Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the gathering during the inauguration of Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC), in Bengaluru.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged international investors to link their growth with India's rapid rise, saying the country is becoming one of the most well-connected markets.
He emphasised the government’s efforts to increase women’s participation in every sector and also reiterated India’s push towards women-led development during its G20 Presidency.
Speaking after inaugurating Boeing’s new Global Engineering and Technology Centre near here, Modi talked about the government’s focus on investments to overcome the previous handicap of poor connectivity that was preventing India's potential in performance.
The prime minister also launched the Boeing Sukanya Programme that the company said aims to support the entry of more girl children from across India into the country’s growing aviation sector. The programme will provide education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to girls, and train women for aviation industry jobs.
Recalling his declaration from the Red Fort, Yahi Samay hai, Sahi Samay Hai, PM Modi said this is also the right time for Boeing and other international companies to link their growth with India's rapid rise.
“Building a developed India in the next 25 years has now become the resolve of 140 crore Indians,” he asserted. “In the past 9 years, we have lifted approximately 25 crore Indians out of poverty and these crores of Indians are now creating a neo-middle class,” he said, adding that upward mobility is a trend in every income group in India.
He also stated that the government is committed to creating new opportunities for women in the aerospace sector as well.
“Be it as fighter pilots or in civil aviation, India is leading the world in the number of women pilots,” the PM said, adding that 15 per cent of India’s pilots are women, which is three times the global average.
Talking about Bengaluru, PM said that the city links aspirations to innovations and achievements, and India’s tech potential to global demands.
“Boeing’s new technology campus is going to strengthen this belief." The prime minister said the new Boeing facility demonstrates India’s commitment to driving global tech, research and innovation, design and demand. "This strengthens the ‘Make in India-Make for the World’ resolution," Modi said.
"This campus reinforces the world's trust in India’s talent," he added. The prime minister expressed hope that one day India will design aircraft of the future in this facility. He said that India has become the world’s third largest aviation domestic market.
He said India is becoming one of the most well-connected markets, adding that today India has about 150 operational airports, up from about 70 in 2014. The PM also highlighted the rapid growth of the air cargo sector thanks to India’s increased airport capacity.
Modi stressed the need to build an aircraft manufacturing ecosystem in India as he highlighted the potential of India’s strong network of MSMEs, huge talent pool, and stable government in India.
"India’s policy approach to encourage 'Make in India' is a win-win situation for every investor," he explained.