Prime Minister Narendra Modi Archives - Page 26 of 75 - Lokmarg

Modi Lauds Indian Athletes For Record-Breaking Performance In World University Games

By LokMarg 27th August 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday heaped praise on the Indian athletes for their exceptional performance in the World University Games, China, in the latest edition of his monthly radio broadcast, ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

India finished seventh in the FISU World University Games with a best-ever haul of 26 medals – 11 gold, five silver and 10 bronze. The 31st edition of the games was held in Chengdu from July 28 to August 8.

Significantly, before this edition, India managed to win just 18 medals in all the World University Games that have been held since 1959.

“A few days ago the World University Games were held in China. This time India’s best-ever performance was witnessed in these games. Our players won a total of 26 medals, out of which 11 were gold medals. You will be pleased to know that even if all the medals won in all the World University Games that have been held since 1959 are added, the tally reaches only 18,” PM Modi said in the 104th episode of Mann Ki Baat.

For India, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar was the most successful Indian athlete at the World University Games, winning four medals.

Tomar earned gold medals in the men’s 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3 positions, as well as being a member of the men’s 10m air rifle team that won gold. He also took bronze in the men’s 50m rifle three-position team.

Manu Bhaker, the Youth Olympic Games champion, and Sift Kaur Samra both won many gold medals. Manu Bhaker won gold medals in both the individual and team events in the women’s 10m air pistol. In the women’s 50m rifle 3 places, Sift Kaur Samra replicated Manu’s victory.

Priyanka Goswami, who has a silver medal in the 10,000m walk at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Athletics Championships, finished seventh, the best among all Indians at the event, clocking timings of 1:40:39 – a good 12 seconds short of her national record of 1:28:45, achieved in 2021.

Pooja Kumawat (1:45:30), Mansi Negi (1:46:04) and Nikita Lamba (1:50:11) earned finishes at 15th, 16th and 21st spots respectively.

The next edition of the World University Games is slated to take place in 2025 in Germany. (ANI)

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Dawn Of Revolution Lit Up Dark Side Of Moon: Modi Hails Chandrayaan- 3

By LokMarg 27th August 2023

Mission ‘Chandrayaan-3’ has emerged as the symbol of the spirit of a ‘New India’, which wants to emerge victorious under any circumstances, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the latest edition of his monthly radio broadcast — ‘Mann Ki Baat’ — on Sunday.

India entered record books as the first country to successfully place a lander on the moon’s uncharted South Police on Wednesday, last week.

The successful conduct of what was the maiden lunar landing mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also put India in an elite club of nations featuring the US, Russia and China.

“On August 23, our Chandrayaan-3 mission proved to the world that the dawn of revolution and resolve can also light up the dark side of the moon. Mission Chandrayaan has become a symbol and the spirit of a new India. This is an India, which wants to emerge victorious at all costs. It wants to break new grounds regardless of the circumstances,” PM Modi said.

He further said a discussion on India’s maiden lunar landing mission would struggle to do justice to the enormity of its success.

“The success of Chandrayaan-3 has seen the entire country immerse itself in unbridled celebrations. It has been more than three days since our lunar lander, ‘Vikram’, touched down on the moon’s surface. Such is the enormity of the mission’s success that any discussion on it seems futile,” PM Modi said.

On the key role played by ISRO’s women scientists in the successful conduct of the daunting lunar landing mission, PM Modi said the mission is a “classic illustration of women power”, adding that India’s daughters are not only shattering glass ceilings but also challenging Space, which is considered ‘infinite.’

“India’s Mission Chandrayaan is a classic illustration of our women power. Many women scientists and engineers were directly involved with this mission. They handled vital responsibilities such as those of a project director and project manager,” he said.

“Our daughters are even challenging the limitless Space. When the daughters of a country chase such big dreams, is there any force that can stop them or the country from making forward strides?” PM Modi added.

