News Analysis India

Tag: Narendra Modi

  • ‘Every Indian proud’: PM Modi lauds emergency approval of SII and Bharat Biotech’s Covid vaccines

    By Online Desk
    Soon after Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotecth’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to call the development a ‘decisive turning point to strengthen a spirited fight’, against coronavirus.

    PM Modi, in a tweet, said “DCGI granting approval to vaccines of @SerumInstIndia and @BharatBiotech  accelerates the road to a healthier and COVID-free nation. Congratulations India. Congratulations to our hardworking scientists and innovators.”

    He further added that, every Indian would be proud of the fact that two India made vaccines have been given emergency use approval.

    #BREAKING | A very happy new year indeed! India’s drug controller has approved #Covaxin and #Covishield for emergency use in the country.#Covid19vaccine #CovidVaccine pic.twitter.com/QQWMzWufxs
    — The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) January 3, 2021

    Earlier on Saturday, the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation made recommendations to the DCGI to grant permission for restricted emergency use of SII and Bharat Biotech’s ‘Covishield’ and ‘Covaxin’ vaccines respectively.

    The PM further said ‘We reiterate our gratitude to doctors, medical staff, scientists, police personnel, sanitation workers and all Corona warriors for the outstanding work done, that too in adverse circumstances.’

    ‘Covaxin’ is an indigenously developed coronavirus vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

    We reiterate our gratitude to doctors, medical staff, scientists, police personnel, sanitation workers and all Corona warriors for the outstanding work done, that too in adverse circumstances. We will remain eternally grateful to them for saving many lives.
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 3, 2021

    While the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has tied up with AstraZeneca to manufacture ‘Covishield’.

    (Inputs from PTI, ANI)

  • PM Narendra Modi stresses on innovation to turn local products into global brands

    By Express News Service
    SAMBALPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stressed on innovation for value addition of natural resources, promotion of tourism and turning local products into global brands.

    Laying the foundation stone for the permanent campus of IIM-Sambalpur through video conferencing from New Delhi, Modi said with institutions of national repute, Odisha is emerging as an education hub in eastern India.

    “The IIM-Sambalpur will be the bridge between local products and the global market. It is the responsibility of the students of the institution to promote the local products in the international market. ‘Work from anywhere’ concept has transformed the world from a global village to global workplace. New ideas powered by technology and long term policies will take India to a new height,” he said.

    To turn local into global, Modi said students of the IIM need to come up with new ways. The country has 20 IIMs and this huge talent pool will help the vision for a self-reliant India. Today’s startups are MNCs of tomorrow. These startups need able managers and those passing out of the IIMs will lead the way, he maintained.

    Highlighting the significance of western Odisha region, the Prime Minister said Sambalpuri pata is well known for its unique. The tourist destinations in the region have vast potential to attract visitors from far-off places. The natural resources, minerals and traditional art will prove to be a practical laboratory for the IIM-S students, he said.

    “The region is rich in valuable natural resources like coal, iron ore and bauxite. For better management of the resources, the students will have to use new and innovative ways which will help in making the lives of people better,” the PM added.

    Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Ramesh Pokhriyal and Pratap Sarangi also spoke.

  • Prime Minister will start health plan for Jammu and Kashmir today

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday will launch the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Health for Jammu and Kashmir under Ayushman Bharat Yojana. This scheme is also known as PM-Jai. A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said that the Prime Minister will launch Ayushman Bharat PM-Jai Health in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir through video conference on December 26 at 12 noon. Will be included. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha will also be present on the occasion. The statement said that this scheme provides free insurance cover to all the people living in the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory.

    Under this, all residents of Jammu and Kashmir will be provided financial cover of Rs 5 lakh per family on floater basis. According to the statement, about 15 lakh additional families will benefit from PM-Jai’s operational expansion. This scheme will operate in conjunction with PM-Jai on insurance mode. The benefit of this scheme can be availed anywhere throughout the country.

    Hospitals listed under PM-JAY scheme will also provide services under this scheme. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) encompasses the entire spectrum of health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and essential, quality health services and medical care. Through this, everyone has access to services, people do not have to pay for health services out of their own pocket and reduce the risk of people getting caught in the morass of poverty due to treatment.

    The two pillars of the Ayushman Bharat program – Health and Welfare Centers and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana – envisage universal health coverage.

  • Only the potential of SAARC can be harnessed in a terror-free environment: Narendra Modi

    In a veiled reference to terror emanating from Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the full potential of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) can only be realised in an atmosphere free of terrorism and violence.

    Modi, however, underscored India’s commitment to work with other countries in the region for post-Covid-19 recovery in a message on the occasion of the 36th charter day of Saarc.

    The eight-nation grouping’s functioning and activities have virtually stalled because of the strained relations between India and Pakistan. Besides a virtual meeting in March on the Covid-19 situation, Saarc hasn’t had any significant engagements since India pulled out of the summit that was to be held in Pakistan in 2016 in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack.

    “The full potential of Saarc can only be realised in an atmosphere free of terror and violence. On this 36th Saarc Charter Day, let us re-commit ourselves to defeating the forces that support and nurture terrorism, and to work collectively towards a secure and prosperous South Asia,” the Prime Minister said.

    India, he added, “will continue to work with other countries in the region to ensure a robust recovery after the pandemic”. India is also committed to an “integrated, connected, secure and prosperous South Asia”, and will support the economic, technological, cultural and social development of the region.

    “The early coordination between Saarc countries for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic is an example of the benefit that our region can derive from greater collaboration,” he said, referring to the meeting held in March and the creation of an emergency Covid-19 fund with an initial contribution of $10 million from India.

