Entrepreneurs, MSMEs Among Largest Indian Population In Need of Empowerment, Said PM Modi On I-Day 2022 Remembering Lal Bahadur Shastri's clarion call of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' and former PM AB Vajpayee's addition of 'Jai Vigyan' to it, PM Modi offered his own coinage—'Jai Anusandhaan' or Hail Innovation—during his Independence Day address this year
By Soumya Duggal •
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Addressing the country on its 76th Independence Day from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a number of statements emphasising the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in transforming India into a fully developed and self-reliant nation.
Speaking about the currently unfolding 'Digital India', Modi said, "We are looking at start-ups. Who are these people? This is that pool of talent which lives in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities or in villages and belongs to poor families. These are our youngsters who are coming before the world today with new discoveries."
He further underlined how the country's incubation centres, startups and the Atal Innovation Mission were developing a whole new sector of entrepreneurship to open up new opportunities for the Indian youth. "Whether it is a matter of space mission, whether it is about our Deep Ocean Mission, whether we want to go deep into the ocean or we have to touch the sky, these are new areas, by which we are moving forward," he said.
PM Modi also called upon the private sector to become a dominant force in rendering India capable of fulfilling not only its own needs but also those of the world at large. "Even if it is the MSMEs, we have to take our products to the world with Zero Defect, Zero Effect. We have to be proud of Swadeshi," he said.
Appreciating the government's introduction of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for increasing investment prospects in domestic manufacturing, PM Modi stated that foreign investors were injecting new technology and employment opportunities into the country.
Remembering Lal Bahadur Shastri's clarion call of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' ('Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer') and former PM AB Vajpayee's addition of 'Jai Vigyan' ('Hail Science') to it, Modi contributed his own coinage—'Jai Anusandhaan' ('Hail Innovation')—during his Independence Day address. Innovation in technology, especially green technology, received special importance in his speech. "We should be self-reliant in the field of solar energy, wind energy, various renewable energy sources and must lead in terms of Mission Hydrogen, bio fuel and electric vehicles," he said.
Highlighting that new opportunities for green jobs were rapidly coming up in India, Modi also stated that the Digital India movement of developing semiconductors, entering 5G era, and spreading the network of optical fibres across the country was aimed at not just establishing India's modernity but also transforming the educational ecosystem, revolutionising the healthcare infrastructure and improving the quality of the citizens' lives.
"We must acknowledge and strengthen the potential of our small farmers, entrepreneurs, small and medium sized enterprises, cottage industries, micro industries, street vendors, domestic labourers, daily wagers, auto rickshaw drivers, bus service providers etc.," said PM Modi, adding that these were the fundamental grassroot force of India's economic development as well as its largest population in need of empowerment.
