Be it Californians doing yoga or Britishers eating Indian curry, India’s soft power has been spreading: Sushma

Crediting Modi for the improvement in India’s global image, the minister said, “The intensity of India’s international engagement has also increased manifold. This can be seen from the calendar of high-level visits both to and from India. Prime Minister Modi’s out-of-the-box initiatives and whirlwind tours have raised India’s global profile.” She also reminded the gathering of the forthcoming visit of American President Barack Obama, who is scheduled to grace the Republic Day celebrations.

Describing India as a nation gave the world the concept of “zero”, mastered the nuclear cycle, sent expeditions to Antarctica and an unmanned mission to moon and Mars, the minister said, “What excites the world today is the Indian economy which is the third largest in terms of purchasing power parity. India is showing new dynamism under the present NDA government. Though we have been in office for less than eight months, we have been able to effect a complete transformation of the business sentiments vis-a-vis India.”

Swaraj did not fail to impress upon the youngsters that the India’s Mars orbiter, costing approximately $25 million, was “cheaper than the budget of the Hollywood film Gravity. The minister also told the gathering that the people of Jammu & Kashmir voted “overwhelmingly for a peaceful change” last month. She also highlighted all the initiatives launched by the Modi government, including Jan Dhan Yojana, Swachh Bharat Campaign, Make in India programme, Digital India and Smart Cities project.

“Efforts are on to identify obsolete laws and regulations which need to be repealed,” the minister said, adding that the NDA government was trying to enhance ease of doing business by taking multiple steps to simplify procedures, rationalise rules and increase use of technology for efficient and effective governance. She also called upon the NRI youth to join in the country’s progress. “There are tremendous opportunities today for you to join us, especially in the fields of manufacturing, infrastructure development, education, health, skill development, science and technology, and others,” she said, asking the young NRI brigade to become “ambassadors of the new India”.

However, some NRIs, who were present at the Youth PBD, expected more “action” from the Modi government. Sharing his personal experiences, Dr Rajindre Tewari, who is heading a delegation from Holland to Gujarat and has been regularly attending PBD celebrations, says, “There is a lot of hype about Modi in this edition of PBD. What we need to see is more action and implementation. The upcoming annual Budget will be a big test for the NDA government.”

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to formally inaugurate the 13th PBD and unveil the 41-metre high salt mound that has been christened as “Dandi Kutir”. The salt mound is a four-floor museum dedicated entirely to Mahatma Gandhi and is located just opposite Mahatma Mandir complex, the venue of PBD.