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Remarks by Prime Minister at the Joint Press Briefing with Australian Prime Minister

Published By : Admin | September 5, 2014 | 23:20 IST

Your Excellency, Prime Minister Tony Abbott Friends from the Media

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I am delighted to welcome Prime Minister Tony Abbott to India. We are fortunate to host him as our government`s first guest on a State Visit to India, because we consider Australia to be a very important strategic partner and we wish to deepen our relations further. 

India and Australia are peace-loving democratic nations, blessed with great diversity in their societies. We are linked by the Indian Ocean. Australia can make a very important contribution to India`s development. India is a resource-constrained country and can meet a considerable part of its requirements from Australia, a country blessed with abundant natural resources. There are enormous possibilities in the area of manufacturing and infrastructure. In the coming years, India can emerge as a major source of highly skilled human resources. 

We have growing cooperation in science, education and skill development. More than 400,000 people of India origin in Australia are making significant contribution to the Australian society and also constitute an effective bridge of friendship between the two countries. 

India and Australia must not only work together with a sense of priority to promote peace and prosperity in Asia, Pacific and Indian Ocean Region, but also take on the responsibility of bringing together all other countries in this endeavour. 

Prime Minister Abbott and I have had detailed discussions on enhancing our cooperation in all areas of our relationship. 

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At first, I would like to convey to Prime Minister Abbott the deep sense of gratitude of 1.25 billion people of India for the efforts he has made to bring with him two ancient statues that were stolen from India. 

The moment we had conveyed our request for the return of these statues, his government took this decision with great speed. Prime Minister Abbott and the people of Australian have shown enormous respect and regard not only for our ancient treasure, but also for our cultural heritage. 

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The signing of the civil nuclear cooperation agreement is a historic milestone in our relationship. It is a reflection of a new level of mutual trust and confidence in our relationship and will open a new chapter in our bilateral cooperation. It will support India`s efforts to fuel its growth with clean energy and minimize the carbon footprint of its growth. 

Regular and robust dialogue provides a strong foundation for a strong strategic partnership. Prime Minister Abbott and I have decided to enhance our political dialogue and increase our security and defence cooperation, to which we attach great importance in our relationship. We will also enhance exchanges between elected representatives in the Parliament and state assemblies of the two countries. 

There has been no prime ministerial visit from India since 1986. I have accepted Prime Minister Abbott`s invitation to pay a bilateral visit to Australia after the G 20 Summit. We will try and meet each other at every available opportunity. We will increase our dialogue at senior officials` level, including in the political, economic and security areas. We will also increase our consultation and coordination in important forums like the Indian Ocean Region Association and East Asia Summit. 

We will hold our first bilateral naval exercise in 2015 and intend to enhance our exercises in the coming years. Our two countries can contribute to a variety of objectives in the Indian Ocean Region, including in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. We will also join together in the commemoration of 100 years of the First World War, in which our soldiers fought together. We will also increase our security cooperation to counter terrorism, cyber threats and other security challenges. 

There are vast possibilities for increasing trade and investment cooperation. Prime Minister Abbott has been supportive of Indian investors in Australia and has assured me of speedy clearances for Indian investment proposals in the pipeline. I invited Australian investments into India, including in infrastructure and high technology areas. 

We are concerned about the decline in bilateral trade in the last two years. We have committed to an early conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). 

I am delighted that we are announcing fresh funding for the Australia India Strategic Research Fund, which supports research activities in areas like clean energy, water, health, environment and food processing. 

I am pleased that Prime Minister Abbott has announced a new Colombo Plan to increase the flow of Australian students to India. Increase in youth exchanges will deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries. 

Prime Minister Abbott has assured me of full cooperation in the area of skill development, which is a priority sector for me. We have also decided to promote cooperation in higher education, especially at the level of universities, to create world class educational opportunities for Indian youth. 

Our two countries are bound by shared love for cricket and hockey. Today, I have requested Prime Minister Abbott for cooperation in establishing sports universities in India. 

We welcomed the growing people-to-people ties, reflected in the increasing flow of students and tourists between the two countries. 

We cooperate with each other in multilateral forums. I thanked Prime Minister Abbott for the continuing Australian support for India`s permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. 

I am keenly looking forward to the G 20 Summit. I am confident that under the leadership of Prime Minister Abbott, G 20 will be able to effectively address the global challenges. I also conveyed to him our best wishes for hosting the 2015 Cricket World Cup. 

I am very satisfied with our meeting today. I believe that it will set a new direction in our relationship. I am confident that we will make further progress on our bilateral agenda before the November Summit. I am also confident that Australia will emerge as a strong strategic partner for India a very important part of our Look East Policy. 

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The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath ji, my colleagues in the Union Cabinet, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Jitin Prasada, all the giants associated with the global semiconductor industry, all the partners from the education, research, and innovation world, other distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen! Namaskar to all!

I extend a special welcome to all the associates of SEMI. Bharat is the eighth country in the world to host this grand event related to the global semiconductor industry. And I can say that this is the right time to be in India. You are at the right time, at the right place. In the 21st-century Bharat, the chips are never down! And it’s not just that, today’s Bharat assures the world — When the chips are down, you can bet on India!

