New Delhi, Dec 19 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Saturday that India had made up its mind for making necessary changes in rules and regulations to achieve the dream of self reliance and asked industrialists to increase investment in Research and Development (R&D) in various sectors including agriculture.



In his keynote address at ASSOCHAM Foundation Week 2020 via video conferencing, the Prime Minister said Industry should earmark a certain amount for R&D and increase investment in sectors like agriculture, defence, space, energy, pharma, construction and transport.



‘’The reforms in the country have influenced in changing the sentiment of the industry from Why India to Why Not India,’’ he said and added that the Government could provide necessary facilities, create the right environment, give incentives and change policies. But it was the industry who could convert this support into success.



Referring to the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) initiated by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr Modi said Atalji aimed to connect India with highways but today special focus was on physical and digital infrastructure.



‘’We are engaged in providing broadband connectivity to every village in the country so that the reach of the farmer is also up to Digitally Global Markets.’’

The Prime Minister also presented the ‘ASSOCHAM Enterprise of the Century Award’ to Industrialist Ratan Tata.



Assuring the industry that they now had ‘’complete freedom to touch the sky’’ he urged them to take full advantage of it and put full strength in the coming years for a self-reliant India and the Government is continuing efforts to build an efficient and friendly Ecosystem.



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