India and France have shared a strategic partnership for the past 25 years, and it is a relationship that India deeply values. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal, recently spoke about this partnership during an interaction with the Indian diaspora in Paris. He noted that France is India’s preferred partner in defense, economy, investments, and more.
Shri Goyal also highlighted the vibrant Indian community in France, which acts as a living bridge between the two countries, relentlessly pursuing a path that will further strengthen India’s ties with France in technology, investments, tourism, and other areas.
India’s Development Story
Shri Goyal also narrated India’s development story on French soil and described how India is emerging as a bright spot on the global stage under the decisive leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
He spoke about India’s 75 years of independence and how the country is celebrating 25 years of partnership with France this year. He noted that it is a great moment to reflect on all the good things that have been achieved in the last 75 years and an opportunity for each one of us to reflect on new ideas about how our country should progress in the future.
Government Initiatives
Shri Goyal highlighted the changes that have taken place in India over the past nine years of the government’s rule. The government’s focus has been on ensuring that the basic needs of every single person in the country, particularly those at the lowest strata of society, are taken care of. The provision of housing for all, healthcare, food, clothing, shelter, and other basic amenities have been strongly pursued by the government at all levels.
He appreciated the role played by the community leaders and Ekal Vidyalaya in supporting and empowering the tribal communities. Shri Goyal noted that until 2014, half of India did not have a toilet. However, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi realized the importance of basic amenities like toilets and launched the Swachh Bharat Mission, constructing toilets throughout the country so that today, not a single sister has to face the indignity of not having this facility at home. The government has also ensured cooking gas connections in nearly every home in the country to save women from inhaling the harmful smoke from traditional cooking fuels like coal or wood.
Shri Goyal also mentioned the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the world’s largest healthcare scheme, which ensures free healthcare for around 500 million people. The government has also launched other initiatives like the new National Education policy promoting liberal education, digital connectivity, encouraging startups, Jal Jeevan Mission, and more. These initiatives are reforming the entire country’s way of working and leading India towards becoming a developed country.
India’s Future
Shri Goyal believes that these efforts undertaken by the government over the past nine years are the building blocks and enablers that have prepared India to work in this new age of technology and provide a better quality of life for its people. With every Indian empowered with skills and talent and with the basic requirements taken care of, the youth of India who watch the progress around the world on their smartphones can work towards achieving bigger and better things.
With more women coming into the workforce and with India moving rapidly towards adopting sustainability as the core of its working principles, along with rapid strides in manufacturing and service sectors, India is on the right path towards becoming a developed country. India offers huge opportunities to the rest of the world, and its overall exports growing to US $ 765 Billion in 2022-23 is an example of a new India ,( INVC NEWS)
