Indian PM Modi pushes ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat' mission with 'Zero Defect, Zero Effect'
'We are rapidly moving towards becoming the top third economy. This speed came to us from the spirit of reform, perform, and transform. This speed came to us from clear intention and honest efforts. In 2014, Metro was limited to only five cities. And now there is a network of more than 1000 km in 24 cities... Before 2014, about 20,000 km of rail route was electrified... We have electrified more than 40,000 km of rail route in the last 11 years itself... Till 2014, there were only 74 airports in India. Now their number has increased to more than 160... The figures for waterways are also equally impressive. In 2014, only 3 national waterways were operational. Now this number has increased to 30,' the Prime Minister said.
He further said that in the last 11 years, India's economy has risen from 10th place to the top five. 'We are now moving rapidly towards becoming one of the top three economies,' he said.
Addressing a public event in Bengaluru, PM Modi pushed for improving the standards of 'Make in India' products with 'zero defect and zero effect'.
He expressed his desire for the youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka to lead his vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat.'
'We have to strengthen the presence of Bengaluru and Karnataka in 'Make in India'. I urge that our products should be of the standards of 'Zero Defect, Zero Effect'. That is, there should be defect-free products, and their manufacturing should also not have any negative impact on the environment. I expect that the talent of Karnataka will lead this vision of 'Aatmnirbhar Bharat'', the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi further drew attention towards the importance of being self-reliant in technology. He said that the next priority of the nation should be to 'Tech Atmanirbhar Bharat'.The Prime Minister stated that it is time for India to accelerate its pace in developing new products.
'Our next big priority among the current achievements should be 'Tech Aatmanirbhar Bharat'... Now is the time to give more priority to the needs of India and move ahead faster in developing new products,' he said.
The Prime Minister also hailed Operation Sindoor and the role of 'Make in India' defence in its success. He acknowledged the significant contribution of the youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka in this achievement, and extended his congratulations to all for their role in this success.
'The success of Operation Sindoor is due to our technology and the power of 'Make in India' in defence. The youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka have contributed a lot to this,' PM Modi said.
'We are seeing Bangalore emerging as a city that has become a symbol of the rise of the new India... A city that has put India's flag on the global IT map. If there is anything behind Bangalore's success story, it is the hard work and talent of its people,' the Prime Minister said.
Mentioning that this was his first visit to Bengaluru following Operation Sindoor, PM Modi highlighted the success of Indian forces, noting their capability to destroy terrorist hideouts deep across the border. He emphasized India's strength in forcing Pakistan, who came to defend the terrorists, to its knees within hours. 'The entire world has witnessed this new face of New India', said the Prime Minister, attributing the success of Operation Sindoor to the power of technology and the strength of Make in India in the defence sector.
Trade tensions escalated between India and United States following US President Donald Trump's imposition of a total of 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports.
President Trump has accused India of buying Russian oil and energy, which has been funding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump had taken to his social media platform Truth Social after the announcement of 25 per cent tariffs against India and threatened an additional 'penalty' for importing Russian oil.
'I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India; their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world.' Trump said on his Truth Social.
Later Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that he is 'glad' that the US President has stated a fact and that the whole world knows the Indian economy is 'dead' except for the Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
'Yes, he is right, Everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact... The entire world knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. BJP has finished the economy to help Adani,' the Congress leader had said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times of Oman
2 hours ago
- Times of Oman
PM Modi speaks with President Zelenskyy, reaffirms support for efforts aimed at earliest restoration of peace in Ukraine conflict
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday had a telephone conversation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during which he reaffirmed India's steadfast and consistent position for the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict and support for efforts aimed at restoration of peace. President Zelenskyy shared his views on the recent developments related to Ukraine. According to a PMO release, the Prime Minister thanked the Ukraine President and "reaffirmed India's steadfast and consistent position for peaceful settlement of the conflict and support for efforts aimed at earliest restoration of peace". PM Modi reiterated India's commitment to extend all possible support in this regard. The leaders also reviewed progress in the India-Ukraine bilateral partnership and discussed ways to further enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, the release said. They agreed to remain in touch. PM Modi said in a post on X that President Zelenskyy apprised him of his perspectives on recent developments. "Glad to speak with President Zelenskyy and hear his perspectives on recent developments. I conveyed India's consistent position on the need for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict. India remains committed to making every possible contribution in this regard, as well as to further strengthening bilateral ties with Ukraine," he said. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been raging since 2002. The conversation with President Zelenskyy came days after PM Modi's talk with President Vladimir Putin over telephone. During their conversation on August 8, President Putin briefed PM Modi on the latest developments concerning Ukraine. While thanking President Putin for his detailed assessment, Prime Minister reiterated India's consistent position for peaceful resolution of the conflict. The two leaders also reviewed progress in the bilateral agenda and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia. The Prime Minister invited President Putin to India later this year for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. PM Modi's conversations with President Putin and President Zelenskyy have come days ahead of the summit between US President Donald Trump and the Russian President. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Alaska on August 15 and is expected to focus heavily on efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to a summit in Alaska between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a White House official told The Hill's sister network NewsNation on Sunday. It remains unclear if Zelensky will attend the meeting as details are yet to be finalized, the report said.
