News18's Rising India Summit Day 2 updates: Didn't think nepotism would become a national topic, says Kangana Ranaut

Never had privilege of dumping someone, says Kangana Ranaut

Speaking on Hrithik Roshan controversy, Kangana Ranaut said,“The intention is why should something so unimportant be a mystery. If you guard them with love, they become aura of your life. Why would I guard something that has gone wrong with my life?”.

“For me, love is not a physical expression or about intimacy… Love has to be extraordinary; it has to be spiritual,” she said. She added that Roshan left her after calling her a “psycho lover” because she was spiritually in love with him.

“I have never had the privilege of dumping someone,” she said.

We work on equal opportunities: Kangana Ranaut 

“I’m not an activist, but it was just an observation. My comments on nepotism just acted as catalyst because Karan Johar is a popular person,” Kangana Ranaut said.

However, she said that Johar’s way of working it the industry should not be interfered with. “We are living in a democratic country. You can’t ask Karan Johar to cast this actor or that actor in his film,” she said.

She added: “As an outsider, I have my way. I will say my point and you can’t shut me up. Similarly, we can’t tell him how to function, it’s his way that works for him. We need a balance and we can co-exist.”

Nirmala Sitharaman hits out at Congress over accusations on Rafale deal 

“You can go to 10 shops and not buy it at all. How does it matter ir you didn’t buy it? None of the negotiations. There are a lot of convenience-based arguments thrown at us, where the actual recognition of process are all happily being ignored,” Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

“In the past, defence ministers have sought cover under national interest and the BJP didn’t interfere. I’m unable to see that level of maturity now,” she said.

We have made enough progress in the defence sector, says Nirmala Sitharaman

Asserting that the Centre has made “enough progress” in the defence sector, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “The emphasis has been one, you want to reduce import of equipment. Two, manufacturing in the country for export and domestic needs. Three, preparedness of the armed forces. We have made rapid progress.”

Ayodhya dispute is a matter of faith, no a political issue: Yogi Adityanath

​"Discussion on any matter isn’t bad, but the Ayodhya matter has been discussed numerous times in the past," Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said. “The dispute is not a political issue for us. It is a matter of faith. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court verdict will be in our favour,” he said.

Yogi Adityanath slams Rahul Gandhi, says Congress is jealous of NDA govt’s achievements

“Four generations ago, Rahul Gandhi’s ancestors said they were accidental Hindus. Now, Rahul is visiting temples. This is dramebaazi,” Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said.

“Can understand the desperation of Congress. They are jealous of India’s achievements under Narendra Modi,” he added.

Overconfidence results in BJP’s loss in recent Uttar Pradesh bypolls, sasy Yogi Adityanath

“Whenever we work with overconfidence and take results for granted, we will end up not working hard enough,” Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said.

“Our workers and voters thought these are the seats of the chief minister and deputy chief minister, so some of them took this for granted. Some didn’t step out to vote, some didn’t go for door-to-door campaign,” Adityanath claimed.

Prasoon Joshi addresses Padmaavat row

“We removed the ‘i’ from Padmavati because we collectively agreed on the fact that the original poem was called Padmaavat. There was a logical reasoning behind the same. The filmmaker agreed on the same,” CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi said.

Talking on the reports about several cuts made in the film, Joshi said, “I was disappointed with all the fake news about 400 cuts in Padmaavat. There has to be some introspection from media.”

Social media regulatory body could be a possibility in future, says Smriti irani

Union minister Smriti Irani addressed the issues related to social media. “Online is an ecosystem where legislations are not very clear. The information and broadcasting ministry is working on it. We can’t ignore the effects of fake news,” she said.

“We cannot ignore the technology engineered to deteriorate. The govt is working to become a troll monitor. The news is now filled with views,” she added.

Many have attacked the word ‘sanskar’, it sounds like a slur now: Smriti Irani

Discussing ethics in creativity, CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi said, “When you use the word ‘sanskaar’, we use it and try to abuse it. It is more about how we earn rather than how much we earn. That is ethics.”

Union minister Smriti Irani said, “Many have attacked the word ‘sanskar’, it sounds like a slur now. But ‘ethics’ seem acceptable to more”. “Just because you have a different ideology or thought process, you cannot demonise a particular set of conversations,” she said.

Expression and responsibility go hand-in-hand, says Prasoon Joshi

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“There are two kinds of entertainers. Taking a rabbit out of a hat or a  juggler, who does not have a social responsibility. But if you write a story on a farmer you cannot just do it for entertainment value,” says CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi.

“When I was given the responsibility of CBFC, I thought if we concentrate more on ideation and discussion, than raking up controversy, we will perform better… We need to believe in discussions more than debates. It is not about my point or your point, it is about a sensitive ecosystem,” he said.

