On this very special and joyous occasion of the 77th Independence Day of India, I extend my warm greetings and felicitations to all Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin in the friendly State of Kuwait.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation and profound gratitude to all well-wishers and friends of India in Kuwait, particularly to the leadership, the Government and the people of the State of Kuwait, for their steadfast commitment to the close and friendly relations between India and Kuwait and also for their support to the Indian community. I would like to reiterate India’s commitment and keenness to further strengthen and expand the long-standing and time-tested partnership with the State of Kuwait.
This year is the 77th year of India’s Independence. It is a significant milestone in our quest to build a new, resurgent and self-sufficient India, an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has declared the Amrit Kaal: Vision 2047 – an aspirational goal of India to become a developed nation by 2047 by laying a 25 year road-map for India@100. It is incumbent upon all Indian nationals to work assiduously to achieve this objective.
Prime Minister Modi had also launched Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) in March 2021, an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements, through a series of events in India and abroad.
This Independence Day will mark the culmination of the 2 year plus celebrations of AKAM, as part of which the Embassy of India in Kuwait, has also been organizing a large number of events. I take this opportunity to thank all our partner associations and stakeholders in partaking in AKAM celebrations.
Today, as we celebrate our Independence Day, we feel proud of India’s many achievements. Equitable development has been the corner stone of various socio-economic policies in independent India. Democracy, pluralism and unity in diversity are the traditional cultural ethos of Indian society. India believes in its ancient philosophy of ‘Sarvadharma Sambhava’ (equality of destination of paths) and ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is a family). These beliefs also guide our foreign policy.
India today is a land of billion opportunities. Our collective resolve has ensured that the Indian economy has forged ahead in these challenging times. India’s IT sector is delivering digital solutions across the globe. India’s unicorn club continues to grow and is home to the third largest number of unicorns in the world. India’s start-up space is buzzing with unprecedented enthusiasm and activity on the back of creativity, imagination and technology breakthroughs.
Not only is India today among the top five economies globally; it has made tremendous strides in science and technology; is one of the leading centers of innovation and Information Technology globally; is the ‘Pharmacy of the World’; has world class production and manufacturing capabilities; is a leading global partner to address new age challenges facing the humanity, be it climate change or building resilient and reliable supply chains to ensure food and health security.
There has never been a better time to invest in India than now, as modernization of India’s physical and digital infrastructure got an unprecedented momentum. India is moving ahead with the spirit of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ as its youth is fully geared up to take the economy to newer heights. The massive business friendly reforms and policies have contributed in unleashing the true potential of the country.
India has jumped 79 positions in rank over the last 5 years in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business; featured in top 3 improvers list consecutively for 3 years and is among the top 5 economies for ease of starting a new business; jumped 41 positions from 2015 in the Global Innovation Index. Today, we are on the right track to build an Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India), which envisages a merger of the local with the global. No wonder that India is rightfully being considered the key driver of a post COVID-19 global growth recovery.
In the international arena, India has been playing a significant role in contributing to world peace, stability and prosperity. It is spear-heading many global bodies at a time of complex geo-political uncertainties. India completed its 2-year tenure in the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member in December last year during which it brought many positive issues on the agenda of the United Nations. It has successfully taken forward the Presidency of the SCO culminating in the Summit in July this year.
It looks forward to host the Summit of G-20 countries next month in New Delhi when world leaders will come together to deliberate on current global issues. India believes that dialogue and diplomacy remains the only way to resolve disputes and conflicts. India places an undeterred faith and belief in multilateral approach and has always taken the lead on issues of global importance such as fight against cross-border terrorism, climate change, energy security, food security, and the reform of multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council.
At the bilateral front, we continue to make steady progress in multi-faceted engagement with the State of Kuwait. After the pandemic-induced gap, the momentum of bilateral contacts at various levels have resumed with convening of meetings of institutional mechanisms. Bilateral trade and investments with Kuwait have continued to grow. Indian culture in its myriad forms finds good resonance with our Kuwaiti friends. Our people to people contacts are the building blocks of the bilateral relations with the State of Kuwait.
The Embassy places highest priority to the welfare and well-being of the large and vibrant Indian Community in Kuwait. The Embassy continues to be a ‘Home Away from Home’ for all Indian citizens.
I thank all the community associations, professional bodies and cultural groups as well as media representatives for joining hands with the Embassy for not only contributing to the welfare of the community but also undertaking activities that contribute to the strengthening of bilateral relations with the State of Kuwait.
Once again, on this joyous and proud occasion of the 77th Independence Day of India, I wish every Indian in Kuwait and all friends of India in Kuwait good health and happiness.
