Singapore, Nov 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday sought greater engagement of the diaspora in making the country strong.
He also pitched for large foreign direct investments and said his only task was development to eliminate poverty from the country.
Modi told the indian diaspora that his government’s goals of providing round-the-clock power by 2022, generating 40 percent energy from non-fossil sources by 2030 and generating 175 GW of renewable energy.
Modi during his speech emphasised that it was important to script history and not rest on the laurels of the past.
“India is a great country but it has a lot to learn from Singapore. The diversity that is in India, it is in Singapore but everyone is a Singaporean and is working shoulder to shoulder to build the country. We have to learn a lot from Singapore,” he said.
Modi said he had started his journey with one task before him and needed the blessings of Indians in the country and outside.
Notably, there are about 350,000 Indians living in Singapore.
The prime minister said FDI has two meanings for him — foreign direct investment and first develop India. “Today, India needs a large amount of FDI, he said, noting that FDI flows had gone up by 40 percent over the past 18 months.
Modi said his government had allowed upto 100 percent FDI in railways and the same would apply in approved high technology areas in defence.
“For me railway is not transport only. It is engine for India’s transformation,” he said adding people in India have made up their mind to bring about change. Referring to Swami Vivekananda, Modi said he sees the country reaching its old glory of being “Vishwa Guru” (world guru).
Modi said the esteem for India’s currency should rise in global markets and the decision to float rupee bonds in the London Stock Exchange was a move in that direction. This means invest in rupee, get back in rupee. Enter the world market in rupee, he said.