Friends,

Your association with the semiconductor world inevitably involves diodes. And as you know, energy flows in only one direction in a diode. But special diodes are used in Bharat’s semiconductor industry. Here our energy flows in both directions. You might wonder how? And this is very interesting, you invest and create value. Meanwhile, the government provides you with stable policies and ease of doing business. Your semiconductor industry is linked with ‘Integrated Circuits’. Bharat also provides you with an ‘integrated ecosystem’. You are well aware of the immense talent of Bharat’s designers. Bharat contributes 20 percent of the talent in the world of designing, and it is continually expanding. We are preparing a semiconductor workforce of 85,000 technicians, engineers, and R&D experts. Bharat’s focus is on making its students and professionals ready for the semiconductor industry. Just yesterday, the first meeting of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation was held. This foundation will provide a new direction and new energy to Bharat’s research ecosystem. Additionally, Bharat has also created a special research fund of one trillion rupees.

Friends,

Such initiatives will greatly expand the scope of innovations in the semiconductor and science sectors. We are also focusing heavily on semiconductor-related infrastructure. Moreover, you have a three dimensional power —first, Bharat’s current reformist government, second, the growing manufacturing base in Bharat, and third Bharat’s aspirational market. A market that understands the taste of technology. For you, the Three-D Power semiconductor industry base is something that is hard to find elsewhere.

Friends,

Bharat’s aspirational and tech-oriented society is very unique. For Bharat, a chip is not just a technology. For us, it is a means to fulfil millions of aspirations. Today, Bharat is a major consumer of chips. We have built the world’s best digital public infrastructure on this chip. This small chip is playing a significant role in ensuring last-mile delivery in Bharat. When even the strongest banking systems in the world faltered during the Corona pandemic, banks in Bharat continued to operate uninterrupted. Whether it is Bharat’s UPI, RuPay card, Digi Locker, or Digi Yatra, various digital platforms have become part of everyday life for the people of Bharat. Today, Bharat is increasing manufacturing in every sector to become self-reliant. Today, Bharat is undergoing a significant green transition. The demand for data centres in Bharat is continuously rising. This means that Bharat is going to play a major role in driving the global semiconductor industry.

Friends,

There has been an old saying — ‘Let the chips fall where they may’. Meaning, let things happen as they will. Today’s young and aspirational Bharat does not follow this attitude. Bharat’s mantra today is —‘Increasing the number of chips produced in India’. And that’s why we have taken many steps to advance semiconductor manufacturing. The Indian government is providing 50 percent support for setting up semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Bharat. State governments are also providing additional support in this regard. Due to these policies, more than 1.5 trillion rupees of investments have already been made in Bharat in this sector in a short time. And today, many projects are in the pipeline. The Semicon India Program is also an excellent initiative. Under this program, financial support is being provided for front-end fabs, display fabs, semiconductor packaging, compound semiconductors, sensors, and display manufacturing. In other words, work is being done with a 360-degree approach in Bharat. Our government is advancing the entire semiconductor supply chain ecosystem in Bharat. I mentioned from the Red Fort this year that our dream is for every device in the world to have an Indian-made chip. Bharat will do whatever is necessary to become a semiconductor powerhouse.

Friends,

We recently announced the Critical Mineral Mission for domestic production and overseas acquisition of critical minerals. Work is underway on customs duty exemptions for critical minerals, mining block auctions, and more. Additionally, we are working on setting up a semiconductor research centre at the Indian Institute of Space Sciences. We are partnering with IITs so that our engineers not only develop high-tech chips for today but also research next-gen chips. We are also advancing international collaborations. You may have heard of oil diplomacy; today’s era is that of silicon diplomacy. This year, Bharat was elected Vice Chair of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework's Supply Chain Council. We are also a significant partner in the QUAD Semiconductor Supply Chain Initiative and have recently signed agreements with several countries including Japan and Singapore. Bharat is also continuously increasing its cooperation with the United States in this sector.

Friends,

You are all familiar with Bharat’s semiconductor mission. Some people question why Bharat is focusing on this. Such individuals should study our Digital India Mission. The goal of the Digital India Mission was to provide the country with transparent, effective, and leakage-free governance. Today, we are experiencing its multiplier effect. We needed affordable mobile handsets and data for the success of Digital India. Accordingly, we implemented necessary reforms and built essential infrastructure. We were among the major importers of mobile phones a decade ago. Today, we are the world’s second-largest producer and exporter. A recent report shows that Bharat is now the second-largest market for 5G handsets. Just two years ago, we started the 5G rollout. Look at where we have reached today. Today, Bharat’s electronics sector has grown to over 150 billion dollars. And our goal is even bigger. We want to grow our electronics sector to 500 billion dollars by the end of this decade. This will create about 6 million jobs for the youth of Bharat. Bharat’s semiconductor sector will also benefit greatly from this. Our goal is for 100 percent of electronic manufacturing to be done in Bharat. This means Bharat will not only make semiconductor chips but also their finished goods.

Friends,

Bharat’s semiconductor ecosystem provides solutions not only to domestic challenges but also to global ones. You might have heard a metaphor related to designing. This metaphor is — ‘single point of failure’. Designing students are taught to avoid this flaw. The aim is to ensure that the system does not depend on just one component. This lesson is not limited to designing alone. It applies equally to our lives, especially in the context of supply chains. Be it COVID or wars, no industry has been spared from supply chain disruptions in the recent past. Hence, resilience in supply chains is crucial. Therefore, I am pleased that Bharat is a significant part of the mission to create resilience in various sectors. And we must remember one more thing. When democratic values are coupled with technology, the positive energy of technology becomes stronger. Conversely, when democratic values are removed from technology, it can quickly become harmful. Therefore, whether it is mobile manufacturing, electronics manufacturing, or semiconductors, our focus is clear. We want to create a world that continues to operate without stopping, even in times of crisis. With this confidence that you will strengthen Bharat’s efforts in this regard, I wish you all the very best. Thank you very much!