Smriti Irani says need to change status quo for New India

“The prime minister came with a promise of not sustaining status quo. Communication, today, has to be a 360-degree engagement,” Union minister Smriti Irani said.

Speaking on creativity, the information and broadcasting minister said, “We look at creativity in a destructed fashion. When was the last time you enjoyed a poetry for the poetry? Consumers are deconstructing expression”

**Trivendra Singh Rawat calls Rahul Gandhi ‘politically immature’**​

Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said, “Rahul Gandhi is politically immature, and nobody takes him seriously. It’ll take a lot of time for him to learn politics. People look at Rahul as a source of entertainment.”

“Rahul has reached a respectable age but his political vision is still not clear,” he added.

Meghalaya mandate was anti-Congress, says Conrad Sangma

“​If you look at the results across India, majority of the seats have gone to non-Congress parties. The majority has gone against them,” Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said.

“In the results of the North East, majority of people voted against Congress. There was a natural alliance,” said Sangma. “People were looking for a change, hence, we got those numbers in the polls,” he added.

I see Rahul Gandhi as the next prime minister of India: Amarinder Singh

Praising Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Amarinder Singh said, “Rahul gets a warm response wherever he goes. He will make a good prime minister. I think in 2019, we will be able to pull it off, maybe even with a coalition”

“People are getting disenchanted with the BJP. Hence, they are coming out of NDA, and supporting Congress. Parties leaving NDA shows mood of the nation. I am optimistic about the next general elections,” he said.

Amarinder Singh says STF set up to tackle drug menace in Punjab

“We have set up a Special Task Force. Punjab had become a drug haven. This is being egged on by our neighbours. I have 35,000 drug sellers behind bars. The drug price has shot up which means there is a shortage of drugs in Punjab,” said Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Amarinder Singh speaks on Arvind Kejriwal

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said, “Arvind Kejriwal has always jumped here and there. I don’t know why he has done it (issued apology). There are 22 defamation cases against him. i think he’s trying to the reduce load.”

“No government can function in isolation. He’s lost a great deal of ground. You should ask his MLAs. They’re looking for alternatives. From what we hear, they are all very disappointed. No just because of this but what has happened in the party over the time,” he said.

Ex-diplomat Shyam Saran says India is ‘must-go-to’ place for global leaders

“India has become a must-go-to place for world leaders. It is an emerging power. By virtue of its size and geopolitical placement, it is a place to reckon with,” former diplomat Shyam Saran said.

“With respect to the network of relationships we are building around the world, the focus has to be on the neighbourhood. This is a moment for us to seize. Must ensure that our foreign policy may seize this window of opportunity,” he added.

India’s rise is because of economic rise, says ex-diplomat Shaurya Doval

Former diplomat Shaurya Doval said, “India’s rise is also because of economic rise, which has been huge. Much of this rise lies on the back of the Indian entrepreneur which is a soft power for us… Much of that rise relies on the Indian entrepreneur. He or she is an important part of our soft power.”

Speaking on the Indo-US ties, he said, “An Important part of India-US relations is mutual dependence on capacities and capabilities. This has been based on people and individual peoples capacities too, which involved Indian diaspora too.”

China’s aspirations built on insecurity, says ex-diplomat Nirupama Rao

Former Indian Foreign Secretary ambassador Nirupama Rao said, “India can’t be boxed. By virtue of our geographical placement, we are the leading power in the region. This is not due to a superiority complex,” She added that China is an aspiring superpower but its aspirations are built on an “insecurity”.

“We must understand geostrategy has to be built on geography, political strength, economic heft. We have to obviously cover some distance. China has grown a great deal and we have a great deal of catching up to do,” she said.

“China has much more muscle and visibility in a region now than ever before. We need to study this rising visibility in more detail. With regard to Sri Lanka, Maldives, China can’t replace India,” she added.

Discussion on India’s stand in the world order begins

Former diplomats Shyam Saran, Nirupama Ram and Shaurya Doval, and BJP’s Vijay Chauthaiwale are speaking on India’s position in the world order. 

“India’s rising economic power along with maneuvering in global geo-political situation is working for India and its allies,” Chauthaiwale said. “We have good relations with almost all Islamic nations and also with Israel,” he added.

Rajyavardhan Rathore says TDP will come back in alliance

“The parties which backed out of the NDA had regional aspirations. They did not have a pan India approach. However, we do need political parties to run the nation,” Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said.

“When smaller parties realise that we are winning the 2019 elections, they will all get on the horse,” he said.

Rajyavardhan Rathore takes dig at Congress

“When a boxer can’t reach opponent, he punches the air. This is what Congress is doing right now,” Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said. “Congress wants us to work in their style. But it will never go back to what it was before. This change is for good of all,” he said.

