India growth story to pick up speed with development of NE: PM Narendra Modi

GUWAHATI: Highlighting "path breaking" economic reforms undertaken by his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India's growth story will further pick up speed when there is an all-round development of the Northeast.

Inaugurating the two-day 'Global Investors Summit' hosted by Assam, he stressed on the importance of 'Act East Policy' in the Centre's aim of achieving balanced and fast-paced growth of the Northeastern region.

"We have created the Act East Policy and the Northeast is at the heart of it.


"The Act East Policy requires increased people to people contact, trade ties and other relations with countries on India's east, particularly ASEAN countries," he said.

The prime minister said due to economic reforms, India is today the most preferred investment destination in the world with the highest FDI in last fiscal at USD 60 billion, and highlighted the country's improved credit rating, low inflation rate and opening of various sectors to foreign direct investment.

"The world sees India today as an emerging power house for economic growth," he said.

Modi said his government has changed the work culture of the official machinery, giving it greater speed, and "we want all projects to be completed before target".

Pointing to initiatives announced in the Budget on health insurance and free cooking gas connection for the poor and transparency in tax regime, he said all the schemes of the Union government are oriented towards bringing about a qualitative change in the lives of the people.

The aim is to improve "ease of living", the prime minister said.

The Union government has taken up many path breaking economic reforms in last three years, which have simplified procedures for doing business, he said.
It is a result of these reforms that India today ranks 100 among 190 countries in the Doing Business Report, of the World Bank, after climbing up 42 ranks, Modi said.

India's position has improved in many other ratings like Global Competitiveness Index of World Economic Forum and Moody's rating upgrade from stable to positive in November 2017.

"Our policies have ensured that inflation remains below 5 per cent mark. Now, we have foreign exchange reserves of USD 418 billion.

"Many new sectors have been opened for 100 per cent FDI through automatic route like automobiles, textiles, tourism, ports and highways.

"Today, India is one of the most preferred destinations for FDI. India has received highest ever annual FDI of USD 60 billion in 2016-17," he said.

Talking about the recent announcements in the budget, he said 45-50 crore people will benefit from the health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat and it has enhanced the possibilities of setting up hospitals in tier II and III cities by hospital chains.

Modi said the government's current focus is on infrastructure investment and next year it will be investing about Rs 6 lakh crore in this sector.

"This year we aim to complete more than 9,000 kilometres length of National Highways. We will be developing 35,000 kilometers of roads with investment of Rs 5.35 lakh crore under 'Bharatmala' project," he said, adding the Railways will make an investment of Rs 1.48 lakh crore in 2018-19. Assam is hosting its first global investors summit to showcase its manufacturing opportunities and geostrategic advantages to foreign and domestic investors.

The summit aims at highlighting Assam's core competencies in different sectors along with the policy initiatives taken by the state government.

The prime minister said the tagline of the summit 'Advantage Assam: India's Express way to ASEAN' is not just a statement but is a comprehensive vision.