Global CEOs rain praises for Narendra Modi's policies

Cisco executive chairman John Chambers named Modi among one of the top 3 leaders he ever met

It was raining praises for Prime Minister Narendra Modi from some global CEOs at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit here while one of them went on to say that "many in the US" wished he could take over the American leadership.

Chiefs of Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp, US-based Emerson Electric, chemicals manufacturer Huntsman Corp and tech giant Cisco were among those praising Modi for programmes like Digital India, Skill India and Make in India.

"At a time when courage is lacking, we find it in India. At a time when leadership seems to be at a low, we find it in Prime Minister Modi," said Peter Huntsman, CEO Huntsman Corporation, on the first day of the 8th edition of the biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

Recalling Modi's visit to the US in June last year, he said "there were many, many, many of us who wishes you would have stayed and taken over leadership of our country".

David Farr, chairman and CEO, Emerson Electric Company, said he was encouraged by the efforts of India and Gujarat in bringing in ease of doing business.

"It's my hope that Make in India, Digital India and Skill India will begin to make steady progress for future growth. To grow manufacturing from 12 per cent to 25 per cent by 2022, it will require massive investments from all of us globally," he said, while applauding India's reforms such as in FDI.

Suzuki Motor Corporation president and COO Toshihiro Suzuki said, "We highly appreciate the Skill India mission to support Industry's growth."

Fairfax Prem Watsa termed Modi's initiative to transform India as "unprecedented" and said since election in 2014 India's political climate has changed.

Cisco executive chairman John Chambers said, "I have had the honour of looking at every major country in the world and there is no other country in the world that has a better plan for future than India."

He named Modi among one of the top three leaders he has ever met.

Stating that India's efforts with regard to digitisation, Smart Cities and Make in India are what leadership is about as all these show the courage to outline goals, and doing things in an "inclusive fashion".