SCO Summit 2022: we want to transform India into a manufacturing hub, says PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reiterated to make India a manufacturing hub in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war which has caused global supply-chain disruptions.

"The world is overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. Several disruptions occurred in the global supply chain because of the COVID and Ukraine crisis. We want to transform India into a manufacturing hub," PM Modi said while addressing extended format of the 22nd Summit of the Council of Heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States (SCO-CoHS) in Uzbekistan's Samarkand.

Highlighting the country's economic stability, he said India has more than 70,000 startups and over 100 unicorns. "We are focussing on a people-centric development model. We are supporting innovation in every sector. Today, there are more than 70,000 start-ups and over 100 unicorns in our country," said PM Modi.

"India's economy is expected to grow at a rate of 7.5 per cent this year. I'm glad that ours is one of the fastest growing economies among the largest economies of the world," he added. The Prime Minister also raised the issue of "transit rights" of food supplies between the neighbouring nations highlighting that it took many months for India to send supplies to Afghanistan via Pakistan.

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The SCO Summit usually has 2 sessions - a restricted session, only for the SCO member states, and then an extended session which includes participation by
observers and special invitees.