India should drive worldwide growth: PM in German daily
NEW DELHI: India should be an engine for worldwide growth on the strengths of its democracy and a fresh push to revitalise the country’s economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.
Since India’s voters gave the first clear majority mandate to the BJP in three decades, the NDA government has put in place policies to realise its vision for a New Age India with clear economic goals, Modi said in an op-ed article in the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Modi, however, said India’s development would depend on inclusive growth that took all its citizens “together into a better socio-economic future”.
“I visualise India as a key engine of global growth. Our democratic principles and practices are guarantors of stability. We have a free media and an independent judiciary that allows all opinions to be aired without fear,” he said in the piece.
“We believe in ‘Rahein Saath Badhe Saath’ (stay together-grow together). There is no other way forward. Mankind’s progress in this century depends on cooperation and collaboration,” he added.
“Conflict is unthinkable. So is poverty which Gandhi called the worst form of violence. If we can take all Indians together into a better socio-economic future, I believe that the world we share will be a better place for all.”
Modi, who earlier co-authored several op-ed pieces with leaders of countries that he visited, said in the article that India’s focus is “not merely economic growth but an inclusive development”.
“This requires creating jobs, upgrading skills, raising productivity, benchmarking quality with global standards. Our aim is to completely eliminate poverty and to propel all Indians into a life of purpose and dignity within a generation,” he said.
Generating jobs for India’s young population is key to harnessing its demographic advantage and this can be achieved by significantly and quickly ramping up manufacturing capabilities.
MODI, WHO EARLIER CO-AUTHORED SEVERAL OP-ED PIECES WITH LEADERS OF COUNTRIES THAT HE VISITED, SAID THAT INDIA’S FOCUS IS ‘INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT’