India-US partnership serve as driving engine for sustainable, global growth says Modi

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau

WASHINGTON, 23rd June. Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday emphasized the need to nurture a pipeline of talent to sustain the growth momentum between the two countries as he addressed the ‘Skilling for Future’ event at the National Science Foundation.

India and the United States partnership will serve as the driving engine behind sustainable and inclusive global growth, Modi said.

“To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On the one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world’s biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth,” PM Modi at the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia.

He was accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden to the National Science Foundation where they interacted with students from both countries who are acquiring skills relevant for them to succeed in the vital industries of their respective economies.

Modi highlighted the initiatives taken by the Indian government to secure a bright future for students such as implementing the New Education Policy and integrating education and skilling.

He stated that they have brought the New Education Policy and integrated education and skilling and talked about the work that the Indian government did for the bright future of the students.

Under Skill India, India has skilled over “15 billion people” in the field of artificial intelligence, blockchain, drone and others, he told.

He said that in schools, the Indian government has established 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs where children have been provided with facilities to engage in innovation.

Modi urged American students to come to India and said that hundreds of United States teachers are already in India, participating in a tech partnership.

He proposed the idea of an India-US teachers’ exchange program.

Modi said, “We can think of starting an India-US teachers’ exchange programme. To increase the engagement of scientists & entrepreneurs across the world with Indian institutions, we started GIAN – Global Initiative of Academic Networks – in 2015. I am delighted to tell you that under this, 750 faculty members from the US have come to India.”

“I think together, both countries should also organise hackathons on different issues. This may offer solutions to several of the current problems as well as new ideas for the future,” he added.