PM Modi Invites Global Investors To Invest In Indian Urbanisation, Mobility And Innovation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (17 November) informed the investors about government's initiatives for revitalising the country's urban landscape and invited them to invest in the Indian urbanisation, mobility, innovation and sustainable solutions.

Speaking at the Third Annual Bloomberg New Economy Forum via video conferencing, PM Modi said “If you are looking to invest in urbanisation, India has exciting opportunities for you. If you are looking to invest in mobility, India has exciting opportunities for you. If you are looking to invest in innovation, India has exciting opportunities for you. If you are looking to invest in sustainable solutions, India has exciting opportunities for you", according to an official release.

"These opportunities come along-with a vibrant democracy. A business friendly climate. A huge market and a government which shall leave no stone unturned to make India a preferred global investment destination," he said.

PM Modi further said that post COVID-19 world will need a restart, however the restart will not be possible without a reset of mindset, processes and practices.

The pandemic has given us an opportunity to develop new protocols in every field, he said.

“This opportunity should be grabbed by the world if we want to develop resilient systems for the future. We should think about post COVID requirements of the world. A good starting point would be the rejuvenation of our urban centers," PM Modi added.

Dwelling on the theme of rejuvenation of the urban centres, PM Modi emphasised the centrality of the people in the recovery process.

Terming people as the biggest resources and the communities as the biggest building block, PM Modi said, “The pandemic has re-emphasised that our biggest resource, as societies and as businesses, is our people. The post-Covid world has to be built by nurturing this key and fundamental resource.”

PM Modi stressed the need to carry forward the learnings of the pandemic period. Talking about the cleaner environment during the lockdown period he wondered whether we can build sustainable cities where a cleaner environment is the norm and not an exception.

“It has been our endeavour in India to build urban centres, which have the amenities of a city but the spirit of a village,” he said.

He informed the forum about the recent initiatives for revitalizing the Indian urban landscape such as Digital India, Startup India, affordable housing, Real Estate (Regulation) Act and Metro Rail in 27 cities.

“We are on track to deliver close to 1000 kms of Metro Rail system in the country by 2022,” PM Modi informed the forum.

"We have selected 100 Smart Cities through a two-stage process. It was a nationwide competition upholding the philosophy of cooperative and competitive federalism. These cities have prepared projects worth almost two lakh crore rupees or $30 billion. And projects worth almost one lakh forty thousand crore rupees or $20 billion have been completed or nearing completion," he added.