SPEAKING TO THE media after Modi ended his tour with an eventful visit to Italy where his gift of Melody toffees to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took social media by storm, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Modi has met CEOs of 50 large companies during his tour and invited them to either invest or increase commitments in India. “The cumulative investment of many of these countries already invested in India stands at around $180 billion. Several of their projects are in the pipeline including in the areas of semi-conductors, logistics, green infrastructure and technology… Their fresh commitments stand at around $40 billion,” Jaiswal said. The outcomes the MEA highlighted were specific— the Dutch returning valuable cultural artefacts like Chola-era royal copper plates, faster and more flexible visas, launch of semi-conductor partnerships in Dholera in Gujarat, technology transfers in mining and critical mineral supplies, coastal engineering projects, green hydrogen markets and industry partnerships. Dutch expertise in horticulture will see a flower centre being established in Tripura. At the European round table in Sweden, Modi noted the time he spent at the country’s industrial heartland of Gothenburg and identified AI, health technology, and green mobility as areas of fruitful cooperation and outlined the vision of a Sweden-India tech corridor. “The India-EU trade and technology council has further deepened our cooperation and we are working together in digital technology, clean energy, semi-conductors, supply chains and innovation,” Modi said.
Modi emphasised his commitment to public life and his government’s programmes at a diaspora event in the Netherlands where he said that being in office for 25 years, first as Gujarat chief minister and then as Indian prime minister, was not a mere statistic. “It is your blessing, and it is my greatest strength. The love and blessings of the nation inspire me every moment of my life to work towards fulfilling the dreams of the people of India,” he said. It was an unequivocal message that Modi has his eyes set on the next steps in India’s rise, beyond the immediate challenge of the Hormuz energy blockade and the adjustments in economic policies it entails.