Rajyavardhan Rathore discusses issues with athletes getting sponsors

“There is a big problem that good athletes don’t get sponsors. We will try to give 500 upcoming athletes Rs 5 lakh each for the next eight years. We will partner will CBSE and let them know how to select capable children,” says Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore.

“There are few difficulties that are not letting India do well on the global stage as far as sports is concerned. However, changes don’t come overnight and it will take time,” he added.

Grateful to have Deepika in my life: Ranveer Singh

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh, quizzed about his alleged relationship with Deepika Padukone, said, “There’s a lot I can learn from Deepika Padukone. I learn from her, not just in acting but also in how to be a well-rounded human being. I am really grateful to have her in my life.”

Ranveer Singh in conversation with Rajeev Masand

Frustrating to sit by and not do anything during Padmaavat controversy

Ranveer Singh, star of the film Padmaavat, says it was frustrating when the film was embroiled in controversy. “It was hugely infuriating because things weren’t in my control. But I couldn’t do anything, and was asked to not do anything. I was sitting at home for months, committed to one film and not knowing if the film would even be completed or released,” he said.

‘We entertainers aren’t allowed to have a bad day’

Bollywood star Ranveer Singh says he always needs to “remain on”. “You’re not allowed to have a bad day. It’s your job to entertain people. But I love crowds and I love interacting with people. So when I see them excited at seeing me, I get excited,” he said.

Initial few months were scary, says Ranveer Singh

“We’re in the business of making people like us. But when I first came into the limelight, i was very nervous. I didn’t grew up around anyone famous so didn’t know how to deal with it,” says Bollywood star Ranveer Singh at the ‘Rising India summit’.

Negative press initially was very disheartening, says Ranveer Singh

“There were many press articles that spoke of my lack of acting legacy, that I was an outsider, with an “unconventional” face. I was born out of the audition process, not because I paid my way in or because I came from a filmy family,” says Ranveer Singh at the ‘Rising India summit’.

I turned down many assignments for the big break

Ranveer Singh, Bollywood star today, recalls the struggle that went behind his entry to Bollywood. “I gave thousands of auditions. I turned down so many films, advertisements, music videos, etc. I waited for something bigger, and I ultimately got a role like Band Bajaa Baraat. It was a big launch. But it ultimately became successful,” he said.

Watch: Ranveer Singh’s entry at the ‘Rising India summit’

Watch Rajnath Singh’s speech at the ‘Rising India summit’

Video link of my speech at the #News18RisingIndia Summit: https://t.co/SRndkYSvDl

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) March 17, 2018

Rajyavardhan Rathore says he’s looking forward to an interesting session at 3.15 pm

I look forward to an interesting conversation. #News18RisingIndia https://t.co/lZ3glWDHEH

— Col Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) March 17, 2018

Ranveer Singh shortly in conversation with Rajeev Masand

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh is about to take to the stage at the ‘Rising India summit’, and will be talking to journalist Rajeev Masand.

Excerpts from Ruchir Sharma’s talk with Shereen Bhan

#News18RisingIndia | Excerpts from Ruchir Sharma’s conversation with @ShereenBhan pic.twitter.com/cijUgP2066

— Forbes India (@ForbesIndia) March 17, 2018

It’s jarring to see so many inherited billionaires in India: Ruchir Sharma

Ruchir Sharma of the Morgan Stanley bank says it’s not only in politics, but the trend of dynasty pervades throughout the country’s other sectors as well. “What jars me is the number of inherited billionaires, which is 60 percent. This is double of the global average, and only a handful of countries have so many inherited billionaires,” he said.

Two out of three elections go against the incumbent in India

“In the US, most elections go the way of the incumbent. Even in the last UK election, 80 percent of sitting MPs got reelected. But in India, the default option always seems to be to throw the government out,” says Ruchir Sharma of Morgan Stanley, speaking of the trends in Indian politics. “The single biggest reason why politicians in India lose power is because the State is broken. The way the average people interact with local bureaucrats is very harsh. It’s oppressive, corrupt and under-staffed. So when they go to the polling booth, they throw the government out.”

India’s economy is de-coupled from its politics

“When a government gets elected, it puts in place incremental changes, but by the time it’s due for reelection, it gets complacent and falls back on populist schemes,” says Ruchir Sharma, of Morgan Stanley.

‘India has largest number of millionaires leaving the country’

India has the largest number of millionaires leaving the country, says Morgan Stanley’s Ruchir Sharma, calling it a “matter of concern”.

Ruchir Sharma on the state of India’s economy

Ruchir Sharma, head of emerging markets and chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley, in conversation with Shireen Bhan, as part of the day’s third session.

