Modi’s smart diplomacy: Unleashing lions of India in Hannover

HANNOVER: India has unleashed lions in this German city, by launching the Make in India blitz. And these lions – the motif of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India mission – are roaring, enticing Europe’s economic bellwether with the promise of ease of doing business and partnering the transformation of the world’s fastest growing economy.
“The lions are a symbol of a new India. They roar; but with a message of friendship and promise of partnership, from 1.25 billion people of India,” Mr Modi told hundreds of German and Indian business titans as he jointly inaugurated the Hannover Messe 2015 with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“This is also the message of 15 states, 20 CEOs and 350 companies from India participating in this Fair,” Mr Modi said to cheers from lions of the global business at this mecca of high technology and enterprise.
Having gotten used to being lionised in foreign capitals, as his most recent performance in Paris showed, Mr Modi robustly held aloft the torch of the India Story and weaving a captivating narrative of the country’s ongoing transformational journey.

India is open for business

Cutting out florid clichés, Mr Modi dived straight into the heart of his story. His message to the German and global corporate world was: India is open for business, do more business and make in India. “Today, I come to seek German partnership in my own mission to open up India’s seamless economic potential.”
“India is open and ready to embrace the world. As I have travelled around the world, I have seen a new level of interest in building partnerships of trade, investment and innovation in India,” he said. The prime minister’s remarks resonated deeply with business leaders from around the world, underscoring a surge of global confidence in the India Story ever since he took charge of Asia’s third largest economy which is itching to move up the global pecking order and the value chain.
Spelling out his key thrust areas in the larger project of India’s economic renascence, the prime minister said: “If we want to fulfil the dreams of our youth, we must turn our industry into a manufacturing hub for the world and an engine for employment at home. And, we must equip our youth with the skills to meet the needs of our nation, and the demands of the globalised world.”
And he wanted the world to believe that he was not merely talking, but meant business with capital B. Fittingly, he stressed on his efforts to enhance the ease of doing business and proactively enlist Germany’s support in making India a manufacturing hub.
“You will find environment that is not only open, but also welcoming. We will make it easy to do business in India. And, we will always be eager to listen to your feedback.”
“So, our industry is here to showcase their skills. There are many Indian examples of technological leadership in the world. But, we want a future in which excellence defines every sector and every industry in our country. And, they are here to seek your partnership.”
The German chancellor, for one, looked radiant and smiled a lot as Mr Modi spoke, indicating Berlin’s enthusiasm for optimising the India opportunity.

Author Profile

Manish Chand

Manish Chand is Founder-CEO and Editor-in-Chief of India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) and India and World, a pioneering magazine focused on international affairs. He is CEO/Director of TGII Media Private Limited, an India-based media, publishing, research and consultancy company.