US Secretary of State John Kerry has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi developmental vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”.
“The new Indian government’s plan, ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, together with all, development for all – that’s a concept, a vision that we want to support. We believe it’s a great vision, and our private sector is eager to be a catalyst in India’s economic revitalisation,” Kerry said in a program in Washington.
Kerry will be in New Delhi on Tuesday to meet Indian foreign minister 
Sushma Swaraj.
Kerry said that US is ready to work with the Modi government.
“American companies lead in exactly the key sectors where India wants to grow: in h gh-end manufacturing, in infrastructure, in healthcare, information technology, all of them vital to sort of leapfrogging stages of development so you can provide more faster to more people,” Kerry said.
“We should be expanding our educational ties across the board, increasing opportunities for young people in both of our nations. I know Prime Minister Modi drew from that energy of India’s youth during his campaign. He repeatedly pointed out that while India’s one of the world’s oldest civilisations, it has the world’s youngest population.
“Prime Minister Modi has said that young people have a natural instinct to rise like a flame. And he has spoken about India’s duty to nurture that instinct, and we believe, frankly, that’s a duty for both of our nations,” he added.
“And that means strengthening the exchange in technical education, in vocational programs for high-skilled trades, and especially in areas where we can build on the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of both of our nations,” he said
“Everyone knows about the extraordinary work ethic that people in India have and the capacity to be able to do this and seize this opportunity,” he said.
“So this possibility I’ve just defined between India and the United States, which fits very neatly into Prime Minister Modi’s vision that he expressed in a campaign which was ratified overwhelmingly by the people of his country is exactly the vision that we need to embrace now, and that’s why this opportunity is actually so ripe,” Kerry added.
“This area of cooperation is particularly exciting, I think, and I’m particularly confident about these opportunities, because only countries that reward creativity the way the US and India do could have possibly launched Hollywood and Bollywood.
“Only countries that celebrate the entrepreneur the way we do could have launched Silicon Valley and Bangalore as global epicentres for innovation,” he said.
“Innovation and entrepreneurship are in both of our DNA, and they not only make us natural partners; they give us natural advantages in a world that demands adaptability and resilience. The US and India cannot afford to just sort of sit back and rest on these currently existing advantages. We have to build on them and we have to build on them by investing more in one another,” he said.
“If India’s government delivers on its plans to support greater space for private initiative, if it creates greater openness for capital flows, if it limits subsidies that stifle competition, if it provides strong intellectual property rights, believe me, even more American companies will come to India. They may even race to India. And with a clear and ambitious agenda, we can absolutely help create those conditions,” he said.
“So as we work with our trading partners around the world to advance trade and investment liberalisation, India has a decision to make about where it fits in the global trading system. India’s willingness to support a rules-based 
trading order and fulfill its obligations will help to welcome greater investment from the US and from elsewhere around the world.”
“The greater transparency and accountability that Prime Minister Modi put in place during his time as the chief minister tells us he has already provided a model of how raising standards can actually increase economic growth,” Kerry said.
“And whatever impediments we may face along the way, we need to always be mindful of the opportunities and the bigger picture around this.”
“It is completely in our mutual interest to address those obstacles that kind of raise their head here and there as you go along the way and to remember that a lot bigger opportunities will come from more robust ties, so we need to keep our eye on the prize out there and not get dragged down by one small or lesser particular aspect of a restraint. The bigger picture has to guide us and the end game has to guide us,” he concluded.
Tags: india John Kerry Modi government Narendra Modi US