Also lauding the contribution of other sectors to the success of the Chandrayaan-3, PM Modi said, “Today, our dreams are big and so are the efforts to realise them. Along with our scientists, other sectors also contributed to the success of Chandrayaan-3. Many of my fellow countrymen contributed to the mission by meeting the technical requirements. It took everyone’s efforts and contributions to make this mission a success. This is the biggest success of mission Chandrayaan-3.”

Earlier, on Saturday, PM Modi announced that August 23 will, henceforth, be celebrated as ‘National Space Day’ to mark the success of India’s maiden lunar landing mission.

He also announced that the spot on the lunar South Pole where the Vikram lander touched down would be called the ‘Shiv Shakti Point’ while the spot on the moon’s surface where the Chandrayaan-2 left its mark would be known as the ‘Tiranga Point’.

“This mission will be a source of inspiration for every effort that goes into taking this country forward in the coming days. It will remind us that a failure isn’t the end of the world,” PM Modi said.

On Saturday, PM Modi interacted with the women scientists of the ISRO, who were involved in the ‘Chandrayaan-3’ project, commending the key role they played in the successful culmination of India’s maiden lunar landing mission. (ANI)

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Modi Told Us Sky Is Not The Limit: ISRO Women Scientists

By LokMarg 26th August 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday landed in Bengaluru to meet the scientists of the Indian Research and Space Organisation (ISRO) behind the successful accomplishment of India’s lunar mission. Several of the women scientists working at ISRO had a special opportunity to interact with the PM.

Reema Ghosh, a senior scientist and a team member of the Pragyan module, spoke to ANI about her experience interacting with PM Modi.

“It was wonderful. PM Modi visited us. He supported us and told us that the Sky is not the limit. Our Prime Minister took so much time to appreciate our efforts and sacrifices”, said Ghosh.

Speaking on future plans of the ISRO, she said, “Definitely, we will come up with something even better. We are very excited as the Aditya-L1 (ISRO’s solar mission) will be launched. We will embrace more challenging missions”.

Prime Minister Modi interacted with the women scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who were involved in the ‘Chandrayaan-3’ project, commending the key role that they played in the successful culmination of India’s maiden lunar landing mission.

Addressing scientists at ISRO’s Telemetry Tracking and Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru on Saturday, PM Modi said, “Women scientists played a key role in the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The ‘Shivkshakti’ point (spot on the lunar South Pole where the ‘Vikram’ lander touched down) will inspire future generations to take up science in earnest and use it for the welfare of people. People’s welfare remains our supreme commitment,” PM Modi said to applause from the audience.

Another ISRO’s senior scientist, Nidhi Porwal told ANI, “It is always good when the head of the family comes and appreciates us. It is a pleasure for all of us. We have 20-25% of women’s strength in ISRO. It is really good for women coming up in every field”.

“It was a cherishing moment for all of us. He spoke to all the women scientists. Definitely, there are men also who walked with us to make the mission accomplished”, said Daffini, a senior ISRO scientist while speaking to ANI.

Another scientist, Reddy Saritha, spoke to ANI sharing her experience communicating with the Prime Minister.

She said, “We are feeling proud. It was a nice experience for all of us”.

“We are super excited. We felt that our achievements were being recognized. We are super excited to meet PM Modi. Spirit is high…It is good that our PM is recognising and encouraging ‘Nari Shakti’. It is an inspiration for us”, Priyanka Mishra, an ISRO scientist, said while speaking to ANI.

PL Arthy Sen, a scientist working for the Gaganyan mission, told ANI that the Chandrayaan mission is the biggest inspiration for the Gaganyan.

Speaking on the Gaganyan mission, Sen said, “Chandrayaan-3 is the biggest inspiration for Gaganyaan, we’re ready…our works are going on for Gaganyaan. Mark 3 is all set…Gaganyaan results can be seen soon…we need to make Mark 3 more powerful and the process is on…almost all the systems are developed…we want everyone’s support for Gaganyaan also”.

According to the ISRO, Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the formative spacecraft of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.

