Former US president Barack Obama, who arrived in India on Thursday, addressed the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2017 in New Delhi on Friday.
Along with Obama, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, among other luminaries, will discuss India’s rise on the global stage today.
Top highlights of Obama's speech:
* "America is famous for Donald Trump and Donald Duck. Which one represents the real America?
* Think before you speak, think before you tweet: Obama
* "America is famous for Donald Trump and Donald Duck. Which one represents the real America?
One of the joys and frustrations about America is that it can be contradictory", says Barack Obama.
* Think before you speak, think before you tweet: Obama
* Barack Obama: Tools on social media platforms can be good or bad. One of the challenges is that technology can influence snap judgements about complex decisions. One of the dangers is that instead of deep analysis and evaluation, the new citizen is skimming the surface... the sizzle and not the steak. Those who watch Fox News and those who read the New York Times occupy a difference space. If I read Foxx News, I wouldn’t vote for me.
* Barack Obama: India's movement towards a more modern economy that would lift millions of people out of poverty is important. My job was to see whether the general focus was consistent with sound governance.
* I like him and I think he has a vision for the country. He is implementing and in many ways modernising certain elements of bureaucracy. But, I was also great friends with Dr Manmohan Singh: Barack Obama on what he thinks of Narendra Modi
* There are sometimes connections between explicit terrorist organisations based in Pakistan and elements that are connected to various more official entities inside of Pakistan. We had no evidence that Pakistani govt was aware of Bin Laden's presence there. That is obviously something we looked at.
* Barack Obama: When the tragedy in Mumbai took place, we were as obsessed with how to dismantle that terror network as India was.
* Barack Obama: The basic notion is whether India can be part of countries that have nuclear power and safeguards. We worked very hard to get India into the Nuclear Supply Group (NSG), we did not get the cooperation of every country
Obama quips, "I’m pretty sure I’m the first US president to have the dal recipe. My keema is also excellent, but my chicken is okay".
* We have to work in a multilateral manner. I appeciated the critical role PM Modi and India played in forging the Paris climate deal. “It is a deal even though we have pause in American leadership", Obama
* Barack Obama: We can't unwind globalisation or pretend automation doesn't exist. We need to invest in our people's skills, education
* Barack Obama: Economies don't work well when the middle class is neglected
* Barack Obama said, "We have to acknowledge the real economic forces that sometimes make our people feel powerless".
* We should feel confident about the progress we've made but we shouldn't be complacent - Barack Obama
* Our history together speaks about a common set of values - pluralism and tolerance, a liberal market-based order that places primacy on individual rights - Barack Obama
* Barack Obama said, "I am proud to have been the only US President to have visited India twice during my tenure"
* Both US and India share the problem of terrorism - Barack Obama
* A partnership between the world’s oldest and largest democracies is a defining one - Barack Obama
* Obama says it makes people want to try and find stability amid all the changes. “We’ve gone through moments like this before...from agricultural to industrial sectors... it’s important for us to push back against the politics of us vs them. We have to build on what is in common between us.”
* The world is more connected than ever before: Barack Obama
* The world, by most measures, is less violent than human history although conflict remains: Obama
* Barack Obama: India's movement towards a more modern economy that would lift millions of people out of poverty is important. My job was to see whether the general focus was consistent with sound governance.
* I like him and I think he has a vision for the country. He is implementing and in many ways modernising certain elements of bureaucracy. But, I was also great friends with Dr Manmohan Singh: Barack Obama on what he thinks of Narendra Modi
* There are sometimes connections between explicit terrorist organisations based in Pakistan and elements that are connected to various more official entities inside of Pakistan. We had no evidence that Pakistani govt was aware of Bin Laden's presence there. That is obviously something we looked at.
* Barack Obama: When the tragedy in Mumbai took place, we were as obsessed with how to dismantle that terror network as India was.
* Barack Obama: The basic notion is whether India can be part of countries that have nuclear power and safeguards. We worked very hard to get India into the Nuclear Supply Group (NSG), we did not get the cooperation of every country
Obama quips, "I’m pretty sure I’m the first US president to have the dal recipe. My keema is also excellent, but my chicken is okay".
* We have to work in a multilateral manner. I appeciated the critical role PM Modi and India played in forging the Paris climate deal. “It is a deal even though we have pause in American leadership", Obama
* Obama said, "Values of pluralism, openness, law, freedom of speech and press, dignity, freedom must be promoted. For those who believe in democracy have to speak out on issues. And that’s why I am speaking as a private citizen."
* Barack Obama: We can't unwind globalisation or pretend automation doesn't exist. We need to invest in our people's skills, education
* Barack Obama: Economies don't work well when the middle class is neglected
* Barack Obama said, "We have to acknowledge the real economic forces that sometimes make our people feel powerless".
* We should feel confident about the progress we've made but we shouldn't be complacent - Barack Obama
* Our history together speaks about a common set of values - pluralism and tolerance, a liberal market-based order that places primacy on individual rights - Barack Obama
* Barack Obama said, "I am proud to have been the only US President to have visited India twice during my tenure"
* Both US and India share the problem of terrorism - Barack Obama
* A partnership between the world’s oldest and largest democracies is a defining one - Barack Obama
* Obama says it makes people want to try and find stability amid all the changes. “We’ve gone through moments like this before...from agricultural to industrial sectors... it’s important for us to push back against the politics of us vs them. We have to build on what is in common between us.”
* The world is more connected than ever before: Barack Obama
* The world, by most measures, is less violent than human history although conflict remains: Obama
On Thursday, Obama Foundation said Barack Obama will also address a town hall in the national capital. At the town hall, the former US president, in his first visit to India after demitting office in January, will interact with nearly 300 young leaders drawn from various parts of the country.
"The town hall will expand the conversation about what it means to be an active citizen and make an impact and how the Obama Foundation can support emerging leaders in this effort," the Foundation said in an update.
The townhall, scheduled to be held at 3:45 PM today. It will be streamed lived at Obama.org, and on the Obama Foundation's Facebook page and YouTube channel.
In a Facebook message, Obama has said, "I will be conducting a town hall with young leaders of India who can share with me some of the works they are trying to do to make communities better and also answer questions on how Obama Foundation can help."
He is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The India visit is part of Obama's three-nation tour that also includes China and France. In China, he is expected to meet President Xi Jinping, who has recently hosted US President Donald Trump in Beijing.
Prior to this, Obama has hosted events with young leaders in Germany, Indonesia, and Brazil.