Trump isn’t taking his job seriously: Paul Krugman

When asked about US president Donald Trump, Nobel Laureate and American economist Paul Krugman said, “He doesn’t take the job seriously. He doesn’t do his homework. He hires people who make him feel good and that’s a frightening prospect. His gut feelings are protectionist and his views of America are 50 years out of date. He wants to make America a heavy industrial economy of his youth, but that’s very disruptive of America now.”

Paul Krugman in conversation with Latha Venkatesh

India has potential at the highest level, says Paul Krugman

Economist and Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman said, “In India, all the success stories used to be based on manufacturing. India does need to do more of that but showed large scale export of services. India also has a potential base at the highest level, of people form Silicon Valley coming back to set up enterprises here.”

China will go the Japan way because of its demography, India won’t: Krugman

Economist Paul Krugman said he’s optimistic about India’s place in the global economy. “The reason Japan’s economy didn’t grow fast enough is because of its demography, and its inability to manage immigrants. China’s population is also headed the same way, with its population expected to turn downwards. India doesn’t face this problem, and India’s population will overtake China’s in the future. So demographics are on India’s side,” he said.

Krugman ‘optimistic’ about India’s progress

Paul Krugman, Nobel-winning economist, said, “I am optimistic about India’s progress, and the world will soon shift its attention to India and away from China.”

India will soon be a ‘developed country’, says Paul Krugman

Economist Paul Krugman said India will soon be counted as a “developed economy”, like Japan is. “People often talk about China, but India is part of this story as well. India is still poor, but not in the same level at all. Indian GDP per capita is 12 percent of the US, which sounds low but is up from 4 percent. India has the same per capita income that Japan did in the 1960s. And that country made a full transformation,” he said.

India’s economy has overtaken Japan’s, it’s a superpower: Krugman

Economist Paul Krugman made a comparison between India’s growth story and Britain’s. “What Britain achieved in 150 years, India managed in just 30. The progress is extraordinary. This is a very big country, which people at some level have not fully noticed. It has overtaken Japan and is only behind US and China, and is far ahead of any European country. This is a super power,” Krugman said.

Paul Krugman at the ‘Rising India’ summit

How world trade changed post globalisation around 1990

Nobel-winning economist Paul Krugman, addressing the ‘Rising India summit’, says, “Until 1985, world trade relative to GDP was at the same levels of 1913, before World War I. But especially after 1990, world trade grew rapidly, twice the rate at which it used to. Not only volume but also the character changed.”

Paul Krugman takes the stage

Paul Krugman on ‘The View from Afar’

Nobel Laureate, economist Paul Krugman has taken the dais and will talk about ‘Rising India, the view from afar’.

Rajnath Singh takes questions about the state of the country’s security

Gorakhpur-like defeat won’t happen again, says Rajnath

Rajnath Singh, when asked about the BJP’s defeat in the Gorakhpur by-election, said it will “not happen again”, because the “BJP has learnt that this is possible”.

‘Everybody must accept court order on the Ram Temple issue’

“The Ram Temple issue is subjudice, and when the court gives its order, everybody must accept it,” said Rajnath Singh, while addressing the ‘Rising India’ summit.

India will soon be in the top five economies in the world: Rajnath

“The day isn’t far when India is in the top five economies of the world, and then in the top three ‘Super Economies’ of the world,” said Rajnath Singh, while addressing the ‘Rising India summit’.

India has proven it is capable of protecting its borders: Rajnath

“We have proven that India is capable of protecting itself not only within its borders, but also capable of launching operations outside its borders,” said Rajnath Singh at the ‘Rising India summit’.

Kashmir being misled towards Jihad, rues Rajnath

“Kashmir will always be ours. But the children of Kashmir are being misled towards the path of Jihad,” said Rajnath Singh, while addressing the ‘Rising India summit’.

Rajnath slams Pakistan for aiding terrorism

“Our intent is always to maintain good relations with our neighbours. We want good relations with Pakistan, though it doesn’t want to reciprocate. UN-designated terrorists have been given sanction to contest elections. Haqqani Network receives patronage,” said Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

India has been successful in battle against Naxalism: Rajnath

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, addressing the ‘Rising India summit’, said India has been successful in the battle against Naxalism. “There were over 3,000 Naxal incidents in 1987, which has come under 1,000,” he said, adding that thekey to this has been development taking place in tribal villages, places which hadn’t seen any development.

Rajnath lauds India’s scientists

“We were the first country to launch 100 satellites simultaneously. We developed ‘Mangalyaan’ at a record low price. Credit for this must go to India’s scientists,” says Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the ‘Rising India summit’.