Nithya Bharati, another scientist at ISRO, said, “I am very happy to be a part of this mission and very excited that we have successfully completed this mission”.

Savitri, an ISRO scientist also spoke to ANI about her experience meeting with PM Modi.

“We’re very happy that all the components were delivered and our system performed perfectly and we could achieve the result the entire nation was waiting for…we wish our future missions get similar success…The PM named the landing point ‘Shiv Shakti’ and it is related ‘Shakti’ with ‘Nari Shakti’, it made us very proud…”, Savitri said.

PM Modi, during his address to the scientists, said that the touchdown spot of the Vikram lander on the lunar surface would be known as the ‘Shivshakti’ point while the Chandrayaan-2 Lunar landing point will be called the ‘Tiranga’ point.

The Prime Minister also declared August 23 (the day when Chandrayaan-3 became successful) as the ‘National Space Day’.

India took a giant leap on Wednesday evening as the Chandrayaan-3 lander module successfully landed on the moon’s South Pole, making it the first country to have achieved the historic feat and bringing to an end the disappointment over the crash landing of the Chandrayaan-2, four years ago.

Overall, India became the fourth country – after the US, China, and Russia – to have successfully landed on the moon’s surface. (ANI)

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India-Greece Agree To Double Bilateral Trade By 2030: Modi

By LokMarg 25th August 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that India and Greece agreed to double the bilateral trade by 2030 and upgrade bilateral ties to a strategic level, adding their commitment to the ongoing India-EU trade and investment negotiations as well as for the early implementation of the India-EU Connectivity Partnership.

PM Modi, during his daylong visit to Greece, the first by an Indian premier in 40 years, held bilateral talks with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis to strengthen bilateral ties with the European country.

Both leaders reiterated the need for further broadening and deepening bilateral engagements, in the field of defence, shipping, science and technology, cyber space, education, culture, tourism and agriculture.

PM Modi announced the signing of an agreement for cooperation in the Agriculture Sector today.

An MOU was signed on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture, including the establishment of a Hellenic-Indian Joint Sub-committee on Agriculture for facilitating sectoral cooperation for mutual benefit.

“PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and I agreed that our trade ties need to become even stronger. We have also decided to work on a migration and mobility partnership agreement in the coming times. We will also work towards deepening ties between our educational institutions,” PM Modi said.

Both leaders directed their senior officials to ensure regular dialogue in the areas including political, economic, defence, security and public diplomacy. They also agreed to encourage direct flights between Greece and India.

“The two Prime Ministers expressed their strong support for the ongoing India-EU trade and investment negotiations and the early implementation of the India-EU Connectivity Partnership. Building on the foundation of the long-standing warm and close relationship between their countries and peoples, the two leaders decided to upgrade Greek-Indian bilateral ties to the level of a “Strategic Partnership” and agreed to work to further expand bilateral cooperation in political, security and economic spheres. The two Prime Ministers also decided to take steps to further strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries.

“Building on the foundation of the long-standing warm and close relationship between their countries and peoples, the two leaders decided to upgrade Greek-Indian bilateral ties to the level of a “Strategic Partnership” and agreed to work to further expand bilateral cooperation in political, security and economic spheres.”

The two Prime Ministers also decided to take steps to further strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries.

Favouring Diplomacy and Dialogue to resolve the Ukraine issue, PM Modi said, “Greece expressed its support for the India-EU Trade and Investment Agreement. Over the Ukraine issue, both countries support diplomacy and dialogue. For Greece’s cooperation at the UN and other international platforms, I thanked him (Greek PM).”

Both the leaders endorsed that the India-EU relations would mutually benefit and will have regional and global impact and also expressed their strong support for the ongoing India-EU trade and investment negotiations.

PM Modi informed that an agreement in the agriculture sector has been signed between the two countries and a decision on the migration of skilled workers is also being made.

The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, whenever, wherever, and by whom-so-ever committed and the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism.

