Modi's US visit: Praises for MEA, investment pitch for CEOs
Wrapping up Day 1 of his first US visit under Trump's Presidency, PM Modi interacted with top American CEOs and addressed the Indian community in Washington DC. He flaunted reforms introduced to increase ease of doing business with the CEOs; and also lauded the pro-activeness of the MEA under Sushma Swaraj while speaking to the Indian diaspora. PM Modi will meet President Trump today.
What context is this happening in?
PM Modi is currently visiting the US as part of a three-nation foreign tour. While on Day 1, he interacted with American CEOs and the Indian diaspora, on day 2, he is scheduled to meet President Trump for the first time, to discuss strategic issues.
Roundtable interaction with the CEOs
Modi interacted with top 20 American CEOs including Apple's Tim Cook and Google's Sundar Pichai and apprised them of the steps taken during 3 years of NDA rule to increase ease of doing business. He claimed to have introduced 7000 reforms to do the same, with GST touted as a landmark initiative. He also lent a patient ear to the CEOs wish-list.
Minimum government, maximum governance
Modi noted that Goods and Services Tax as a landmark initiative could be a subject of study in business schools. He further claimed to have introduced over 7000 reforms to improve ease of doing business guided by "minimum government and maximum governance".
CEOs respond
Responding to Modi's solid pitch to invest in India, CEOs hailed reforms introduced by the government including demonetization and digitization. They further expressed their support towards initiatives including 'Make in India' and 'Start up India'. While Google CEO Sundar Pichai conveyed his excitement on GST rollout, an official statement from Lockheed Martin highlighted their partnership with Tata Advanced Systems to produce F-16s in India.
Interaction with Indian diaspora in Virginia, Washington DC
Speaking to the Indian diaspora in the US, PM Modi lauded External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for her pro-activeness through social media, in helping Indians stranded in different parts of the world. He further added that MEA had helped over 80,000 Indians stranded abroad in three years. He also called on the Indian diaspora to invest in India and give back to the motherland.
Modi flaunts 'untainted' governance
Modi apprised the Indian community on aspects including corruption-free governance in India and key schemes including Direct Benefit Transfer scheme and PM's Jan Dhan scheme. He also said that his government "has not seen a single taint" since coming to power.
