English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest world news

ASEAN Summit: PM Narendra Modi presents India as an attractive investment destination

Published

9 years ago

on

ASEAN Summit: PM Modi presents India as an attractive investment destination

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Inviting ASEAN countries to ramp up investment in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke of the economic reforms undertaken in the country to boost trade and investment.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 31st ASEAN Summit in Manila, Philippines. Trump reportedly congratulated the Indian leader for “a lot of good reports coming out of India”.

Modi arrived in Philippines on Sunday for a three-day visit during which he will also attend the 12th East Asia meet on Tuesday.

Addressing the ASEAN meet, the PM said the task of transforming India is proceeding on an “unprecedented scale”. Speaking at the ASEAN Business Forum in Manila, the Philippines capital, the Prime Minister said most sectors of the Indian economy were opened up for foreign direct investment, adding the country’s economy is now “globally integrated.”

The trade ties between India and ASEAN are on an upswing and both sides want to further boost the trade and investment cooperation.

The ASEAN region, along with India, together comprises a combined population of 1.85 billion people, which is one fourth of the global population and their combined GDP has been estimated at over $3.8 trillion.

Investment from ASEAN to India has been over $70 billion in the last 17 years accounting for more than 17 per cent of India’s total FDI. India’s investment in ASEAN during the same period has been more than $40 billion.

Modi sought to highlight India’s economic reforms to woo investors. “The task of transforming India is proceeding on an unprecedented scale. We are working day and night to ensure good governance which includes easy, effective and transparent governance,” he said, noting that more than 90% FDI sectors are on automatic approval route.

Modi listed major economic reform measures taken by his government, including rolling out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and new laws and institutions for bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. He said 1,200 out-dated laws have been repealed in the last three years as part of reform measures.

“India has climbed 30 places in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index this year. It is the biggest jump by any country this year and a recognition of India’s long term reform trajectory. And, the world is taking notice. We have moved up 32 places in the last two years in the Global Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum,” said Modi.

He said various reform measures coupled with demonetisation of high-value notes have resulted in formalising a large part of the Indian economy.

On trade with ASEAN countries, Modi said India wants to build land, sea and air connectivity to this dynamic region and that work is already on in the construction of the tri-lateral highway through Myanmar and Thailand to connect to other countries in South East Asia.

“We are working on the early conclusion of the Agreement on Maritime Transport between India and ASEAN and are exploring coastal shipping services with countries that are our immediate maritime neighbours,” he added.

“The ‘Act East’ policy of my government puts this region at the centre of our engagement. We have exceptionally good political and people-to-people relations with each and every country in the ASEAN region,” he said.

Modi said his government wants to make India a global manufacturing hub and at the same time it wants the youths of the country to be job creators and not just job seekers.

The Prime Minister said 36 “white industries” have been taken out from the requirement of environmental clearance. Incorporating a company is now just a one day affair, he said.

The PM also talked about the open auction policy for natural resources including telecom spectrum, coal mines and other minerals and even private radio channels, which he said has together contributed about $75 billion in revenue.

“Using technology, we are enhancing responsibility and reducing discretion and corruption. We are using our Unique ID system in financial transactions and taxation for this purpose and the results are already visible. These steps, coupled with demonetisation of high-value notes, have resulted in formalising a large part of our economy,” he said.

Modi said the number of new tax payers filing income tax returns has more than doubled and that digital transactions have increased by 34% in one year, as “we march towards a less-cash economy.”

“We have used technology to reach out to people. An online citizen engagement platform, MyGov has harnessed ideas, suggestions and inputs on policies and programmes from 2 million pro-active citizens,” he added.

On GST, he said it has done away with a vast range of State-level and Central-level taxes through-out India. “This is no small achievement given the vastness and diversity of our country and the federal nature of our polity,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a “very large part” of India’s population had no access to banking services and launch of the Jan Dhan Yojana resulted opening of 197 million bank accounts in one year, adding till August this year, 290 million such accounts have been opened in Indian banks. He said more than 146 million people are receiving direct cash subsidies through bank accounts on cooking gas alone.

“Today, the government is using Direct Benefit Transfers for 59 different schemes. Subsidies worth nearly $10 billion are being directly transferred to the bank accounts of the intended beneficiaries,” he added.

“For the first time in India, collateral-free loans have been disbursed to more than 90 million small entrepreneurs under the Mudra scheme. Very near to the population of Philippines,” the PM said.

He said India is organising an ASEAN-India Connectivity Summit in New Delhi next month with Ministers, officials and business representatives from all ASEAN countries. India is also organising an ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit of ASEAN leaders in January next year.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Latest world news

Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

Published

2 days ago

on

September 23, 2026

By

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

Published

2 days ago

on

September 23, 2026

By

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

Trump issues fresh Iran warning at UN General Assembly, signals deal after midterms

US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran during his UN General Assembly address, saying he faces a choice between a deal and further escalation.

Published

3 days ago

on

September 22, 2026

By

US President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to outline what he described as a major decision over Iran, putting the possibility of a deal against further military escalation.

Speaking at the UN in New York, Trump said he had a “big decision” to make. He questioned whether the United States should pursue an agreement that would allow Iran to rebuild or instead take further action against the Islamic Republic.

Trump later indicated that he believed an agreement with Iran could be reached after the US midterm elections, which are scheduled for November 3.

Trump says deal with Iran remains possible

During his speech, Trump presented two possible paths. He said a deal could allow Iran to rebuild and become a stronger country, while also raising the possibility of destroying the Islamic Republic if an agreement was not reached.

Trump said he believed a deal could eventually be reached, arguing that Iran was waiting to see the outcome of the US midterm elections.

His comments came amid the continuing US-Iran conflict and renewed diplomatic activity surrounding the confrontation. Trump’s UN appearance came as Washington was also engaged in discussions with multiple international leaders over the Iran conflict and other global issues.

Iranian delegation walks out during Trump’s speech

The Iranian delegation reportedly left the General Assembly chamber as Trump began describing the military confrontation with Iran.

According to the report, only one person from the Iranian delegation remained seated as Trump spoke about the conflict and the military strikes of the past six months.

The walkout came as tensions between Washington and Tehran remained high, with both sides facing pressure over the continuation of the conflict.

Trump’s latest warning follows earlier comments

Trump’s UN remarks came days after he said he was approaching a major decision over whether to intensify military action against Iran or pursue another route.

He had also indicated before his UN appearance that he could be open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly in New York.

The possibility of renewed negotiations comes against the backdrop of continuing military and diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com