A greater India is visibly an India for Indians: Gautam Adani

New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) Gautam Adani, the Chairman of the Adani Group, on Monday coined the slogan "A greater India is visibly an India for Indians" as the country embarks on a journey of growth.

Adani was speaking at Priyadarshni Academy's 37th Global Awards where he was conferred the Ramakrishna Bajaj Memorial Global Award.

"Such an approach is not about politics - but is about the emerging world order. If there ever was a time when democratic India had a need and opportunity to stand strong and celebrate its Indianness, it is now - at the doorstep of decades of future growth. The dimensions - our history, culture and boundaries - must now combine to encapsulate the nation, bind the nation, and instil a sense of patriotism in the nation," Adani said.

"Be it sustainable technologies for a greener world, digital technologies for a more connected India, education solutions for a more literate India, medical solutions for a healthier India, agricultural solutions for the farmers of India and all the enabling infrastructure - these are all trillion-dollar opportunities ahead in the not-too-distant future," he said.

"They lay the foundation for our 'Aatmanirbharta'. This journey must be led by companies from our own nation that compete at some levels and yet collaborate at other levels. India's massive growth offers opportunities for all. The guiding North Star must be 'A greater India is visibly an India for Indians'," Adani added.

He said India had nothing to do with the Covid virus but sustained some of the most drastic consequences and criticism on the global stage.

"There was not a single major international voice of understanding. All this had the gravitas to not criticise any country as they fought their own battles to control the virus," he added.

"The fact that we have fought back should in itself be a lesson for all of us that there can be no better defence than 'Aatmanirbharta' to mitigate future black swan events.

"We should never find ourselves in such a position ever again. This requires muscle - to stand up to the pressures global organisations can bring to bear. Over the next two decades, India will have the biggest and the youngest middle class that ever existed. We will be the market that every global company will target. In this euphoria, let us never forget that we were largely left alone to fight the pandemic," Adani said.

"This does not mean that there cannot be any criticism. However, criticism cannot be at the cost of national dignity. It cannot be at the cost of destroying the confidence of a nation. It cannot be about dividing the society - else we play right into the hands of those that do not want to see a resurgent India," Adani added.