India is a strong, resilient and responsible democracy, says PM Modi

India has emerged as a strong, resilient and responsible democracy where a people-led governance model has led to efficiencies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Japan on Monday.

He said the record inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country reflected the confidence of the world in India's economic potential, even as he called on Japanese companies for greater participation in the Indian market.

The prime minister met top Japanese business leaders on Monday, including the legendary Osamu Suzuki of Suzuki Motor, Softbank founder Masayoshi Son, and top executives of NEC Corporation and Uniqlo.





In an address to the Indian diaspora in Tokyo, Modi underlined the deep cultural ties that exist between India and Japan and highlighted reform initiatives the government has taken in recent years in infrastructure, governance and green energy.

"We have created an identity of India as a strong, resilient and responsible democracy... In true measure, India is following a model of people-led governance. This model has made delivery efficient and is the reason for ever increasing confidence on the democratic process," he said.

"Today, India is as optimistic about a science, innovation and talent-led future as it is proud about its heritage," the prime minister said.

Speaking with top industry executives from 34 Japanese companies from diverse sectors including automobiles, electronics, semiconductors, steel, technology, trading and finance, Modi said India and Japan are natural partners and an ambitious target for an investment of Japanese yen 5 trillion, or about $39 billion, has been set for the next five years.

Talking about initiatives like National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, and the semiconductor policy, the prime minister noted that despite a slowdown in global FDI, India attracted a record $84 billion in 2021-22, terming this as a vote of confidence on India's economic potential.