Modi discusses India's growth story with top American thought leaders

NEW YORK : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met leading American economist Prof Paul Romer, investor and co-founder of the hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates Ray Dalio, and other eminent thought leaders and exchanged views and briefed them about the reform trajectory of his government to foster economic growth.

Prime Minister Modi is here on the first leg of his maiden state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden.

Modi and Prof. Romer held discussions on India’s digital journey, including the use of Aadhar and innovative tools like Digilocker. They also discussed various initiatives being undertaken by India for urban development.

"Glad to have met noted economist and Nobel laureate, Professor @paulmromer. We had extensive conversations on leveraging technology to improve lives. We also talked about how to make our cities more sustainable and people friendly," Modi tweeted after the meeting.

In his conversation with Dalio, the prime minister highlighted the reforms undertaken by the government to foster economic growth, including the reduction of compliances and decriminalisation of a large number of legal provisions.

Modi also invited Dalio for further investing in India.

"Met my friend, the distinguished author and investor @RayDalio. Urged him to deepen investments in India and also talked about the reform trajectory of our Government," Modi tweeted.

Prime Minister Modi also met Neil de Grasse Tyson, astrophysicist, author and science communicator and exchanged views on inculcating scientific temperament among youth.

They discussed at length India’s rapid progress in the space sector, including various space exploration missions being undertaken by India, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.

The Prime Minister and Tyson also discussed opportunities for the private sector and academic collaboration under India’s newly launched National Space Policy.

"Talked space, science and related issues with @neiltyson. Highlighted steps India is taking to reform the space sector and draw more youngsters towards science as well as innovation," Modi tweeted.

Prof. Robert Thurman, American Buddhist scholar, author, and Padma Shri awardee, called on Prime Minister Modi.

The Prime Minister and Prof Thurman exchanged perspectives on how Buddhist values can act as a guiding light for finding solutions to global challenges. They also discussed India’s Buddhist connect and efforts being made by India for the preservation of Buddhist heritage.

"The interaction with @BobThurman was outstanding. I admire his passion towards research and scholarship on aspects relating to Buddhism. I highlighted India’s Buddhist heritage and how Buddhism can help overcome many challenges our world faces," Modi tweeted after the meeting.

Prime Minister Modi also had a meeting with distinguished American mathematical statistician, academician, public intellectual and author Prof. Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

He complimented Prof. Taleb on his success as a public intellectual and for bringing complex ideas of risk and fragility into the popular conversation.

In his conversation with Prof. Taleb, Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the risk-taking abilities of India’s young entrepreneurs and the growing start-up ecosystem in India.

"Professor @nntaleb has interesting perspectives on many issues and I had the opportunity to hear them on some of those subjects. He was greatly interested in India’s development strides. I emphasised on how we are nurturing a spirit of enterprise and risk-taking among our youth," Modi tweeted later.

Prime Minister Modi also met Grammy award-winning Indian-American singer Falguni Shah and lauded her for bringing the people of India and the US together through her music.

Modi lauded Shah for her song ‘Abundance in Millets’ which raises awareness regarding healthy and environment-friendly millets. Prime Minister also appreciated her for bringing the people of India and the USA together through her music.

Modi also met a group of leading US experts from the health sector and discussed various matters pertaining to the domain of health including the use of digital technologies for quality healthcare, greater focus on integrative medicine and better healthcare preparedness, the MEA said in a press release.

"Had an informative discussion with a group of healthcare experts. They shared their rich perspectives on ways to augment healthcare capacities in India. I told them about the work we have done in integrating the latest technology in the sector and our efforts like TB elimination," Modi tweeted.

The experts who participated in the interaction included Dr Peter Hotez, Founding Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, Texas and Dr. Sunil A. David, CEO of ViroVax based in Texas.

Modi also met experts from several leading US think tanks and discussed a range of developmental and geo-political issues.

He also invited them to enhance their presence in India as it embarks on its transformation during the 'Amrit kaal'.

"Met a group of people associated with key think tanks. We talked about different aspects of policymaking and emerging global trends. Emphasised the positive changes in India and how they are being powered by our youth," Modi tweeted.

The various think-tank experts who participated in the interaction included, Michael Froman, President-designate and Distinguished Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York, Daniel Russel, Vice President for International Security and Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, New York and Guru Sowle, Founder-member, Director (Indo-US Affairs), Indus International Research Foundation, Texas.

Modi also met a group of eminent US academics from diverse fields of agriculture, marketing, engineering, health, science & technology. They discussed possibilities of enhancing research collaborations and two-way academic exchanges under India’s New Education Policy, the press release said.

"In New York City, held an extensive interaction with a group of academics. They shared their views on how to further strengthen the education sector in India with a focus on skills and innovation. I talked about the transformative potential of our National Education Policy," Modi tweeted.

The academics who participated included Chandrika Tandon, Chair of the Board, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Neeli Bendapudi, President of Pennsylvania State University, Pradeep Khosla, Chancellor, University of California, San Diego, Satish Tripathi, President of the University at Buffalo, Professor Jagmohan Raju, Professor of Marketing, Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.