Tag: Narendra Modi

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Tesla’s India Entry Boosted With New EV Policy

The Government of India has approved a new electric vehicle (EV) policy that is designed to attract investments in the EV space by global manufacturers like the Musk-run electric car company.

Tesla lovers in the country are anxiously waiting for the first response from Elon Musk after the government approved a new electric vehicle (EV) policy that is designed to attract investments in the EV space by global manufacturers like the Musk-run electric car company.

It was in 2015 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tesla headquarters in Palo Alto, California and met the billionaire who gave the Prime Minister a tour of the company’s electric car plant.

In later years, the billionaire sought customs duty to be lowered so that he could bring Tesla vehicles to the country.

Presently, customs duty on cars imported as completely built units (CBUs) varies from 60-100 per cent, depending on their cost.

In the new policy, the government has reduced the customs duty to 15 per cent, with certain riders.

“The customs duty of 15 per cent (as applicable to completely knocked down or CKD units) would be applicable on the vehicle of minimum value of $35,000 and above for a total period of five years subject to the manufacturer setting up manufacturing facilities in India within a 3-year period,” according to the government.

This now paves the way for Musk to enter the Indian market.

Last year, PM Modi met Musk in the US and appreciated his efforts at making technology accessible and affordable in various sectors.

The Prime Minister invited Musk to explore opportunities in India for investments in electric mobility and the rapidly expanding commercial space sector.

After hearing PM Modi’s ‘Make in India’ pitch, the Tesla CEO announced that his electric vehicle and battery company will come to the country “as soon as it is humanly possible”.

“He (PM Modi) really cares about India because he’s pushing us to make significant investments in India, which is something that we intend to do and we’re just trying to figure out the right timing,” said the billionaire.

In the new EV scheme, the government mentioned that a minimum investment of Rs 4,150 crore (about $500 million) will be needed to set up manufacturing facilities and production started within three years and reach 25 per cent DVA (domestic value addition) by three years and 50 per cent DVA within 5 years at the maximum.

India’s EV market has the potential to achieve over 40 per cent penetration with $100 billion revenue by 2030.

ALSO READ: Starship Will Be On Mars In 5 Years: Musk

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Bill Gates Visits Statue Of Unity, Calls It ‘Engineering Marvel’

Bill Gates has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inviting him at the monument.

Microsoft co-founder and leading philanthropist, Bill Gates heaped praise on the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, calling it an “engineering marvel” and a great tribute Sardar Patel.

He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inviting him at the monument. He also appreciated the economic opportunity for local tribal communities arising out of it.

“Thank you @narendramodi for the invitation to visit the impressive Statue of Unity. It is an engineering marvel and a great tribute to Sardar Patel. Also great to see it is creating economic opportunity for local tribal communities, especially women,” Gates posted on social media platform X.

Reacting to his post, PM Modi said that he is ‘glad’ on Gates enjoying the experience. He also urged people from across the globe to visit the world’s tallest statue in Gujarat.

“Happy to see this! Glad that you enjoyed your experience at the ‘Statue of Unity.’ I also urge people from all over the world to visit it in the coming times,” PM Modi stated on X.

Earlier on Friday, the Microsoft co-founder met Union Minister for IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw and discussed how India’s AI ecosystem could be used to improve health, agriculture, and education in the country.

“I met with @AshwiniVaishnaw to talk about India’s AI ecosystem and how it can be used to improve health, agriculture, and education. India’s digital public infrastructure journey is a fantastic model for emerging economies. @BMGFIndia hopes to support the Indian government’s initiatives to build open, secure, and interoperable systems that are inclusive and create strong digital economies,” Gates posted on X.

Bill Gates is on a visit to India, during which he has met several top leaders and also participated in other cultural and local events.

He also arrived in Jamnagar, Gujarat, for the three-day pre-wedding celebrations of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son, Anant Ambani, and industrialist Viren Merchant’s daughter, Radhika Merchant.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Modi and Bill Gates held a dialogue centred around harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) for the greater good of the public. The leaders expressed their shared commitment to sectors that hold the potential to enhance the planet and uplift millions worldwide.

Meanwhile, his video with Dolly Chaiwala has taken the internet by storm and garnered millions of views on multiple platforms.

The video opens with Bill Gates in the frame, requesting, “One chai, please”. The tea seller’s unique method of preparing tea on his cart is a highlight, offering a glimpse into the artistry of making this beloved beverage. (ANI)

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Govts need to be inclusive, clean, and transparent: Modi at WGS 2024

Governments must collaborate and learn from each other to address future challenges, PM Modi says

Reiterating his mantra of ‘minimum government, maximum governance,’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the need of the hour is for governments to be inclusive, clean, and transparent. 
 
He has also emphasised that governments must prioritise Ease of Living, Ease of Justice, Ease of Mobility, Ease of Innovation and Ease of Doing Business in their approach to public service.
 
