'Aim to completely eliminate poverty and propel Indians into life of purpose': PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently in Germany for the second leg of his three-nation tour, said that his government aims to completely eliminate poverty from the country and propel Indians into a life of purpose and dignity within a generation, adding that it views development as an 'article of faith'.

"My government has earnestly taken up the challenge of development and economic transformation of India. For us, development is not a mere political agenda; it is an article of faith. We have initiated specific policies and actions to realise our vision for New Age India with a clear set of economic goals and objectives. Our focus is not merely economic growth but an inclusive development. This requires creating jobs, upgrading skills, raising productivity, benchmarking quality with global standards," the Prime Minister wrote in an op-ed for a German newspaper.

"Our aim is to completely eliminate poverty and to propel all Indians into a life of purpose and dignity within a generation. My own life-experience and belief in the role of good governance in India's economic development has convinced me that this noble objective can be achieved," he added.

Prime Minister Modi further hailed the result of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, terming the verdict as being reflective the aspirations of India's youth.

"In May last year, in what was the largest elections in the history of mankind, the people of India voted my government into office. For the first time in three decades Indian voters gave a clear majority mandate to a government. The verdict was for change and for good and effective governance. It was also a call for development reflective of growing aspirations of India's youthful millions," the Prime Minister wrote.

"In the last 11 months, we have come a long way in keeping this promise. We have re-energised the Indian growth engine. The credibility of our economy has been restored. India is once again poised for rapid growth and development. It is the only emerging economy where growth rate is rising. The prospects are even better," he added.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Modi, while inaugurating the Hannover Messe, vowed to remove unnecessary regulations and procedures to simplify the process of foreign investment in India, as well as to make it easier for other countries to initiate business deals.

He also attended a round table conference with German CEOs, with Voith CEO Dr.Hubert Lienhard and Bombardier Transportation CEO Lutz Bertling among those present at the meeting.

The Prime Minister arrived in Hannover after concluding a successful visit to France. He will depart for the final leg of his three-nation, nine-day tour on April 14, flying to Ottawa.