Your Highnesses,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Namaskar!
It is a great honor for me to deliver the Keynote Address at the World Government Summit. And I am privileged to have this opportunity for the second time. I am deeply grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid for this invitation and the warm welcome. I also express my gratitude to my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. In recent days, I have had the opportunity to meet him several times. He is not only a Leader of Vision, but also a Leader of Resolve and Leader of Commitment.
Friends,
The World Government Summit has become a significant platform for bringing thought leaders from around the world together. The visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has a crucial role in this. The way Dubai is emerging as the epicenter of the global economy, commerce, and technology is truly remarkable. Whether it's hosting Expo 2020 during the COVID period or recently organizing COP-28, these are excellent examples of the 'Dubai Story’. I congratulate you for this Summit and extend my best wishes for its success.
Friends,
Today, we are in the 21st century. While the world is progressing towards modernization on one hand, challenges from the previous century are becoming equally extensive. Whether it's about Food Security, Health Security, Water Security, Energy Security, Education, making society inclusive; every government is bound by numerous responsibilities towards its citizens. Technology, in all its forms, whether negative or positive, is proving to be a key disruptor. Terrorism, with its evolving forms, poses new challenges to humanity every day. Climate-related challenges are also escalating over time. On one hand, there are domestic concerns; while on the other hand, the international system appears to be fragmented. Amidst all these, every government faces a significant challenge of preserving its relevance. The importance of the World Government Summit has grown amidst these questions, challenges, and circumstances.
Friends,
Today, every government faces the question of which approach to adopt moving forward. In my opinion, today the world needs governments that are inclusive, that move forward with everyone together. Today, the world needs governments that are smart, that make technology a catalyst for major changes. Today, the world needs governments that are clean, that are free from corruption, that are transparent. Today, the world needs governments that are green, that take environmental challenges seriously. Today, the world needs governments that prioritize Ease of Living, Ease of Justice, Ease of Mobility, Ease of Innovation, and Ease of Doing Business.
Friends,
I am completing 23 years of continuing service as the Head of the Government. I have served the people for 13 years in the government of a major state of India – Gujarat; and now I am completing 10 years of serving the people in the Central Government. I believe that there should not be a lack of government, nor should there be pressure of government. Rather, I believe that government intervention should be minimal in people's lives, and ensuring this is also the responsibility of the government.
We often hear many experts saying that after COVID, there has been a decrease in trust in governments worldwide. However, we have seen the opposite experience in India. Over the past years, trust in the Indian government by the people has become stronger. People have full confidence in both the intent and commitment of our government. How did this happen? Because we have prioritized people's sentiments in governance. We have been sensitive to the needs of the citizens. We have focused on fulfilling both the needs of the people and their dreams.
In these 23 years in government, my biggest principle has been - Minimum Government, Maximum Governance. I have always emphasized creating an environment that fosters both enterprise and energy among citizens. We have pursued both Top Down and Bottom-Up approaches, along with a Whole-of-Society approach. We have emphasized on a holistic approach and given utmost priority to people's participation. We have strove to ensure that while the government may initiate campaigns; over time, the people of the country take their control themselves. Following this principle of participation, we have witnessed several major transformations in India. Whether it's our sanitation drive, campaign to promote girl education, or digital literacy, their success has been ensured through people's participation.
Friends,
Social and financial inclusion has been the priority of our government. We have integrated over 50 crore people to banking, who previously did not have bank accounts. We launched a massive campaign to raise awareness among them. Today, as a result, we have made significant progress in fintech and digital payments. We have promoted women-led development. We are empowering Indian women economically, socially, and politically. Just a few months ago, we have enacted a law to provide reservation for Indian women in Parliament. Today, we are creating new opportunities for India's youth, focusing on their skill development. In a very short time, India has become the world's third-largest startup ecosystem; with such a significant jump in the startup ecosystem, we are now ranked third.
Friends,
Following the mantra of "Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas" (Together with development of All), we are emphasizing on the approach of Last Mile Delivery and Saturation. The approach of Saturation ensures that no beneficiary misses out from the benefits of government schemes, and the government itself reaches out to them. In this model of governance, scope of both discrimination and corruption is eliminated. According to a study, India has lifted 250 million people out of poverty in the last 10 years; and this governance model has played a pivotal role in achieving this.
Friends,
When governments prioritize transparency, the results are evident, and India is an example of this. Today, more than 1.3 billion citizens of India have their digital identity. These digital identities are interconnected with their banks, mobile phones. We have developed a system by using technology, called Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). With the help of this system, we have transferred benefits of more than $400 billion directly into the bank accounts of people in the past 10 years. By doing so, we have effectively rooted out scope of corruption. We have also saved more than $33 billion from falling into the wrong hands.
Friends,
When it comes to climate change, India has its own approach to deal with it. Today, India is working on solar, wind, and hydro as well as on biofuels and green Hydrogen. Our culture teaches us that whatever we have gained from nature, we should also make efforts to give it back. Therefore, India has proposed a new path to the world, through which we can greatly help the environment. This path is the "Mission LiFE" – Lifestyle For Environment, which shows the way for pro-planet people. We have been observing the approach of carbon credits for quite some time now. Now, we should consider green credit beyond this. I extensively discussed this during COP-28 here in Dubai.
Friends,
As we look towards the future, every government is facing numerous questions today. How do we balance our national sovereignty with international interdependence? How do we maintain our commitment to international rule of law while working for our national interests? As we expand our national progress, how do we contribute more to global good? How do we enrich universal values while drawing wisdom from our culture and traditions? How do we harness the benefits of digital technology while safeguarding society from its negative impacts? How do we work together against terrorism while striving for global peace? As we transform our countries today, should there not be reforms in global governance institutions as well? Various such questions are before us. Keeping all these questions in mind, we must guide our governments and plan for the future.
- We must promote the values of a cohesive, cooperative, and collaborative world together.
- We need to promote the participation of the Global South in the concerns of the developing world and in global decision-making.
- We must listen to the voice of the Global South and highlight their priorities.
- We need to share our resources and capabilities with the countries in need.
- We must establish global protocols to deal with the challenges arising from AI, artificial intelligence; cryptocurrency, and cybercrime.
- While prioritizing our national sovereignty, we must also uphold the international law.
Based on these sentiments, we will not only address the challenges before the governments but also strengthen global fraternity. India is advancing with this same ethos as a global friend. We furthered this sentiment during our G20 Presidency as well. We moved forward with the spirit of "One Earth, One Family, One Future".
Friends,
We all have our experiences with governance. We not only need to work together but also learn from each other. This is the aim of this Summit as well. The solutions that emerge from here will shape the future of the world. With this belief, I extend my best wishes to all of you!
Thank You.
Thank you very much.
DISCLAIMER - This is the approximate translation of Prime Minister's Press Statement. Original Press Statement were delivered in Hindi.