Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the joint sitting of the US Congress in Washington.
Washington:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined an ambitious six-point to-do list essential for economically empower and transform India today, in his address to the joint sitting of the US Congress.
India, he said, is undergoing a profound social and economic change. And to "economically empower" India's 1 billion people, it was essential to have a social and economic transformation. "My dream," he said, "is to economically empower all Indians by 2022, the 75th anniversary of Independence".
The list he mentioned wove together some of his ambitious projects - electrification of villages and moving towards a Digital India. It also involves skill development for young people, building a vibrant rural economy with a robust farm sector.
There were also his infrastructural goals - building 100 smart cities and creating a 21st Century rail, road and port infrastructure.
These are "not just aspirations, they are goals to be reached in a finite time-frame," the Prime Minister said, which is to be achieved with a "light carbon foot print, with greater emphasis on renewables".
One of the key similarities between the two nations lies in its human wealth, he said.
"Long before assuming office, I travelled coast to coast, covering 29 States of America. I realised then that the real strength of the US was in the dreams of its people and the boldness of their ambitions," he said. "Today, a similar spirit animates India."
Around 800 million youth "especially, are particularly impatient," he said. "A billion of its citizens are already politically empowered. My dream is to economically empower them through many social and economic transformations."
PM Modi was the fifth leader from India to be accorded the honour of addressing the US Congress since 1985. Before him, former Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh had addressed the US Congress.
India, he said, is undergoing a profound social and economic change. And to "economically empower" India's 1 billion people, it was essential to have a social and economic transformation. "My dream," he said, "is to economically empower all Indians by 2022, the 75th anniversary of Independence".
The list he mentioned wove together some of his ambitious projects - electrification of villages and moving towards a Digital India. It also involves skill development for young people, building a vibrant rural economy with a robust farm sector.
There were also his infrastructural goals - building 100 smart cities and creating a 21st Century rail, road and port infrastructure.
These are "not just aspirations, they are goals to be reached in a finite time-frame," the Prime Minister said, which is to be achieved with a "light carbon foot print, with greater emphasis on renewables".
One of the key similarities between the two nations lies in its human wealth, he said.
"Long before assuming office, I travelled coast to coast, covering 29 States of America. I realised then that the real strength of the US was in the dreams of its people and the boldness of their ambitions," he said. "Today, a similar spirit animates India."
Around 800 million youth "especially, are particularly impatient," he said. "A billion of its citizens are already politically empowered. My dream is to economically empower them through many social and economic transformations."
PM Modi was the fifth leader from India to be accorded the honour of addressing the US Congress since 1985. Before him, former Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh had addressed the US Congress.
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