Prime Minister Modi was speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, UAE, where he was the guest of honour, on Wednesday (February 14, 2024). He was delivering the special keynote address on the theme of the Summit – “Shaping the Future Governments”. 
 
Referring to the interconnected nature of the world, he said governments must collaborate and learn from each other to address future challenges.
 
Prime Minister Modi shared the Indian experience on how the country had leveraged digital technology to further welfare, inclusivity and sustainability, and called for a human- centric approach to governance. He also underlined India’s focus on people’s participation, last-mile-delivery and women-led development to achieve an inclusive society.

He also highlighted India’s steadfast commitment to Climate Change action and called for people to join Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) to create a sustainable world.
 
During his address, Prime Minister Modi elaborated on the leadership role played by India as the chair of G-20 last year, on a wide range of issues and challenges facing the world. In this context, he highlighted the efforts made by India to bring development concerns facing the Global South to the centre-stage of global discourse.

Calling for the reform of multilateral institutions, he pushed for greater voice for the Global South in its decision making. India, he stressed, will continue to contribute to global progress based on its role as a “Vishwa Bandhu”.
 
Prime Minister Modi had attended the World Governments Summit in 2018, also as Guest of Honour. The Summit this time saw participation of 20 world leaders, including 10 Presidents and 10 Prime Ministers. Governments and delegates from over 120countries were represented at the global gathering. (India News Network)

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‘India modernising laws to reflect present realities’

PM Narendra Modi said that India inherited a legal system from colonial times.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India is modernising its laws to reflect the present realities and that in the last few years, the country has done away with thousands of obsolete laws from colonial times.

“India is modernising laws to reflect the present realities. Now, three new legislations have replaced more than 100-year-old colonial criminal laws,” the Prime Minister said while addressing the inaugural event of CLEA -Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference 2024.

The PM said that India inherited a legal system from colonial times. “But in the last few years, we made a number of reforms to it. For example, India has done away with thousands of obsolete laws from colonial times.”

The CLEA -Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference (CASGC) 2024 at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi was also attended by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and CJI DY Chandrachud.

The theme of the conference is “Cross-Border Challenges in Justice Delivery”. This conference aims to deliberate on important issues pertaining to law and justice like judicial transition and the ethical dimensions of legal practice; executive accountability; and revisiting modern-day legal education, among others, as per a release issued by the prime minister’s office.

While addressing the conference, PM Modi said that sometimes ensuring justice in one country requires working with other countries.

“When we collaborate, we can understand each other’s systems better. Greater understanding brings greater synergy. Synergy boosts better and faster justice delivery,” he said.

He said 21st-century challenges cannot be fought with a 20th-century approach. There is a need to rethink, reimagine and reform.

The PM in his address also said that India has a special relationship with the African Union. “We are proud that the African Union became a part of the G20 during India’s presidency. This will go a long way in addressing the aspirations of the people of Africa,” he said.

Among the participants of the CLEA -Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference 2024 were attorney generals and solicitors from the Commonwealth nations spanning the Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Caribbean along with various international delegations.

The conference serves as a unique platform by offering a forum for interaction among different stakeholders in the Commonwealth legal fraternity, as per the release.

It also includes an exclusive roundtable conference tailored for attorneys and solicitor generals, aiming to develop a comprehensive roadmap to address the challenges in legal education and transnational justice delivery. (ANI)

ALSO READ: India’s Multifaceted Ties with Gulf

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PM Modi Takes Sortie In Tejas Fighter Jet

Tejas is a single-seater fighter aircraft but the Prime Minister took a sortie in the twin-seat trainer variant operated by the Air Force and the Navy.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took a sortie in the Tejas fighter jet, saying that the experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country’s indigenous capabilities

The Prime MInister shared the photographs of his flying in Tejas fighter jets earlier on Saturday and said: “Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country’s indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential.”

“Heartiest congratulations to the Indian Air Force, DRDO and HAL as well as all Indians,” Modi said.

Tejas is a single-seater fighter aircraft but the Prime Minister took a sortie in the twin-seat trainer variant operated by the Air Force and the Navy.

Light Combat Aircraft Tejas is a 4.5-generation multi-role fighter aircraft and is designed to take offensive air support and provide close combat support for ground operations.

The LCA was built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and was primarily designed for the Indian Air Force but a naval variant of the Tejas is being tested to undertake Ground Maritime Operations.

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Modi, Sunak Discuss Progress in India-UK FTA

New Delhi, Sept 9 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi shares a light moment with United Kingdom PM Rishi Sunak during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

Rishi Sunak also congratulated Narendra Modi on Team India’s strong performance in the ongoing Cricket World Cup.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak discussed the progress on the Free Trade Agreement during their telephonic conversation on Friday.

