Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Addresses Viksit Bharat Ambassadors at GITAM

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Visakhapatnam on 29 April 2024, attending a Viksit Bharat Ambassador – Campus Dialogue at Gitam (deemed to be) University. Addressing the audience, she lauded the Modi government’s steadfast and forward-thinking leadership, which she believes has been instrumental in India’s impressive growth over the past few years. “India can and India will become a Viksit Bharat by 2047,” she said.

Sitharaman attributed India’s status as a global bright spot to the government’s efforts in combating corruption, reducing bureaucracy, and promoting a business-friendly environment.

In response to the recent remarks by former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was converting an ‘arithmetic certainty into a guarantee, Nirmala Sitharaman argued that GDP growth is not automatic and requires considerable effort and visionary leadership capable of curbing corruption and fostering a conducive environment for businesses to thrive. She emphasized the need for a visionary leader who can curb corruption, ensure skill availability, deliver welfare schemes effectively, ensure the poor receive their due, and create a growth-friendly environment for businesses.

Sitharaman also highlighted the milestones achieved during Modi’s two terms and pointed out the economic stagnation during the UPA era. She noted that India’s global economic ranking had fluctuated during the UPA’s tenure, but under Modi’s leadership, India has risen to become the fifth-largest economy and is poised to become the third-largest soon. She also emphasized on India’s successful UPI revolution, stating, “From cities to rural villages, UPI is transforming lives! Poor village women now prefer digital payments, disproving doubts about our common people’s capabilities raised by the former Finance Minister.”

She further noted that despite the global pandemic in 2020, India climbed from the 10th rank to the 5th in the last decade. Speaking at Gitam University, Nirmala Sitharaman stressed that economic growth requires a visionary leader who can prevent corruption from eroding the common people’s earnings and goodwill. She concluded by saying, “PM Modi has given a guarantee and with clean and transparent administration, we will ensure India reaches the third rank soon.”

Stay tuned to Yo! Vizag website and Instagram for more city news updates.