Sweeping socio-economic changes taking place, says Modi

Dehradun: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country is passing through an era of sweeping social and economic changes and is poised to be the engine of world economic growth in the coming decades.

Inaugurating Uttarakhand’s first investors’ summit, Mr Modi showcased his government’s policies that have made the country the ideal investment destination in the world today.

The Prime Minister highlighted the benefits of the newly-launched Ayushman Bharat Yojana health insurance scheme, GST and anti-inflation measures.

Mr Modi said that schemes like Ayushman Bharat Yojana will provide health insurance coverage to a huge population and open up opportunities for investors in the health sector.

Addressing the country’s top business leaders and industrial houses at “Destination Uttarak-hand: Investors Summit 2018”, he said that India is passing through an era of unprecedented social and economic changes at present and expressed confidence that in the coming decades India will play a major role in global economy. Reflecting on the “Champions of the Earth” award given to him by the UN, the Prime Minister said that India is headed towards becoming a world leader in the use of renewable energy.

“We have decided that by 2030, 40 per cent of electricity in the country will be produced using non-fossil fuel resources,” he said.

Describing the current times as the best for investors, the Prime Minister said, “In the past four years, the state and Central governments together have taken over 10,000 measures, which have helped the country improve its position in the ease of doing business rankings by 42 points.”

Highlighting rapid growth in the infrastructure sector, the Prime Minister said 10,000 km highways have been built, which is double in comparison with what was done by earlier governments.

The aviation sector is growing at a record speed with 100 new airports and helipads coming up across the country. Type II and Type III cities are getting air connectivity, he said.

With the high speed rail projects and metro lines in various cities and the Centre’s policy of housing for all, power for all, fuel for all and banking for all, scenario of an ideal investment destination becomes complete, Mr Modi said.

“My message to investors is make in India but not just for Indians but for the whole world,” he said.

Describing Uttarakhand as a shining jewel in the crown of emerging new India, Mr Modi said when former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee decided to create the state the challenges were big but now the scenario has changed, with major steps taken in terms of infrastructure building and connectivity.