Sunak also congratulated PM Modi on Team India’s strong performance in the ongoing Cricket World Cup.

“Turning to the friendship between the UK and India, the leaders discussed recent progress on Free Trade Agreement negotiations. They agreed on the importance of securing an ambitious deal that benefitted both sides,” the UK government said in a statement.

India and UK are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement, talks for which had begun in 2022. The 12th round of negotiations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took place from August 8-31 this year.

The UK PM affirmed hope of a good performance from the English side during the Test series in India in January next year.

“The leaders discussed the ongoing Cricket World Cup being held in India. The Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Modi on the strong performance of the India team and said he hoped England would have more luck during their test series in India in January,” the statement added.

Notably, India is having a strong run in the ongoing Cricket World Cup and has won all seven matches it has played so far. The defending champions, England on the other hand, have had poor show, winning only one game out of the six they have played.

In the India versus England game at Lucknow, the Men in Blue registered a huge 100-run victory, after India’s pace attack rattled the English batting while defending a below-par total.

PM Modi and PM Sunak also discussed the conflict situation in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The two leaders condemned Hamas’s attacks on Israel, and reiterated that Hamas “did not represent” the Palestinian people.

They reflected on the need to deescalate tensions in the wider region. PM Sunak also underscored the importance of protecting innocent civilians in Gaza and ensuring aid was able to flow into the country, the statement added. (ANI)

ALSO READ: India Mulls Domestic Tax to Counter EU Carbon Tax

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New Delhi Declaration Adopted At G20

The development was quite unexpected as the Delhi Declaration was being expected to be announced on Sunday, the last day of the G20 Summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said consensus has been built on New Delhi G20 Leaders’ Summit Declaration and announced its adoption.

The Prime Minister, who is chairing the G20 sessions, congratulated the Sherpas and ministers who had worked towards forging the consensus.

“I have received good news. Due to the hard work of our team, consensus has been built on New Delhi G20 Leaders’ Summit Declaration. My proposal is to adopt this leadership declaration. I announce to adopt this declaration. On this occasion, I congratulate my Sherpa, ministers, who worked hard for it and made it possible,” he said.

The announcement of adoption of the declaration was welcomed with thumping of desks. 

The development was quite unexpected as the Delhi Declaration was being expected to be announced on Sunday, the last day of the Summit.

Though the details of the wordings of the Delhi declaration are not yet known, the fact that Modi personally having announced that a consensus has been arrived at, indicates that some sort of compromise between Russia/China combined and other members of the G20 bloc has been arrived at, especially on the language related to the Ukraine war..

“India’s G20 Presidency has been the most ambitious in history of G20. There are 73 outcomes (lines of effort) and 39 annexed documents (presidency documents, not including Working Group outcome documents). With 112 outcomes and presidency documents, we have more than doubled the substantive work from previous presidencies,” official sources said.

As reported earlier, amid hectic parleys over finding a consensus on the wordings for the Russia-Ukraine war, the G20 diplomats are learnt to have arrived at a “compromise language” to describe the full scale invasion.

In his opening remarks at the Summit, the Prime Minister said that the 21st century is a time that has the potential to give a new direction to the entire world.

“It’s a time when years old challenges demand new solutions from us. Therefore, we must move forward by fulfilling all our responsibilities with a Human Centric approach,” he said. (ANI)

ALSO READ: G20: India Appeals To Turn Trust Deficit To Confidence

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Modi, Sunak Hold Talks on Sidelines of G20

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a bilateral meeting with his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 Summit being held in the national capital under India's presidency.

Both leaders have discussed the India-UK free trade agreement, innovation, and science along with ways to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a bilateral meeting with his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 Summit being held in the national capital under India’s presidency.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a bilateral meeting with his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 Summit being held in the national capital under India's presidency.

The meeting between the two leaders was held at the Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, the venue of the Summit.

Talks between the two leaders followed their meeting held on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in May this year in which they had discussed the India-UK free trade agreement, innovation, and science along with ways to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

The two countries are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement, talks for which had begun in 2022. The 12th round of negotiations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took place from August 8 to 31 this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a bilateral meeting with his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 Summit being held in the national capital under India's presidency.

In August this year, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and the UK’s Secretary of State for Trade Kemi Badenoch took stock of the FTA and agreed on ways to progress the negotiations. The 13th round of negotiations is due to take place in September.

Earlier today, PM Modi and Rishi Sunak participated in Session 1 on ‘One Earth’ during the G20 Summit. Sunak said that the world is looking to G20 to provide leadership and that the leaders are meeting at a time of enormous challenges. He expressed confidence that the leaders will together be able to address the challenges.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a bilateral meeting with his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 Summit being held in the national capital under India's presidency.

In a post shared on X, Sunak stated, “15 years ago, #G20 leaders came together for the first time to restore global growth after the financial crisis. We meet at a time of enormous challenges – the world is looking to the G20 once again to provide leadership. Together I believe we can address these challenges.”

