Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday stressed that the whole world was attracted towards India not because of him but due to the efforts of India’s 1.25bn people.
Modi made the observation while addressing an invited gathering of Indian expatriates at Sheraton Doha on the second and concluding day of his trip to Qatar.
Meanwhile, slogans hailing Modi filled the air as the audience applauded his speech.
“Today, the whole world is attracted to India, is curious about India,” Modi said to the applause of the gathering. “Even you must have noticed the changes under way in India.”
Insisting that India was no longer the place it used to be, Modi said his country’s image had undergone a remarkable change and its appeal had increased at different levels. “When the leaders of countries that I visit laud the achievements of members of the Indian diaspora, I am moved by pride as well as joy.”
Corruption, he said, had been an obstacle for India’s development for long but his government has initiated numerous steps to root it out. He noted that, of late, India has launched several initiatives to fight corruption, ensure better financial discipline and introduce better economic reforms.
Further, the PM said Indians living in Qatar were never away from India even for a minute. “They are reliving India on the soil of Qatar,” he said.
Modi said reputable global agencies are in agreement that India is the fastest growing economy at present, pointing out that the world economy was not doing well at the moment.
“Our economy has demonstrated a high rate of growth even though the reducing purchasing power at the global level has affected India’s exports,” Modi said, adding that despite two consecutive droughts, India’s economy has registered a creditable 7.9% growth.
The Indian PM also reiterated that he was hopeful about the prospects of India’s 800mn-odd youth population, stressing that they would emerge stronger than before through their merit and ability in the coming years.