at relatively low cost.
  • Our Government was elected first and foremost on the promise to provide clean Governance and end the prevailing regime of corruption and nepotism. It is our vision and mission to bring a paradigm shift in the ways of our polity and economy.
  • Believe me, we are on the threshold of becoming the world’s most digitised economy. Most of you wanted this change in India. I am proud to say that it is happening before you.
  • Over the last two and a half years, we have worked relentlessly to realise India’s potential, and to set right the economy.
  • World Bank, IMF and other institutions have projected even better growth in the coming days. In 2014-15, India contributed 12.5 per cent of global growth. Its contribution to global growth is sixty eight per cent higher, than its share of the world economy.
  • The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, the National Company Law Tribunal, a new arbitration framework and a new IPR regime are all in place. New commercial courts have also been set up. These are just a few examples of the direction in which we are going. My government is strongly committed to continue the reform of the Indian economy.
  • We have placed the highest emphasis on Ease of Doing Business.
  • India’s rank has improved considerably, in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report.
  • India is ranked third in the list of top prospective host economies for 2016-18 in the World Investment Report 2016 released by UNCTAD.
  • You can see that we are moving closer to global best practices. Day by day we are getting more and more integrated with the world.
  • We are taking a leap towards next generation infrastructure: in both core and social sectors; in both rural and urban areas. This includes Freight Corridors, Industrial Corridors, High Speed and Metro Rail projects, Logistics Parks, Smart Cities, Coastal Zones, regional airports, water, sanitation and energy initiatives. Our per capita electricity consumption must rise. Even as we do so, we are committed to promoting renewable energy.
  • I daresay, that India alone offers the opportunities that could rival those of an entire continent. It offers today, the possibilities of a full century. And we want to do all this in a cleaner, greener and sustainable way.
  • We are committed to protect the environment and uphold our responsibility towards Nature. Ultimately, this is what India has stood for since ages.