PM added, “An agreement has been signed for cooperation in the Agriculture Sector today. To make skilled migration between the two countries easier, we have decided to strike a Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement soon.”

The EU as a bloc of 28 countries is India’s largest trading partner.

India and Greece enjoy civilizational ties, which have strengthened in recent years through cooperation in areas like maritime transport, defence, trade and investments and people-to-people ties.

In 1950, India and Greece established diplomatic ties, and the current meetings between the leaders of India and Greece have demonstrated a desire to diversify the existing ties.

Taking into account the long-standing cultural exchanges between India and Greece, both PM Modi and his Greek counterpart Mitsotakis welcomed efforts to promote exchanges in all forms of art.

“They also agreed to encourage joint efforts in preserving and protecting ancient sites, and strengthen cooperation within UNESCO,” the joint statement read.

Moreover, Greece was welcomed into the International Solar Alliance (ISA) by Prime Minister Modi.

He also looked forward to Greece’s membership of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

Whereas, on the other hand, Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis expressed confidence that under India’s leadership, the G20 will successfully advance its goals., as he welcomed India’s Presidency of the G20 Forum.

PM Modi arrived in Athens for a day visit, after attending the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg.

At the Athens International Airport, PM Modi was received by Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis.

He received a rousing welcome upon his arrival at the hotel in Athens with members of the diaspora who had gathered outside the hotel chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai,’ and ‘Modi, Modi.’

PM Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister in the last 40 years to visit Greece. The last Prime Ministerial visit from India to Greece was in 1983 by Indira Gandhi. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had visited New Delhi in 2019. (ANI)

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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis

Greek PM Mitsotakis Accepts Modi’s Invitation To Visit India

By LokMarg 25th August 2023

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and welcomed his invitation to visit India.

Addressing the joint presser with PM Modi, the Greek PM said, “Dear PM, it is my pleasure to welcome your invitation to India. I am certain that we will witness the relationship and its multiplying effect. When two friends sit together an Indian proverb says, one plus one is not 2 but 11.”

He also congratulated India on the Chandrayaan-3 mission that made history by becoming the first mission to soft-land on the lunar South Pole, a region that has never been explored before.

“Congratulations on conquering the South Pole of the Moon,” said the Greek PM.

Kyriakos while speaking on PM Modi’s visit to Greece, added, “The most populous democracy of the planet (India) is being hosted by the first democracy on earth (Greece), So signs are favourable.”

He also called for side-by-side cooperation between the two countries in the period of upheaval.

“We are ready to proceed side by side in dealing with the challenges of our times, especially in the period of upheaval and war in Ukraine – facts which make it even more necessary to respect the UN Charter,” said the Greek PM.

PM Modi arrived in Athens this morning, after attending the 15th BRICs summit in Johannesburg, for his maiden visit to Greece at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

At the Athens International Airport, PM Modi was received by Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis.

He received a rousing welcome upon his arrival at the hotel in Athens with members of the diaspora who had gathered outside the hotel chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai,’ and ‘Modi, Modi.’

India and Greece enjoy civilizational ties, which have strengthened in recent years through cooperation in areas like maritime transport, defence, trade and investments and people-to-people ties. (ANI)

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Modi Holds Bilateral Meet With Ethiopian PM Abiy In SA

By LokMarg 24th August 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hed a bilateral meeting with the Ethiopian Premier Abiy Ahmed Ali in South Africa’s Johannesburg on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit on Thursday.

Both the leaders were seen exchanging a handshake and having a brief conversation with each other.

The meeting was held in the presence of envoys from both the countries. The meeting was conducted after PM Modi supported the name of Ethiopia for its inclusion in the BRICS grouping.

At the Summit on THursday it was announced that Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will join the BRICS in January 2024.

In a statement in the presence of other leaders from BRICS countries, PM Modi said India has always believed that adding new members will strengthen BRICS as an organisation.

India and Ethiopia have very friendly relations for many decades. Last year, India and Ethiopia held the fourth foreign office consultations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where delegations from both sides reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.