Rajnath Singh enumerating the steps taken by Centre to reduce corruption

Govt taken many steps to reduce corruption, improve transparency, says Rajnath

“We have taken steps to improve employment. We have also taken steps to reduce corruption. No government can say we will root out corruption entirely. But steps like digital payments will help improve transparency and minimise corruption,” says Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the ‘Rising India summit’.

‘We have instituted structural changes in the way India functions’

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, addressing the ‘Rising India summit’, said, “We have brought about structural changes to the way India functions, like self-attestation, reducing paperwork and bureaucracy involved.”

India will soon be among the ‘Developed countries’, says Rajnath

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said India’s growth will shortly be in double digits, and we will soon be among the ‘developed’ countries of the world, and will no more be considerd a ‘developing’ country.

All Indians have a role to play in ‘Rising India’

“It’s not that our government is single-handedly responsible for ‘Rising India’. Farmers, intellectuals, scientists, etc. are all responsible for India’s growth, said Home Minister Rajnath Singh, inaugurating Day 2 of the ‘Rising India summit’.

Rajnath Singh addresses the gathering in New Delhi

Rajnath Singh set to begin his address

Rajnath Singh arrives at the venue

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has arrived at the venue ahead of his address, which will be on ‘Rising India: The Challenges Within’

We’re minutes away from the start of Day 2

TDP’s exit from NDA driven by sentiment and politics: Piyush Goyal

Addressing the Rising India summit on Friday, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launched a scathing attack on former ally Telugu Desam Party, saying Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu failed to utilise the funds given to the state.  “He failed to do anything. We gave them funds, but if you go to Amaravati, you will find that nothing has happened on the ground. Now, he is blaming us. They only asked for money but failed to implement anything.”

To read more, click here

Narendra Modi gives a CEO’s assessment of India’s rise in global economy

Narendra Modi brought the professionalism and attention-to-detail mindset of a CEO while delivering the keynote address at the News18 Rising India Summit, slideshows and video clips to get his point across and buttress his achievements with facts, borrowing liberally concepts from the corporate sector to highlight the ‘result-oriented approach’ adopted by his government.

To read more, click here

Rajnath Singh to address summit at 10 am

The morning session of Day 2 of the summit will feature Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman and Ruchir Sharma of Morgan Stanley take the dais.

Guests have started streaming in, and the event is set to begin shortly

Narendra Modi concludes address

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended his keynote address at the News18 Rising India Summit with a message, “We should all think about what we can do to create a New India by 2022.”

We are planning to spend Rs.1 lakh crore on revamping the education system: Modi

India is now a positive story: Modi

“When anyone talks about India, it is a positive story. It’s among the top two emerging economies, one of the most popular destinations for FDI… Earlier, the tax system was seen as unfriendly. We have changed that,” Modi said.

India brought issue of terrorism to the world centre stage: Modi

“Terrorism is not just one country’s problem, it is a problem for everyone. India has kept this issue on the world stage,” Modi said. 

India can break its shackles and progress: Modi

“India can break it’s shackles and progress. In the last 4 years India’s influence among the world powers have increased under a planned approach,” Modi said. 

He said that his dream of ayushman bharat is not limited to India alone, through yoga and ayurveda, his government is trying to spread the message to the world. 

“India is working under motto ‘sab ka saath saab ka vikas’, but it is not restricted to only our country but the whole world,” he added.

Today, at least twice the number of heads of states come to India compared to previous governments: PM Modi

Watch: PM Modi talk about electrifying rural India

“Earlier, the new and renewable energy department did not know what the power ministry roadmap was. This created Silos. Today, we are moving towards Energy surplus status. We are also moving towards our dream of One Nation, One Grid,” Modi said.

Health of women and newborns a priority of our government: Modi

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**"**The health of mothers and sisters is a priority for our government. We have integrated the women and child development department with the health department for this. We launched the National Nutrition Mission on International Women’s Day. If women get good nutrition, then they will be healthy," Modi said. 

Our govt increased number of medical seats: Modi

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“There is a shortage of doctors in rural areas. To deal with that problem, we have increased the number of medical seats. We want a medical college for every three Parliamentary constituencies,” Modi said.

BJP govt reduced prices of heart stents to make it affordable for poor: Modi

“We aim to bring health wellness in every panchayat and make healthcare affordable to people. We have been able to reduce prices of heart stent and also knee implants,” Modi said.

Watch: PM Modi’s ambitious plan to transform healthcare in India

13 crore households have toilets today. Sanitation coverage in India has gone up from 38 percent to 80 percent: Narendra Modi

When North East goes from isolation to integration, it will truly lead to a Rising India: Modi

“After Independence, there were 18,000 villages where there was no electricity. Now, Rs 16,000 crore is being spent on electrification projects. When the North East goes from isolation to integration, it will truly lead to a Rising India,” Modi said.

