SCO Summit 2022: Want to make India manufacturing hub, says PM Modi

Samarkand, Sep 16: At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Uzbekistan's Samarkand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India wants to transform itself into a manufacturing hub, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war which have caused global supply chain-disruptions.

While addressing SCO leaders, PM Modi said, "The world is overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. Several disruptions occurred in the global supply chain because of the COVID and Ukraine crisis. We want to transform India into a manufacturing hub."

"We are focussing on people-centric development model. We are supporting innovation in every sector. Today there are more than 70,000 start-ups and over 100 unicorns in our country," PM Modi said.

"India's economy is expected to grow at the rate of 7.5% this year. I'm glad that ours is one of the fastest growing economies among the largest economies of the world," the prime minister said.

"In April 2022, WHO inaugurated its Global Centre for Traditional Medicines in Gujarat. This was the first and only global center by WHO for traditional treatment. India will take an initiative for a new SCO working group on traditional medicines'," said PM Modi at SCO.

At the SCO Summit in Samarkand, emphasised on the constructive role the SCO can play in the post-COVID era particularly in furthering economic recovery and strengthening supply chains. Highlighted India emphasis on people-centric growth which also gives importance to technology.

The prime minister also emphasised on tackling the challenge of food security. In this context, also talked about India's efforts to further popularise millets. SCO can play a big role in marking 2023 as International Year of Millets.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations.

India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.