Mukesh bullish on India Inc
London, Jan. 27: Reliance Industries chairperson said he was optimistic about India’s economic growth. “India’s strength is its soft power,” he said adding that India at the brink of a new development model as the world was restructuring itself due to the financial meltdown.
“We need to create a developmental model that leads to opportunity for all,” Mr Mukesh Ambani said. He was speaking at a panel discussion at London School of Economics on Tuesday, at the release of Rajya Sabha MP and former bureaucrat N.K. Singh’s book, “Not By Reason Alone –The Politics of Change”.The other panelists included Lord Chris Patten, Planning Commission deputy chairman, Mr Montek Ahluwalia and Lord Meghnad Desai. Union civil aviation minister, Mr Praful Patel, Jet Airways chairman, Mr Naresh Goyal and Mr Ambani’s wife, Ms Nita Ambani and environmental scientist Lord Nicholas Stern were present.
Mr Ambani touched on issues such as the campaign against north Indians in Maharashtra when asked to comment on the recent drive against non-Marathi-speaking taxi drivers.
“We are all Indians first. Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi belong to all Indians. We have to realise first that we are all Indian citizens,” he said. The issue was described an example of “misplaced populism” and an aberration by Mr N.K. Singh. Describing India as “a land of billion opportunities, and not a billion problems,” Mr Ambani said despite the global financial crisis India had a “strong balance sheet,” “reasonably less baggage and a young population.”
Mr Ambani made an emotional call to the Indian diaspora to return to India. He said there were more challenges in India and this was the time to tackle them.
To this, Lord Patten interjected and said if Indians leave, the healthcare system in the UK would collapse.
AGE CORRESPONDENT
Post new comment