Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that one could see reforms in every sphere making greater space for the people and their freedom in the country because his government did not control everything and everyone but controlled the system’s impulse to interfere.
‘Earlier, there was a notion that a strong government means it should control everything and everyone. But we have changed this,’ he said in his address at the 42nd convocation of Anna University on Friday.
Congratulating the 3,98,192 new graduands, he said they were graduating in unique times, which he would call as a time of great opportunity though some might call it a time of global uncertainty, while India was becoming a vital link in global supply chains by exporting food grain at a crucial time for the world.
He listed three important factors in favour of the students of engineering and technology in the modern era of tech-led disruptions. They were a taste for technology, trust in risk-takers and a temperament for reform, which were creating a platform where opportunities were created, sustained and grown, he said.
‘A huge market for technological innovations is waiting for you to do your magic,’ he told the students, adding that the times had changed and people now asked youngsters if they had tried to start something on their own even if they had a job.
Since India faced the COVID-19 pandemic confidently, thanks to the scientists, healthcare workers, professionals and common people, every sector was bursting with new life now and ‘we have the chance to make the greatest impact now as India is converting obstacles into opportunities,’ he said.
India was in the forefront in industry, innovation, investments and international trade by coming second in mobile phone manufacturing with innovation becoming a way of life and the number of recognized startups increasing by 15,000 times, from 470 in 2016 to nearly 73,000 now, he said.
Last year the country received a record FDI of over 83 billion dollars, the startups got record funding post-pandemic, international trade dynamics was at its best ever and it recorded the highest-ever exports of goods and services, he said.
The whole world was looking at India’s youth with hope because they were the growth engines of the country and India was the world’s growth engine, which was a great honour and a great responsibility, Modi said.
Referring to some reforms that had encouraged investments and industry, he mentioned scrapping nearly 25,000 compliances that were boosting ease of living, removal of angel tax, removal of retrospective tax and reduction of corporate tax among many others.
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