Modi urges Germany to invest in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday visited leading auto major Robert Bosch Engineering and Innovation Centre in Bengaluru city of Karnataka.

Both countries also recognised that science, technology and innovation play a crucial role for the development of affordable, accessible and adaptable solutions in the areas of low carbon development, renewable energy generation and climate protection, it said. “In the framework of Skill India we need business links, science links and political links”, she said. He also said government hopes to roll out the Goods and Services Tax next year.

While addressing the Indo-German Business Summit in Bengaluru in the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, PM Modi enumerated the steps taken by his government to create conducive conditions for business in the country.

They want Germany to close its borders. Later, senior officials of the two countries signed 18 Memoranda of Understandings, including one on the basis of which a few India-Germany flights would have armed marshals to thwart hijacking bids.

Earlier, Karnataka governor Vajubhai R Vala and chief minister Siddaramaiah received Modi who arrived by an Indian Air Force (IAF) at the HAL airport amid tight security.

Giving a thrust to clean energy, Germany has pledged about 1 billion euros (Rs 7,300 crore) assistance for India’s solar projects as the two countries chose to forge a renewable alliance to boost cooperation in the sector. “Thus, just in 15 months, we have successfully restored the credibility of India in the eyes of global players”, he told the business leaders-the who’s who of the India Inc, particularly the IT sector, as also the German industry.

The two leaders held talks in Delhi on Monday during Ms Merkel’s first visit to India since Mr Modi’s party stormed to power in May a year ago promising to reform and revive the economy. In exceptional show of meeting of minds between growth-oriented India with its overheated economy engines and sustainability-inclined Germany looking to stop burning coal for electricity, the two sides appreciated each other for their policies towards sustaining life on planet.