While the tone and tenor of the Prime Minister’s Independence Day address is usually to focus on national unity and a readiness of a nation to strive for a better tomorrow, many were also awaiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech as a pointer to the thinking within the government on the current global & local challenges.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder of India’s leading biopharmaceutical enterprise and a globally known women entrepreneur from India, sees some strong messages emanating from the Prime Minister’s speech. To her, “it is certainly a clarion call for action, hard work, leveraging advanced technologies and on innovation.”
She underscores his emphasis on cost competitiveness for that being the biggest advantage globally for any nation. From an economic policy perspective, she and some of the others in the industry, see a roadmap for India aspiring for a seat on the high table of rich nations by 2047. In this journey, the focus on cost competitiveness and the move towards GST reforms by Diwali, now has been hailed by many in the industry.
She sees the emphasis on self-reliance in the Prime Minister’s speech hinged on the ability to leverage advanced technologies, be it chips or artificial intelligence. She welcomes the support for youth and the financial support to those getting their first job. She also hails the focus on defence preparedness for challenging times with initiatives like the Sudharshan Chakra mission.
That this has been described as a focus area of the government over the next ten years while trying to inspire the youth with an undertone of national unity and in celebrating the diversity, seems to have resonated with many.