  • Modi congratulated Invest India on winning the United Nations Award

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated the Indian National Investment Promotion Agency, Invest India for winning the United Nations Investment Promotion Award 2020.
    Mr. Modi said in a tweet message on Tuesday, “Congratulations to Invest India for winning the UN Investment Promotion Award 2020. This is a testimony of the work done by our government to make India the most attractive investment destination in the world and to improve the ease of trade. “
    It is noteworthy that the United Nations Institution (UNCTAD) has announced Invest India as the winner of the United Nations Investment Promotion Award 2020. The award ceremony was held on Monday at the institution’s headquarters in Geneva.
    The award is given on the basis of an assessment of the best traditions, processes and achievements of investment promotion agencies around the world. This time the United Nations body had assessed the functioning of 180 investment promotion agencies.

  • Governor calls on PM Modi, Amit Shah

    Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah at their residences in New Delhi on Wednesday.

    During his three-day visit to the national capital, Mr. Purohit is expected to call on President Ram Nath Kovind too.

    Mr. Purohit’s visit comes a day after the Supreme Court said the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency probe into the larger conspiracy behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi need not deter the Governor from deciding on the remission plea of the life convicts, who are in jail for nearly 30 years.

    The Governor’s meeting with the Prime Minister lasted over 20 minutes.

  • Modi meets foreign investors today as India looks to attract investments for infrastructure

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will woo the world’s 20 largest pension and sovereign wealth funds at a virtual round table Thursday as India looks to attract investments for its ambitious Rs 111 lakh crore infrastructure investment pipeline for the next five years.

    The Modi government’s efforts to attract foreign investments into the infrastructure space comes at a time when around half of the proposed infrastructure investments by 2025 will have to come from private and foreign investors.

    To attract these funds to invest in India, it has already announced tax exemptions in this year’s budget to these long-term funds investing in infrastructure, making their income exempt from long-term capital gains, interest and dividend tax.

    The call for investment

    The virtual global investor roundtable, organised by the Ministry of Finance and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, will be attended by global investors who represent regions like the US, Europe, Canada, Korea, Japan, Middle East, Australia and Singapore, and have an asset under management of $6 trillion, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

    The roundtable will also be attended by Indian business leaders like Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata, Deepak Parekh, Nandan Nilekani and Uday Kotak, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das.

    It will be followed by individual meetings of the investors with the PM over the next couple of weeks.

    Repeated efforts

    This is not the government’s first attempt to woo foreign investors.

    Just ahead of PM Modi’s visit to the US last year, his government had announced a massive reduction in corporate tax rates to make India competitive vis-a-vis other Southeast Asian economies. The rates were brought down to as low as 15 per cent (effective tax rate of around 17 per cent) for new companies in the manufacturing sector.

  • PM Modi meets Biz leaders yesterday to pitch India’s investment

    In a bid to push investments in the country, alongside the opening up of the economy and a sharp rebound on various economic parameters over the last couple of months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a Virtual Global Investor Roundtable with leaders of top Pension and Sovereign Wealth Funds and domestic business leaders on Thursday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, financial sector regulators and top government officials will also be present in the meeting.

    While the Roundtable meeting will be attended by CEOs and CIOs of 20 of the world’s largest pension and sovereign wealth funds with total Assets Under Management of about $6 trillion, Indian business leaders including Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Deepak Parekh, Nandan Nilekani, Uday Kotak and Dilip Shanghvi are expected to attend the meeting.

    As per a release, VGIR 2020 will focus on discussions around India’s economic and investment outlook and the government’s vision for the path to a $ 5 trillion economy.

  • PM Modi ET exclusive: Labour, agri reforms are far-reaching,

    Narendra Modi has said that reforms in agriculture and labour are far-reaching and send a big signal to investors.
    Speaking to The Economic Times, the PM said the new labour codes are a win-win for both employer and employee. “It was often jokingly said that India had more labour laws than the labour in the formal sector. Labour laws often helped everyone except the labour,” he said while making a pitch for India to become a global manufacturing hub.
    When asked about replacing China in the global supply chain, he said: “Our effort is not to become some country’s alternative, but to be a country which offers unique opportunities.”
    In the first exclusive interview after the Covid-19 outbreak, Modi defined the approach of ‘New India’ in a fast-shaping new pandemic world order. The PM elaborated on how pre-emptive strategies like the lockdown helped save many lives; how the economy is on the road to recovery and why he is still optimistic of achieving the target of $5 trillion economy by 2024.
    Read the full interview in The Economic Times Thursday morning.

    In the first exclusive interview after the Covid-19 outbreak, Modi defined the approach of ‘New India’ in a fast-shaping new pandemic world order. The PM elaborated on how pre-emptive strategies like the lockdown helped save many lives; how the economy is on the road to recovery and why he is still optimistic of achieving the target of $5 trillion economy by 2024.

  • Increase in exports to India, USA and China during Corona period, imports reduced

    In the midst of the Corona crisis, good news has finally started in India. Let us know that the result of the best efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is now not only to curb the corona, but now it has started showing on the business as well. Explain that this year, exports from India to the US and China have registered significant growth, while imports from these two countries have come down. According to data released by the government in the region, India’s exports to the US in September 2020 stood at $ 5.1 billion, a 15.5 percent increase from the same period last year. India’s exports to the US stood at $ 4.4 billion in September 2019. In contrast, imports from the US fell 34.3 percent to $ 1.8 billion in September 2020. The import figure was $ 2.8 billion in September 2019. Similarly, imports from China declined to $ 27.4 billion during April to September this year. Obviously, China is the world’s largest producer of all sectors. So, imports from China were $ 36.3 billion in the same period last year, but if compared to this year, then this year there has been a decline of 24.5 percent.