Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that India has shown growth and resilience amid global headwinds, as he urged the public and private sectors to seize opportunities arising as a result of the emerging global environment and to think out of the box.
Modi said this during his interaction with economists prior to the forthcoming Union Budget to be presented on February 1.
Recognizing that the underlying global headwinds are likely to continue, strategic recommendations were also made by the economists for further strengthening India’s economic resilience, sources aware of the developments said.
Modi noted that while there are risks, the emerging global environment offers new and diverse opportunities in areas such as digitization, energy, healthcare, and agriculture, among others.
To seize these opportunities, public and private sectors need to leverage synergies and think out of the box, he emphasized during the meeting, official sources said.
Participants at the meeting offered practical measures on ways in which India could prudently sustain its development momentum.
Ideas and suggestions were shared with the Prime Minister on diverse topics, ranging from agriculture to manufacturing.
Sources said that Modi applauded the success of the India Digital story and the rapid adoption of fintech across the country as well as the potential for inclusive growth and development it promises.
The Prime Minister underscored Nari Shakti as a key driver of India’s growth and urged her to continue making efforts to further enable and boost women’s participation in the workforce.
In the ongoing International Year of Millets, Modi highlighted the need to promote millets in view of their potential to transform the rural and agricultural sectors, with their attributes such as being carbon neutral, conducive to natural farming, and an affordable source of nutrition.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Planning Rao Inderjit Singh, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery, Principal Secretary to PM P.K. Mishra, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran were present at the meeting, along with Niti Aayog members and CEO Parameswaran Iyer.