Observer
5 hours ago
- Observer
Tariffs spark calls to boycott American goods
NEW DELHI - From McDonald's and Coca-Cola to Amazon and Apple, US-based multinationals are facing calls for a boycott in India as business executives and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's supporters stoke anti-American sentiment to protest against U.S. tariffs. India, the world's most populous nation, is a key market for American brands that have rapidly expanded to target a growing base of affluent consumers, many of whom remain infatuated with international labels seen as symbols of moving up in life. India, for example, is the biggest market by users for Meta's WhatsApp, and Domino's has more restaurants than any other brand in the country. Beverages like Pepsi and Coca-Cola often dominate store shelves, and people still queue up when a new Apple store opens or a Starbucks cafe doles out discounts. Although there was no immediate indication of sales being hit, there's a growing chorus both on social media and offline to buy local and ditch American products after Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on goods from India, rattling exporters and damaging ties between New Delhi and Washington. McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Amazon, and Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters queries. Manish Chowdhary, co-founder of India's Wow Skin Science, took to LinkedIn with a video message urging support for farmers and startups to make "Made in India" a "global obsession," and to learn from South Korea, whose food and beauty products are famous worldwide. "We have lined up products from thousands of miles away. We have proudly spent on brands that we don't own, while our makers fight for attention in their own country," he said. Rahm Shastry, CEO of India's DriveU, which provides a car driver on call service, wrote on LinkedIn: "India should have its own home-grown Twitter/Google/YouTube/WhatsApp/FB -- like China has." To be fair, Indian retail companies give foreign brands like Starbucks stiff competition in the domestic market, but going global has been a challenge. Indian IT services firms, however, have become deeply entrenched in the global economy, with the likes of TCS and Infosys providing software solutions to clients worldwide. On Sunday, Modi made a "special appeal" for becoming self-reliant, telling a gathering in Bengaluru that Indian technology companies made products for the world but "now is the time for us to give more priority to India's needs." He did not name any company. Even as anti-American protests simmer, Tesla launched its second showroom in India in New Delhi, with Monday's opening attended by Indian commerce ministry officials and U.S. embassy officials. The Swadeshi Jagran Manch group, which is linked to Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, took out small public rallies across India on Sunday, urging people to boycott American brands. "People are now looking at Indian products. It will take some time to fructify," Ashwani Mahajan, the group's co-convenor, told Reuters. "This is a call for nationalism, patriotism." He also shared with Reuters a table his group is circulating on WhatsApp, listing Indian brands of bath soaps, toothpaste, and cold drinks that people could choose over foreign ones. On social media, one of the group's campaigns is a graphic titled "Boycott foreign food chains", with logos of McDonald's and many other restaurant brands. In Uttar Pradesh, Rajat Gupta, 37, who was dining at a McDonald's in Lucknow on Monday, said he wasn't concerned about the tariff protests and simply enjoyed the 49-rupee ($0.55) coffee he considered good value for money. "Tariffs are a matter of diplomacy, and my McPuff, coffee should not be dragged into it," he said.
Times of Oman
12 hours ago
- Times of Oman
India emerges as top smartphone supplier to US, electronics sector soars: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Bengaluru: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said India has become the top supplier of smartphones to the United States, with electronics manufacturing now worth Rs 12 lakh crore. Highlighting the government's vision, Vaishnaw addressing the inaguration ceremony of Metro projects in Bengaluru today, said that India's electronic production has grown six times in the last 11 years. The Railway Minister further pointed out the exponential rise in electronic exports, which have increased eightfold to reach 3 lakh crore rupees. Vaishnaw also noted India's position as the world's second-largest manufacturer of mobile phones, underscoring the country's expanding role in the global electronics market. This growth reflects India's focus on becoming a global hub for technology production, making advanced electronics more widely available and supporting the Prime Minister's goal of inclusive access to technology for all citizens, Vaishnaw said. "Our electronic production has grown 6 times in the last 11 years. Today, electronics manufacturing has touched 12 lakh crore rupees. Electronic exports have increased by 8 times... Today, it has grown to 3 lakh crore rupees. India has become the second-largest manufacturer of mobile phones in the world" he said According to official government data, India has made significant progress in mobile and electronics manufacturing, becoming the world's 2nd largest mobile manufacturing country. In 2014, India had only 2 mobile manufacturing units, but fast forward to today, the nation boasts over 300 manufacturing units, underscoring a significant expansion in this vital sector. In 2014 -15 only 26 per cent of the mobile phones which were being sold in India were made in India, the rest were being imported. It is worth mentioning that today, 99.2 per cent of all mobile phones which are sold in India are made in India. The manufacturing value of mobile phones has surged from Rs 18,900 crore in FY14 to a staggering Rs 4,22,000 crore in FY24. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today flagged off three Vande Bharat Trains - Ajni(Nagpur)-Pune Vande Bharat , KSR Bengaluru-Belgavi Vande Bharat and the Shree Mata Vaishnodevi Katra-Amritsar from KSR Bengaluru Railway station. With these additions, the total number of Vande Bharat trains in the country will rise to 150 (75 pairs), Vaishnaw posted on X.