The foreign office consultations were co-chaired by Puneet R Kundal, Joint Secretary (East and Southern Africa), Ministry of External Affairs, India and Ambassador Dr Gebeyehu Ganga Gayito (Ph.D) Director General for Middle East, Asia & Pacific Countries Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia, a MEA press release said.

In last year’s meeting, Both delegations reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations during the Foreign Office Consultations. Issues discussed included political engagements, trade & economic matters, development partnership projects, cultural and consular matters, cooperation in higher education, people-to-people contacts, etc. (ANI)

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BRICS 2023: Modi Pictured Having Brief Conversation With Xi

By LokMarg 24th August 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was spotted having a brief exchange of words with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) leaders’ press conference on Thursday.

Before the conference started in earnest, PM Modi and Xi were pictured having a brief conversation before taking their designated seats.

Notably, in November 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chanced upon Xi at the G20 dinner hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bali, Indonesia.

Both the leaders exchanged pleasantries at the G20 dinner. Notably, this was the first handshake since the standoff between China’s Peoples Liberation Army and the Indian forces in eastern Ladakh in April 2020.

India and China have been in a stand-off situation for the last three years and relations at all levels have deteriorated due to tensions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The two sides have held 19 rounds of talks so far to address the boundary issues in eastern Ladakh since 2020, post the Chinese aggression there.

PM Modi arrived in South Africa for the 15th BRICS Summit on Tuesday.

The opening day of the summit in Johannesburg was witness to the BRICS Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue.

In his address at the BRICS Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue, PM Modi said India will soon be a 5 trillion dollar economy and in the coming years will be the growth engine of the world.

PM Modi’s special message to the dialogue was that mutual trust and transparency can help create a big impact, especially in the Global South. This is the first in-person BRICS Summit after three consecutive years of virtual meetings owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Later on, on the second day, at the open plenary session of the 15th BRICS Summit, PM Modi said India had given a lot of importance to the countries of Global South under its G20 Presidency and lauded South Africa for the initiative as the chair of the BRICS summit.

“We welcome the move to give special importance to the countries of the Global South in BRICS under the chairmanship of South Africa. This is not just the aspiration, but also the need of the present times. India has also given importance to this subject under its G20 presidency. One Earth One Family One Future – we are trying to move forward with all countries on this mantra. In the Voice of Global South summit in January this year, 125 countries participated and shared their concerns and priorities,” he said. (ANI)

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India Has Moved From Red Tape To Red Carpet: Modi At G20

By LokMarg 24th August 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India has moved from “red tape” to “red carpet” and has enabled unfettered Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in the last nine years.

In a virtual address to the G20 Trade and Investment ministerial meeting on Thursday, PM Modi called on the G20 member countries to “build a resilient” and “inclusive global value chain that can withstand future shocks”.

“We have moved away from red tape to red carpet and liberalised Foreign Direct Investment flows. Initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ have given a boost to manufacturing. Above all, we have brought policy stability. We are committed to making India the third-largest global economy in the next few years,” PM Modi said.

He added that the current global challenges — from the pandemic to the “geopolitical tensions” — have “tested” the World economy at G20.

Extending a warm welcome to the attendees at Jaipur, PM Modi said the city is characterised by its dynamic and enterprising people.

“Throughout history, trade has led to an exchange of ideas, cultures and technology. It has brought people closer,” PM Modi added.

He said trade and globalisation have also lifted hundreds of millions out of extreme poverty. “Today we see global optimism and confidence in the Indian economy. India is seen as a combination of openness, opportunities and options,” PM Modi said in his virtual address.

He added that India has become the fifth-largest global economy over the last nine years of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.

“This is the result of our sustained efforts. We embarked on the journey of reform, performance and transformation in 2014. We have increased competitiveness and enhanced transparency,” he added.

“We have expanded digitisation and promoted innovation. We have established dedicated fit corridors and built industrial zones,” PM Modi added.