PM Modi welcomed world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK PM Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and others as they arrived to attend the Summit at the Bharat Mandapam venue.

Rishi Sunak and PM Modi warmly greeted each other with Namaste and shook hands. They two leaders also hugged each other as they posed for cameras.

Sunak, accompanied by wife Akshata Murty had arrived in Delhi on Friday. This is Rishi Sunak’s first visit to India as Prime Minister since he assumed the office of Prime Minister of UK in October last year.

India and the UK are bound by strong ties of history and culture, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. India’s multifaceted bilateral relationship with the UK intensified with its upgradation to a Strategic Partnership in 2004. (ANI)

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G20: India Appeals To Turn Trust Deficit To Confidence

PM Modi also invited the head of the African Union to take his seat as a member of the G20 as the first session of the Summit started in Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called upon the international community to transform the global trust deficit into one of trust and reliance. He stressed that it is time for the world to move together.

In his address at Session-1 on ‘One Earth’ during the G20 Summit being hosted under India’s Presidency, PM Modi said, “Following the COVID pandemic, the world faced a new challenge of trust deficit and unfortunately, the wars have further deepened this. But we must remember that if we can defeat a pandemic like COVID, we can also win over the challenge of this trust deficit. Today, as the President of the G20, India calls upon the entire world to transform this global trust deficit into trust and confidence. This is the time for all of us to move together.”

He further said, “In this time, the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ can be the torch bearer for us. Be it the divide between North and South, the distance between East and West, management of food and fuel, terrorism, cyber security, health, energy or water security, we will have to find a solid solid solution to this for future generations.”

PM Modi also invited the head of the African Union to take his seat as a member of the G20 as the first session of the Summit started in Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan. Following this President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani took his seat as the Union and became a permanent member of the G20.

Before the start of the proceedings of the G20 Summit, PM Modi offered condolences over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. PM Modi said, “We pray that all injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time.”

Before the G20 Summit commenced, PM Modi welcomed world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK PM Rishi Sunak, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

As the leaders arrived one by one, they were greeted by PM Modi, in the backdrop showcased the Konark Wheel from Odisha. The Konark wheel was built during the 13th century under the reign of King Narasimhadeva-I. The wheel with 24 spokes has been adapted into India’s national flag embodying India’s ancient wisdom, advanced civilisation, and architectural excellence.

The rotating motion of the Konark Wheel, symbolizes time, Kalachakra as well as progress and continuous change. It serves as a powerful symbol of the wheel of democracy that reflects the resilience of democratic ideals, and commitment to progress in society.

The theme of this year’s G20 Summit, which is taking place under India’s presidency is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth · One Family · One Future.” Notably, India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1 last year. (ANI)

ALSO READ: African Union Becomes Permanent G20 Member

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Konark Wheel: A Grand Welcome Gesture at G20

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed G20 leaders and delegates upon their arrival at Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, for the G20 Summit.

As the leaders arrived one by one, they were greeted by PM Modi, in the backdrop was showcased the Konark Wheel from Odisha.

The Korark wheel was built during the 13th century under the reign of King Narasimhadeva-I. The wheel with 24 spokes has been adapted into India’s national flag embodying India’s ancient wisdom, advanced civilisation, and architectural excellence.

The rotating motion of the Konark Wheel, symbolizes time, Kalachakra as well as progress and continuous change. It serves as a powerful symbol of the wheel of democracy that reflects the resilience of democratic ideals, and commitment to progress in society.

World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Managing Director of IMF (International Monetary Fund), Kristalina Georgieva, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and World Bank president Ajay Banga were among the first few leaders to arrive at th eBharat Mandapam venue.

India is hosting the G20 Summit, scheduled for today and tomorrow, under its Presidency amid divisions in the grouping over the Russia-Ukraine war.

World leaders including US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japan PM Fumio Kishida, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are among leaders who arrived in the national capital yesterday.

The summit is being attended by more than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.

At around 10.30 the first session of the G20 Summit: ‘One Earth’ will take place. One Earth will be one of the main topics of discussion during the session at the G20 leaders’ summit. This session will focus on accelerating climate action through increased mitigation and strengthening the agenda of global net zero emission as soon as possible.

The theme of this year’s G20 Summit, which is taking place under India’s presidency is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth · One Family · One Future” – is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.

After the conclusion of the ‘One Earth’ session, and followed by lunch, another session of ‘One Family’ would be conducted at 3 p.m. as a part of the Summit. At around 7 pm there will be a dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu. Besides, the foreign delegates parliamentarians and ministers in the current Cabinet, the

G20 Summit dinner will be attended by some of the former senior leaders of the nation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be taking part in the weekend summit. China, however, will be represented at the summit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Russia. (ANI)