Development of east India my priority: Modi

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“There has been a massive infrastructure push in road and rail sector in east India. 12 new airports are coming up in east India, out of which north east will have six new airport. This is the first time a commercial flight landed in Sikkim,” Modi said.

Our govt developing North East India, our mantra is Act East and Act Fast For East 

“Today I was in Manipur. As PM, this was my 28th or 29th visit to the North East. Those who think that we act east for votes have been cut out of people’s hearts. Our mantra is Act East and Act Fast For East,” Modi said. 

“When I say east, it also includes Bengal, Odisha and other parts of eastern India. This region has been bereft of development for too long. It has been left behind in the race for development,” he added.

Narendra Modi delivers keynote address at News18 Rising India Summit

Our govt started implementing stalled projects: Modi

“Our government has taken decisions that were proposed decades ago but kept in files. We implemented old laws that had been passed decades ago. Our government has been able to take big decisions because of the people’s support and have been able to implement those decisions. There is a transformation shift in India because of citizens and their will to dream,” Modi said.

People accepted digital payment as their weapon: Modi

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**"**People have made digital payment a strong weapon for themselves. India is the fastest growing country to make digital payments at large. In the last four year, the common citizen leads and the government follows. You have seen how, in a short time, the Swachcha Bharat Mission has become a public revolution. The country’s people have accepted digital payments and made it their weapon," Modi said.

What does Rising India mean for PM Modi?

“The effect of the word ‘rising India’ gives us a vision of someone moving from the darkness to light. Rising India signifies growing, moving forward in life. What is Rising India, is it just about the economy, GDP, foreign investments, etc? For me, it means the rise of the self-respect of the 1.2 billion population of the entire nation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi starts his address at News18 Rising India,” Narendra Modi said.

 Network 18 Group Editor Rahul Joshi welcomes Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at News18 Rising India Summit 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deliver keynote address shortly

Looking forward to addressing the #News18RisingIndia Summit. My speech begins in a short while. https://t.co/qnVDlVZLGy

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 16, 2018

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on upcoming state elections

“Congress is still trying to figure out their candidate in state. Let the party first appoint him its candidate, we will see after that,” Chauhan said.

Haryana is a peaceful state: Manohar Lal Khattar

“As far as law and order is concerned, Haryana is a peaceful state. Rape incidents have been reported in the recent past, but these incidents have happened earlier as well,” Khattar said. 

On the issue of the arrest of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Khattar said that he believes that the operation to arrest him was a successful one as the police could arrest him without firing a bullet.

Agriculture growing at a steady pace: MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

“We concentrated on agriculture. We can provide livelihoods to farmers & our growth rate is 20+. Land areas of 40 lakh hectare is under cultivation right now. Skill development mission is PM’s target, so it’s not only agriculture that’s important,” Chouhan. 

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#News18RisingIndia -- MP is growing at a rapid pace. The agriculture growth rate has consistently been above 20%: CM @ChouhanShivraj tells @AMISHDEVGAN #LIVE: https://t.co/rOw0vLZvTv pic.twitter.com/V4oF9VwUPE

— News18 (@CNNnews18) March 16, 2018

Indian companies don’t get level playing field: MakeMyTrip CEO Deep Kalra

“We are no longer different than Silicon Valley, US or China. We’ve taken ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ too literally because it is easier to do business in India being a foreign player,” Deep Kalra, Founder and CEO, MakeMyTrip said. 

“Indian companies don’t get an equal playing field. We have a unique opportunity today with digital India. There is no dearth of brain power and that’s all that we need to win this game. Indians are among the smartest people in the world. Global CEOs are all Indians. However, we’ve rarely come up with products that can take on the world. We’ve done very well on the services front,” he added.

Session 3: Nayee rahein, Naye Sapne begins

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur will participate.

Watch News18’s Rising India Summit 

Indians need to boost local savings for a better economy: Sanjay Nayar CEO, KKR

“Investments today are only being driven by government. It is impossible to develop without investments, with just consumption going for us. The only thing going for us today is consumption. The country will have to figure out way of increasing its local savings. If we don’t have reforms now, it’ll be late,” Sanjay Nayar CEO, KKR said.

Anil Agarwal, Vedanta chief, bats for harvesting natural resources to alleviate poverty 

“I am always going to be bullish about India. Why can’t we have 50 government companies who will be regarded globally. Why can’t their reigns be handed to people like me. If you want to create jobs and remove poverty, you need to go below the ground,” Agarwal said.

Every country in the world has had the problem of NPAs: Rajnish Kumar, SBI chief

“Firstly, when you drive on a highway, enter an airport or feel good about the power situation, do not forget the bank. Let us understand the importance of public sector banks. When I look back the due diligence was lacking. There is no global power that did not have the problem of NPAs,” Kumar said.

