Cut down five major imports by 2022: PM to industry

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked industry leaders to to think of ways through which at least five major imports could be cut by 2022 by manufacturing or growing products in our own country.
 
Addressing about 200 CEO's at the Niti Aayog's 'Champions of Change' programme here, Modi asked the new entrepreneurs to make India development a mass movement and participate with the government to eliminate poverty even by small changes. .

“Diwali is near. Most of you will be giving gifts on the occasion. This year include khaadi in a big way in your gift items. Large scale manufacturing of khadi will give jobs to many poor people,”  Modi, who is also the chairman of Niti Aayog, said addressing a  gathering of Union ministers, secretaries, officials and private sector CEOs.

Similarly, he said many jobs can be created through innovative changes in agriculture sector, besides cutting down on certain needless imports like timber and help double farmer's income by 2022.

He gave an example of Gulf nations which have plenty of oil but no agriculture or water. He asked those working in the farm sector to do a survey of how can India take care of all agricultural needs of the gulf nations. That he said would solve problems of poor and farmers in India too.

“You are my team, and we need to work together to take India forward though there will be problems and hurdles,” the Prime Minister told the CEOs.