Covid-19 has not affected ambitions, aspirations of 1.3 bn Indians: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that although the coronavirus pandemic was unexpected and was testing the country’s resilience, health and economic systems, it had not affected the ambitions and aspirations of 1.3 billion Indians.

In his keynote address at the third leadership summit of the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) via videoconferencing, PM Modi said: “India was among the first to advocate face covering as a public health measure and to create a campaign about social distancing.”

Saying that the world believed in India, Modi added: “India has undertaken far-reaching reforms to make business easier and red-tapeism less.” He also said that India offered a trasparent and predictable tax regime, which supported honest taxpayers.

“India a country of political stability and policy continuity with commitment to democracy and diversity,” he noted.

US Vice-President Mike Pence had a fireside on Monday, the first day of the week-long summit titled “US-India Week: Navigating New Challenges”.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also participated in the discussion on Monday. Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal addressed the summit on Tuesday.

The summit, which gathers top corporate leaders, government officials and leaders, showcases areas of bilateral co-operation: trade and investment; strategic energy ties; India’s position in global supply chains, collaboration in fintech, healthcare, and technology.

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