Munich: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that 21st century India is at the forefront of Industry 4.0 and asserted that the country is shining at every front whether it is in the field of information technology or digital technology.
Modi, who arrived in Germany on a three-day visit, said India has the third-largest startup ecosystem and it is the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world.
The Prime Minister lauded Indian democracy while mentioning the “Emergency” declared by the Indira Gandhi government on 25 June 1975.
In an exhilarating atmosphere in Munich, PM Modi described how the DNA of democracy is inscribed in Indians.
“Today is June 26 which is also known as the day when India’s democracy — that’s is in the DNA of every Indian — was trampled and suppressed 47 years ago. Emergency was a black spot on the vibrant history of India’s democracy,” said Modi.
He said that 47 years ago an attempt was made to hold that democracy hostage, and crush democracy; however, Indians answered all the conspiracies to crush democracy.
“The people of India answered all the conspiracies to crush democracy, done in a democratic way. We Indians take pride in our democracy wherever you are. Every Indian proudly says India is Mother of Democracy,” said the Prime Minister.
“Today, the New India is at the forefront of Industry 4.0. Be it IT or digital technology, India is shining at every front,” the Prime Minister said while addressing the Indian community in Munich.
“There was a time when India was nowhere in the race of startups. Today, we are the third-largest startup ecosystem. Similarly, we used to import even the simplest phones, today, we are the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world,” he said.
Modi said India was a “slave” during the industrial revolution but now it will not be left behind in the 4th industrial revolution.
“In the last century, Germany and other countries took benefit from the industrial revolution. India was a slave back then that’s why it couldn’t leverage benefits. But now India will not be left behind in the 4th industrial revolution, it’s now leading the world,” he said.
“Today, India is working on building a new legacy and this is being led by the youth of the country. We have brought 21st-century policies to the youth of New India. Today, our youth will be able to complete their education in their own mother tongues,” he said.
The Prime Minister also said that India has a unicorn every 10 days, 5,000 patents are being filed every month. “We are progressing and we are growing,” he said.
Speaking about the COVID-19, Modi said that there was a time when people used to say that India will take 10-15 years to vaccinate its population against the coronavirus, but at present most of the population in the country has been vaccinated.
“Today, 90 per cent of adults have taken both doses and 95 per cent of adults have taken at least one dose,” he noted.
Earlier in the day, Modi received a grand welcome from the Indian diaspora at the Hotel in Munich on Sunday where he will be staying during his trip.
“Bharat Mata ki Jai” slogan reverberated at the hotel premises as people from the Indian diaspora cheered and waved their flags seeing the Prime Minister.
PM Modi arrived in Munich today to attend the G7 summit where he will hold meetings with G7 and partner countries and will hold discussions on issues ranging from environment, energy, to counter-terrorism.
He was welcomed by a Bavarian band on his arrival in Munich. On the sidelines of the Summit, Modi will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of some of the participating countries.
“Besides participating in @G7 discussions on climate, energy, food security, health, gender equality and more, PM will also hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines,” the MEA said.
The G7 Summit invitation is in keeping with the tradition of strong and close partnership and high-level political contacts between India and Germany.
