­­UP will set momentum for India's growth: PM Modi

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh will give momentum to India's growth story in the 21st century, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, presenting India as the "reliable partner" the world is looking for today.

Speaking at Uttar Pradesh's third investors' summit, marking the ground-breaking or the launch of 1,406 projects worth over Rs 80,000 crore, he said the prevailing situation in the world has brought big opportunities for India. "I am confident that in the 21st century it will be UP, which will give momentum to India's growth story. UP is going to become a driving force of India," he said.

Gautam Adani, Kumar Mangalam Birla and other leading industrialists are participating in the mega summit organised by the Uttar Pradesh government. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also attended it.

Modi said, "only our democratic India" has the capability to prove that it is the "reliable partner" the world is looking for today. "The world today is looking at India's potential and praising its performance," he said. The projects were in diverse fields including agriculture, IT and Electronics, MSME, manufacturing, renewable energy, pharma, tourism, defence and aerospace, handloom and textiles. "We are growing the fastest among the G-20 economies. Today, India is No. 2 on the Global Retail Index. India is the third-largest energy consumer country in the world," Modi said.

Speaking on his government recently completing eight years in power at the Centre, he said, "In these years we have moved ahead with the mantra of Reform-Perform-Transform. We have emphasised policy stability, coordination, and ease of doing business. Through our reforms, we have worked to make India strong as a nation."