GANDHINAGAR: “This is the best time to be here and we have set up dedicated ways to help investors on one to one basis,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing around 30,000 delegates here from the business communities from around the world on Friday afternoon.
He was speaking at the inauguration of Vibrant Gujarat 2019, the 9th Global Summit that has been organised in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from January 18 to 20. This is a biennial summit, that has been taking place in Gujarat since 2003.
Emphasising that doing business in India right now is easier and cheaper, Modi said that that the country has jumped 65 places in the Global Ranking of World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report. “From 142 in 2014, we are now ranked at 77. But we are still not satisfied. I have asked my team to work harder so that India is in the top 50 next year. Also, we are among the top 10 FDI Destinations listed by UNCTAD (United Nations’ Conference on Trade and Development),” Modi added.
Gautam Adani of Adani Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla of Aditya Birla Group, N Chandrashekhar of Tata Sons were some of the industrialists present on the occasion, along with the representatives and heads of the 15 partner countries and other organisations.
Talking about the progress that his government has made in the past four years, the prime minister said that he has tried to ‘reduce the government and enhance governance’. He said, “At 7.3 per cent, the average GDP growth, over the entire term of our government has been the highest of any Indian government since 1991. At the same time, the rate of inflation at 4.6 per cent is the lowest for any Indian government since 1991, when India began its process of liberalisation.”
Stating that the government has worked hard to promote manufacturing to promote jobs through Make in India, he also added that the initiatives like Digital India and Skill India have supported the former. “To convert India into a global manufacturing hub, we have also focussed on bringing our industrial infrastructure, policies and practices to best global standards,” Modi asserted.
Also, in all praise for his homeland, the prime minister also said that Gujarat represents the best of business spirit that exists in India.
‘LEAD A FIGHT AGAINST DATA COLONISATION’
Earlier, while speaking at the summit amongst other industrialists and world leaders, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Industries requested the Prime Minister to lead a fight against data colonisation. “India’s data must be owned and controlled by Indians only and not global corporates. We should launch a movement to bring back the control in our hands,” Ambani said. He also announced that Reliance and Jio will soon launch a new commerce platform for the retailers, a mega mission which will first be launched in Gujarat and then across the country. During the event, Ambani also announced that Reliance, which he said had invested Rs 3 lakh crore and catalysed one million jobs in Gujarat, would double its investment and employment numbers over the next decade. He also spoke about his plans to create a fully digital Gujarat by connecting every home, office, school, college and market through Jio.