We will international obligation: Suresh Prabhu on US dragging India to WTO on trade policies

“We will follow international obligation but obligation should also be country friendly. There are countries that have crossed the limit of 1000 dollars. I will not name them as they are friendly countries,” Prabhu said.

We have drafted new Industrial policy: Suresh Prabhu

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“Our Industrial policy draft is ready and we are getting the views of experts and policy watchers. The idea behind new industrial policy is to increase the proportion of manufacturing in GDP,” Prabhu said.

Structural issues holding back agriculture: Suresh Prabhu

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“India’s GDP has been growing largely due to the service sector. Agriculture sector GDP is not growing due to structural issues. India has to focus mainly on manufacturing. That will foster agriculture as well,” Prabhu said.

Ease of Doing Business Rank must reach under 50 in next two years: Amitabh Kant

“We are growing at about 7.3%. We need to extend that further. We are still producing too small and our export is not penetrating. Ease of doing ranking in the next two years needs to be cracked in the first 50,” Kant said.

Session2: The Making of New World Power begins

On the panel are Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Suresh Prabhu, Anil Agarwal, Group Chairman, Vedanta, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Deep Kalra, Founder & CEO of, MakeMyTrip, Rajnish Kumar, Chairman, SBI, Sanjay Nayar, Member & CEO, KKR India. The session is being moderated by CNBC TV-18’s Shereen Bhan.

The Building Blocks of India concludes, next up the Making of New World Power

Network 18 rebranded as News18; Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Nitin Gadkari unveil new brand logo

The keep asking money but no work is donw: Piyush Goyal on special category status

“Even when the 14th Financial Commission decided not to provide special category status to states except North East the central govt still provided them monetary back up. We changed the ratio of central state money sharing formula. They keep asking for money but there is no work done on the ground,” Goyal said.

Here’s what BJP  union ministers have to say on TDP walking out of NDA and Andhra special category status row

When asked if Andhra Pradesh has been left off this development train, as Chandrababu Naidu claims, Gadkari said this government has given double the number of highways than when Andhra was bifurcated in 2014.

Goyal added that the issue has become more about sentimentality than facts. “All the commitments made in the AP reorganization act have been fulfilled cent percent. We gave Rs 2,500 crore but no work was done on Amaravati,” Gadkari.

Farooq Abdullah requests railway minister to focus on cleanliness in AC coaches

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah asked Railway Minister Piyush Goyal that the condition of the AC coaches was not up to the mark and the bedding provided by the railway staff are unhygeinic.

Taking the question, Goyal said that he would look into the issue and requested the general public to flag the issues they face during rail travel.  

“We have deployed 100 persons to roam around in trains across the country to give feedback and they are changing the government. It will be better if people can flag such issues,” he said.

NDA govt has chased targets aggressively: Piyush Goyal

“Targets and declaration are different. I will construct roads at 40 km per day of highways starting next financial year, Gadkari said.”

Adding to this Piyush Goyal also said that this government has set very aggressive targets because it believes in pushing the envelope. “This government has believed in keeping a very aggressive targets. Because we genuinely believe we have to push teams for extraordinary performance,” Goyal said.

Terminated 47 old projects to start afresh, no project stagnant in my ministry: Nitin Gadkari

Gadkari said that he has terminated 47 old projects and started them afresh to achieve the infrastructure goals laid by Prime Minister Modi. He said that before March ends, he will achieve road making targets of this year and 28 kilometres of highways would have been built per day by the end of financial year.

Delhi will be decongested very soon: Nitin Gadkari

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Gadkari said that prime minister would inaugurate a 14-lane road from Delhi to Dasna that would drastically reduce the travel time to Meerut. He also spoke about the eastern and western peripheral roads around Delhi, that would allow inter-state commuters to bypass Delhi, which will help decongestion drastically. The minister also saids that Dwarka expressway is nearing completion and has been built for Rs 7,000 crore.

By 2024 you will have the best railways network in the world: Piyush Goyal

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The railway minister said that India can expect to have the world’s best railways infrastructure. He said that the ministry is looking at reforming the 100-year-old traffic control system and the old bridges to ensure a safe and secure railways. 

Want to invite middle class, aam aadmi to fund road, infra projects: Nitin Gadkari

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Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that so far in India, roads and highways were built by the government but now he foresees a culture where he would invite the normal citizens of India to invest their money in road and transport infrastructure .

