Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the ‘Make in India’ initiative can drive global growth and help democratise the global economy. He highlighted the importance of creating multiple, reliable and resilient supply chains.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is in Astana to attend the SCO summit, delivered Prime Minister Modi’s speech at the expanded meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Kazakh capital.
Prime Minister Modi said that India has made significant contributions to enhancing the economic agenda of the SCO Group with institutional mechanisms such as the SCO Startup Forum and the Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Prime Minister was quoted as saying that India has 130,000 startups including 100 unicorns, so our experience can be useful for others.
“When it comes to geo-economics, the need today is to build multiple reliable and resilient supply chains. This is an important learning from the Covid experience. ‘Make in India’ can add to the engines of global growth and help democratise the global economy. India stands ready to partner with others in capacity building, especially with countries in the Global South,” the statement said.
The Prime Minister said that technology has not only created immense possibilities in his time but is also proving to be a game changer in both development and security. “The digital age requires greater trust and transparency. AI and cyber security raise important issues of their own,” he said.
“As far as medical and wellness tourism is concerned, you would be aware that the World Health Organisation has set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Gujarat. In the SCO, India has taken the initiative for a new SCO Working Group on Traditional Medicine,” the Prime Minister said.
“Enhancing education, training and capacity building are key pillars of India’s international cooperation. We are committed to further expanding them, whether it is with C5 partners, or with ‘Neighbourhood First’ or the extended neighbourhood,” he said. “India has shown that digital public infrastructure and digital financial inclusion can make a huge difference. Both were discussed during our SCO Presidency. They also expand the scope of international cooperation to include SCO members and partners.”
“While addressing challenges head on, it is equally important to proactively and collaboratively seek opportunities for progress. The current global debate is focused on forging new connectivity relationships that will better serve a rebalanced world,” he said.
“If it is to gain serious momentum, it requires the joint efforts of many. It must also be respectful of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and built on the foundation of non-discriminatory trade and transit rights with neighbours,” he said, in an apparent dig at China. Chinese President Xi Jinping was also present at the summit.
China has invested billions of dollars in various power projects and road networks in Pakistan under the US$65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
India is opposing CPEC as it passes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“To the extended family of SCO, we underline the recent progress made on Chabahar Port through the long-term agreement between India and Iran. This is not only of immense value to landlocked Central Asian countries but also makes commerce between India and Eurasia risk-free,” Modi said.
India and Iran in May signed a 10-year contract to operate a terminal at the strategically important Chabahar port in Iran. The move will boost regional connectivity as well as trade ties.
This is the first time that India will take over the management of a foreign port, which will also have a qualitative impact on trade between India, Iran and Afghanistan as efforts are on to directly tap the potential of Central Asia bypassing neighbouring Pakistan.
Speaking about Afghanistan, Prime Minister Modi said that India and its people have a historic bond with Afghanistan which forms the basis of relations between the two countries. “Our cooperation spans development projects, humanitarian assistance, capacity building and sports. India is sensitive to the needs and aspirations of the Afghan people,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister also talked about granting status of third official language to English, which he said is important as more and more countries want to join the SCO as observers or dialogue partners.
“We must strive to have better dialogue and deepen our consensus.” Congratulating the Kazakh side for hosting a successful summit, Modi said India, as a “vishwa bandhu” or friend of the world, will always strive to deepen cooperation with all its partners.
The Prime Minister also wished success to the upcoming Chinese Chairmanship of the SCO.
India became a member of the SCO at the summit held in Kazakhstan in June 2017.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)