He also called on G20 delegates to rebuild confidence in international trade and investment. “We must build resilient and inclusive global value chains that can withstand future shocks. In this context, India’s proposal to create a generic framework for mapping global value chains is important,” PM Modi said.

This framework aims to assess vulnerabilities, minimise risks and enhance resilience, he added.

Concluding his address, PM Modi said, “Technologies’ transformative power in trade is undeniable. India’s shift to an online single direct tax, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) helps create a single internal market boosting inter-state trade.” (ANI)

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Historic Day For Space Sector: Modi Hails Chandrayaan-3 Mission Success

By LokMarg 23rd August 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the Chandrayaan-3 mission creating history by achieving soft-landing on the lunar surface and said “India is now on the moon”.

The Prime Minister, who is in South Africa for the BRICS Summit, joined the live telecast of Chandrayaan-3 landing online.

“When we see such historic moments it makes us very proud. This is the dawn of new India,” he said.

“Humne dharti par sankalp kiya aur chand pe usse sakaar kiya…India is now on the moon,” he added.

The Prime Minister said no country has reached the South Pole of the moon before.

“With the hard work of our scientists we have reached there. India’s successful Moon mission is not just India’s alone…This success belongs to all of humanity,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister congratulated ISRO scientists for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

“Historic day for India’s space sector. Congratulations to @isro for the remarkable success of Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission,” PM Modi said on X, earlier known as Twitter.

People all over the country celebrated the historic occasion.

Officials at India’s space agency ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru broke into applause after the Vikram began its powered vertical descent towards its landing site. (ANI)

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India Supports Expansion Of BRICS: Modi

By LokMarg 23rd August 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the open plenary session of the 15th BRICS Summit emphasized that India fully supports the expansion of BRICS and we welcome moving forward with consensus on this.

Speaking at the open plenary session of the 15th BRICS Summit, PM Modi further said ” We will need to make our respective societies future-ready to make BRICS a future-ready organisation, and technology will play an important role in this. “

“In India, to provide education to the children living in rural areas, DIKSHA- Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing Platform has been developed. Along with that, to boost innovation amongst school students, we have established 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs,” he said.

PM Modi also highlighted the AI-based language platform to remove language barriers.

“To remove language barriers, India has started AI-based language platform ‘Bhashini’ which has been widely used,” he said.

PM Modi said that the CoWIN platform was built to track vaccination. “For vaccination, the CoWIN platform was made. Digital public infrastructure, i.e. through ‘India Stack’, public service delivery has been revolutionized,” he said.

Moreover, PM Modi stressed that ‘diversity’ is the biggest strength of India.

“For every problem that India faces, diversity brings the solution,” he added.

Adding to this, PM Modi also said that the BRICS countries have to make their societies future-ready to make the grouping a future-ready organisation and that technology will play an important role in these endeavours.

India had given a lot of importance to the countries of Global South under its G20 Presidency and lauded South Africa for the initiative as the chair of the BRICS summit.

“In around two decades, BRICS has undertaken a long and magnificent journey. In this journey, we made numerous achievements,” he added.

PM Modi also remembered Mahatma Gandhi and his connection with South Africa and the historical connections between the two countries.

PM Modi said Tolstoy Farm associated with Mahatma Gandhi is some distance from Johannesburg.“By connecting the great ideas of India, Eurasia and Africa, Mahatma Gandhi placed a strong foundation of our unity and harmony.”

“I thank President Ramaphosa for the grand reception. To come to a beautiful city like Johannesburg once again is a matter of joy for me and my delegation. This city has an old and deep connection with the Indians and Indian history,” he said.

Prior to attending the sessions, the leaders posed for a BRICS family photograph.

The plenaries are scheduled to be followed by a cultural performance and a banquet dinner hosted by President Ramaphosa.

PM Modi arrived in South Africa on Tuesday and received a ceremonial welcome at Waterkloof Air Force Base.

Upon his arrival, PM Modi received a rousing welcome from the Indian diaspora chanting ‘Vande Mataram’. (ANI)

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