Here’s what Deep Kalra, CEO MakeMyTrip views India’s growth story

“I’m excited to be part of the summit. I’m bullish about the new age economy. Trickle down theory is playing out well. Aviation is important for us and the government has laid thrust on that and hotels are coming up. But there’s one thing I worry about, which is whether we will be able to set up massive companies like Google. I think we need a little bit more runway for domestic companies that have all the wherewithal to compete with big international companies, especially because we’re not on the extreme like China, where we totally protect the sector, we’ve opened it up,” said Kalra.

Amanpreet Bajaj, head, AirBnB India ‘positive’ about growth in India

“We are optimistic about India. We are also optimistic about how the Indian middle class will choose to travel in the future and we want to create a more robust eco system to facilitate that travel. Speaking specifically about ease of doing business, we feel encouraged by the positive outlook of the government. In the last one year, we have signed MOUs with Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. We’ve also signed an MoU with National Skill Development Council to train more people for the hospitality sector,” Bajaj said. 

Piyush Goyal, Nitin Gadkari arrive; first session to begin shortly

Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Nitin Gadkari have arrived and the first session ‘The Building Blocks of India’ will begin shotly. The session will be moderated by CNN-News18’s Bhupendra Chaubey.

India has demonstrated its potential as a global innovator: Raman Roy

“The opportunity is so fascinating and to have the PM come in and make a power point presentation here at Rising India is exciting to watch. India’s potential has been demonstrated and now the potential is as a market, as a supplier, and as an innovator. It is coming up with a lot of solutions that will cater to a billion people. These will be new solutions and globally applicable solutions,” Raman Roy, Chairman, Nasscom

Narendra Modi will make a power point presentation

Optimism is good, but there’s still a long way to go for India: Ranjan Mathai

“Optimism is certainly very good for our country. But, at the same time we need to remember that the title of the summit is ‘Rising India’. There is still some distance to go, we are on the trajectory but the trajectory is not an automatic one, we have to keep working on it,” Mathai, ex-Foreign Secretary of India said. 

Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal to hold opening discussion

Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister of Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal will be opening the event with a discussion on ‘The Building Blocks of a Rising India’. 

National Security status has improved since 2014: Major Gen (retd) Dhruv Katoch, Director, India Foundation and former director CLAWS: 

“We have a long way to go taking 2014 in account. National security is very stable today as compared to 2014. Naxal problem is 50 year old and we can’t expect it to get resolved in a year or two. As far as terrorist activities — level of violence have come down. Government has given a free hand to army while dealing with cross border issues and Pakistan. Country is stable politically and economically.” Katoch said.

Social sector, infrastructure development on top of govt’s priority list: Sandeep Jajodia, President, Assocham

“I think we can already see large funds being allocated to social sector and infrastructural development. The Govt has clearly identified areas of priority and the policy framework around it has been put in such a manner to facilitate this growth and development. This govt has made such dramatic changes for the positive and has created a platform conducive for investment. Any democracy should have a balanced opposition and leadership for it to run in a meaningful way. I wouldn’t call the current opposition weak,” Jajodia said. 

BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal reaches at the venue

“World over, people are proud of the accomplishment of their nations. Today, all the international financial bodies say our economy is progressing fast with a growth rate of 7.4 percent but there are a set of people who want to negate this. There should be bi-partisan politics in favour of national interest. It is a request to anybody part of the political landscape not to politicise issues of national interest.” Mittal said. 

Behind the scenes

Sportsmen, celebs also part of event

Besides the ministers, Bollywood celebrities and sports stars will also grace the event. While a discussion titled ‘India Uncut’ will be held with actor Ranveer Singh on Saturday, female actor Kangana Ranaut will discuss the successful journey of her career in a session titled ‘ The making of a star’. A session on Day 2 of the vent will also focus on India’s rising prowess in the field of sport.

A peak into the excitement before the event 

Today’s itinerary of event

Day 1

Session 1

5:45 PM

The Building Blocks of a Rising India

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways

and

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Railways and Coal

Moderated by Bhupendra Chaubey, Executive Editor, CNN-News18

Session 2

6:30 PM

The Making of a New World Power

Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry

Anil Agarwal, Group Chairman, Vedanta

Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog

Deep Kalra, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, MakeMyTrip

Rajnish Kumar, Chairman, State Bank of India

Sanjay Nayar, Member & CEO, KKR India

Moderated by Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18

Session 3

7:15 PM

Nayi Rahein, Naye Sapne

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh

Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister, Haryana

Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh

Moderated by Amish Devgan, Executive Editor, News18 India

7:45 PM – SPG PROCEDURE

8 PM – 8:10 PM

Meet and Greet with PM

8:10 PM – Rahul Joshi, Group CEO and Group Editor-In-Chief welcomes PM

Session 4

Keynote Address

8.15 PM

Rising India: Finally It’s Here

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India

Vote of Thanks

Cocktails & Dinner

Countdown begins: News18’s Rising India Summit is set to begin shortly