By Bhuvan Lall, June 29, 2017
On Wednesday, India’s Prime Minister Modi returned home after his fifth official visit to the United States.
Besides diplomacy Modi as part of his agenda engaged with the business community of the United States and hosted 20 CEOs and corporate leaders on Sunday, 25th, June in Washington. In addition to informing the CEOs about the implementation of tax reforms the Prime Minister emphasized the importance attached by the Indian Government on efficiency, transparency, growth and benefit for all. Indian Government’s flagship initiative such as Make in India, Digital India and Start Up India found support from the CEOs. Developing low cost hotels across India’s vast network of railway stations were among the opportunities discussed.
One of the richest persons on Earth, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who has invested US$ 5 billion in India immediately went public about his continued commitment to the country in a tweet that followed a meeting with Modi. “Terrific meeting with Narendra Modi. Always impressed, energized by optimism and invention in India. Excited to keep investing and growing”.
Earlier on his official trips to USA in 2014 and 2015, Modi had similarly successfully promoted Indian business interests among the Fortune 500 CEOs, Media Moguls and Tech Titans in USA. At that time he had got endorsements from John Chambers and Rupert Murdoch.
On all his overseas trips PM Modi has made sure the image of India’s business story is glowing. As a result the expectations from India within the global corporate community are quite high now.
Given the current global economic and political scenario, India, the world’s largest democracy and the fastest growing free market economy with a demographic advantage, finally has a chance to emerge as the most stable, totally inclusive and a digitally transparent economic leader in Asia now and in the world in the near future.
This is an extraordinary opportunity for India in the 21st century world.
Now after 3 years of meetings and promoting India as a location for global manufacturing, a lucrative destination for investors and a continent of consumers, Prime Minister Modi will need to do some solid cleaning up back home. To unleash India’s true economic potential while confronting climate change, divisive politics and an increasingly dangerous neighborhood, a great deal would have to be done to transform India beginning with the inefficient law and order machinery, reform resistant political class, colonial era civil administrative edifice, fragile infrastructure and weak energy, education and health care systems.
It’s a tall order for any democratically elected government with a fixed term but nothing less will do.
And if this is accomplished in record time the wheels of the Indian economy will move on the fast track and the dreams of a 1.3 billion Indians will light up the universe.
For within the success of 1.3 billion Indians is the success of humanity and an inspiration for rest of the world.
© Bhuvan Lall.
This article was originally published on the author’s Facebook page