Washington DC: A who’s who of business attended the CEOs round table hosted by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Washington DC today. The Prime Minister said the whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms are taken alone by Government of India for ease of business and minimum government, maximum governance. He said growth of India presents win-win partnership for India and US both. US companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that. He said the implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject for studies in US business schools. The PM in his concluding remarks stressed importance of corporation for start up, innovation and tapping huge intellectual, educational an vocational training potential in India. The Prime Minister suggested linking sanitary practices, products and technology with requirements of school going girls. He emphasized importance attached by government on efficiency, transparency, growth and benefit for all. The Prime Minister pointed out opportunities for tourism through developing hotels in public private partnership model at 500 railway stations. At the round table, CEOs lauded PM’s initiatives of demonetization and digitization of economy and GST. CEOs expressed support to Make in India, Digital India, Start Up India and other flagship initiatives of the government. CEOs applauded reform measures and steps taken by the government to improve ease of doing business. CEOs reaffirmed their commitment to growing with India and attest to its attractiveness as FDI destination. CEOs outlined priorities in India and suggestions for mutually beneficial partnership in line with inclusive growth.

After the meeting Google CEO Sundar Pichai said: PM was looking for insights into how India can attract more foreign investment,many good ideas discussed. I think everyone is excited to invest more in India and I am excited as to what we all can do together. The discussion was very good, it was a discussion across many industries.

CEO of Walmart India Mr. Krish Iyer said: It was a very good discussion, we reiterated our commitment to India.I believe GST is a game changing reform, its not just a tax reform its a new way of doing business.GST will remove barriers & will eventually help in bringing down prices of essential commodities.

Marillyn Hewson,CEO Lockheed Martin said: It was a very productive,appreciate opportunity to discuss how to strengthen ties between our countries. Opportunity to highlight partnership with Tata Advanced Sys. to offer F16 to meet India’s multi-role fighter jet mission. I am confident partnership will strengthen our alliance while advancing national security and economic prosperity of US and India.

Official note:

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today met and interacted with 20 top American CEOs at a roundtable meeting in Washington DC.

Welcoming the CEOs, the Prime Minister said that the world is focused on India’s economy. He said a young population and a rising middle class are among factors which generate global interest in the Indian economy, especially in areas such as manufacturing, trade and commerce, and people to people contacts.

He said that in the last three years, the Union Government in India has focused on improvement in quality of life of the people.

The Prime Minister said this requires global partnership. And therefore, he added, the Union Government in India is working on principles such as Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.

The Prime Minister spoke of the recent reforms, and noted that the Union Government alone has initiated 7000 reforms. He said this indicates India’s quest for global benchmarks. He mentioned the Government’s emphasis on efficiency, transparency, growth and benefit for all.

On GST, the Prime Minister said that this is becoming a reality after years of effort. He added that its implementation is a complex task that may well be the subject of future case-studies. He added that this shows India can take big decisions and implement them swiftly.

CEOs appreciated the Prime Minister for his policy initiatives and the work done in recent times towards ease of doing business. Initiatives such as Digital India, Make in India, Skill Development, Demonetization and the thrust towards renewable energy came in for much appreciation from a number of CEOs. Several CEOs showed their willingness to be partners in skill development and education initiatives. They also mentioned social initiatives being undertaken by their companies in India, in spheres such as women empowerment, digital technology, education and food processing. Themes such as infrastructure, defence manufacturing and energy security also came up for discussion.

In conclusion, the Prime Minister thanked the CEOs for their observations. Looking forward to his meeting with President Trump tomorrow, he said India and the US have shared values. He said if America becomes stronger, India will be a natural beneficiary. He also added that India believes that a strong America is good for the world. He sought enhanced attention from the CEOs in areas such as women empowerment, renewable energy, startups and innovation. He suggested linking sanitary practices, products and technologies with the requirements of school going girls. He reiterated that his primary interest is improving the quality of life in India.