 Ladies and gentlemen, we are extremely privileged to have with us the Honorable Prime Minister of India Sri Narendra Modi escorting the Honorable Prime Minister on to stage is the chairman of the Aditya Birla group, Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla Also joining them on stage are Mrs. Rajashree Birla, Mrs. Neerja Birla, Miss Ananya Shree Birla, Mr. Aryaman Vikram Birla, Miss Advatesha Birla and Mrs. Vasavdata Bajaj On behalf of the Aditya Birla group, may we have Mrs. Rajashree Birla present a bouquet to the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Sri Narendra Modi as a sign of our great admiration and to commemorate this very special occasion We would like to present to the Honorable Prime Minister a very very special painting I request Aryaman Birla and Miss Advatesha Birla to unveil the painting, please A big thank you to the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Sri Narendra Modi for joining us in Thailand today Thank you, Mr. Birla and the entire Birla family Ladies and gentlemen There comes a moment in life Where a single decision taken Sparks the dawn of a whole new era Indeed one such decision was taken By Mr. Aditya Birla when he first came to Thailand As a believer in Thailand's potential His belief was further enhanced by a powerful vision Which led him to set down roots and lay the foundation of the Aditya Birla group in Thailand That decision became the spark that blazed the way ahead Bringing us here today 50 years later As we celebrate the golden jubilee of the Aditya Birla group in Thailand Let us take a look at how it all began Birla came to Thailand very early It was right after the fall of Vietnam Very few foreign investors at that time there to come to Thailand But Aditya had the faith in our democracy He had the vision to participate in our industrialization For the faith, we will always remember him For the vision is that that it now a legend A small youth served as office at home for his man in Bangkok Chamsundar Mansarya Who would later become head of the group Southeast Asian operations Mansarya was typist, accountant and office boy for his fledgling company Every evening he would walk to the post office to dispatch his reports With his 10-tenics messages Today it's hard to imagine that communication could be such a hurdle But 30 years ago, getting through to Calcutta was in itself a major achievement With the experience he gained in Calcutta, Aditya set up a spinning mill near Bangkok Its profitability had been estimated at almost nil, the financing at the time At one critical stage early on, with the twisted yarn, the right machines He found the answer in a junkyard in one of his father's Calcutta company That proved to be a turning point for him The old machines from India became a talisman They brought me luck, Aditya, as success followed success He set up world-class industries on a scale matched only by the enormous breadth of his vision His plants produced synthetic fibers, chemicals, textiles, carbon black These was a formidable presence Through these years, I've had the privilege of working closely with Aditya at his banker The vision has always been that to be a great industrialist like Aditya He would always put his business philosophy into practice In any investment that he did in Thailand, he emphasized discipline, cost efficiency How to be the least cost-producer among all his competition In that way, his company will always remain competitive We in Thailand miss such a man Uncelebrimumious entry into Aditya and his family Ladies and gentlemen, we've seen where it all started And now, very importantly, to share his thoughts on this wonderful occasion Please join me in welcoming on to stage the Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, to address us The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi Distinguished guests of the Thai and Indian governments My colleagues from the Aditya Birla Group, ladies and gentlemen Good morning and a very warm welcome to our Golden Jubilee celebrations here in Bangkok It is a very proud and emotional moment for my family and for me To have India's most respected and most iconic leader Grace such a momentous occasion for the Aditya Birla Group It has been my pleasure to have known Modi ji for the last 20 years Let me share an anecdote that I believe defines him Two months after he was sworn in as the Prime Minister In his first term, I met him at his residence It is quite expected for any new Prime Minister To revamp the house according to their taste New furniture, artwork, upholstery, etc. This time, however, it was different Nothing had changed, everything was the same Seven racecourse road had not been modified, or as we call it in India, modified I instinctively asked him, sir, how come nothing has changed? He laughed and pat came his reply Do you redo the compartment when you board a train? I'm here as a passenger on a journey with a purpose That one remark defines to me our Prime Minister Unaffected by the trappings of power And undiluted in his focus on the greater good for India His journey from small town humble beginnings To the top most office in the country Has kindled hope in millions of Indians Especially the youth Who now dare to dream of a future Beyond what was ordained by the circumstances of their births His journey has been defined by four hallmark traits Bold ambition, swift and decisive execution And inclusive vision and uncompromising ethics Six years ago, he made an effortless transition From the Chief Minister's chair to the Prime Minister's office In what was a defining moment for Indian modern history He has now laid out an aspirational vision For a five trillion dollar Indian economy More so, he has transformed India's global stature By engaging on an equal basis with world leaders And by wearing the Indian colors on a sleeve with pride His incredible energy and unwavering commitment to development Has integrated 1.3 billion people In his own inimitable style He has also changed the paradigm of connecting with the citizens of India His appeal now cuts across demographics And his persona is such that he never seems too distant from the common man For him, the pursuit of economic development Is not just a matter of governance, but a national movement As an example of the Give It Up campaign More than 10 million households in India Instantly and voluntarily gave up their subsidy on cooking gas To which every Indian is entitled They were enabling this subsidy to be directed to 80 million poor households By sheer force of character and impeccable personal credentials He has raised the standards of property in public life Made honesty a calling card and rectitude a desirable virtue For individuals and corporations alike The Aditya Birlag Group's global expansion Is also predicated on similar foundations Of audacious ambition Decisive execution Inclusivity and integrity In July 1969, the U.S. space program Planted that memorable step on the Luna landscape That signaled the unshackling of our terrestrial bonds It provided the inspiration for the next half century of space exploration In that same year, my father, Shri Aditya Vikram Birla too Took an audacious moonshot In a business environment in India Marred by draconian controls and stifling resolutions He took a giant leap A giant leap not just for his own business But also for all of Indian business He made a pioneering foray And he embraced globalization 22 years before globalization Even became a part of our vocabulary back in India He looked to overseas, invest and Thailand welcomed him with open arms The distance between Delhi and Bangkok was and is just 4,000 kilometers But this journey was not about the distance It was about breaking barriers Stretching the limits of possibility And unleashing the entrepreneurial Indian energy It was the first overseas investment by any Indian industrialist ever He took great pride in having led pioneering efforts In this part of the world He was the first to set up plants in the domains of visco staple fiber Industrial and food phosphates Acrylic fiber Hydrogen peroxide Sulphides Epoxy And chloralkali This journey would have not been possible Without the unflinching support of the Thai kingdom The last 50 years have continuously reinforced The richness of Thai talent And the support of the Thai government for business We feel proud of having been a part of this engine of growth for Thailand Our commitment to this country of smiles Is demonstrated by the two billion dollars of investment That we have made here over the years Our group locally employs about 4,000 people 759 of which have spent over 25 years with the group This exceptional work ethic of the entire team here And the constancy of purpose has helped shape this glorious milestone I doff my hat to this splendid team Development needs to be inclusive and not just motivated by the profit objective We believe we fulfill our role as a responsible corporate citizen When we provide local communities with an enabling ladder That helps them climb towards self-sufficiency and then prosperity The Aditya Birla Knowledge Center in Saraburi, for example, has trained thousands of people Many of whom are gainfully employed today The Thai government, in particular the Board of Investment Which is headed by the Prime Minister himself Has been a hugely supportive partner in our journey We have also received tremendous support from the business and financial community here in Thailand Our partners who have been our family in this country They trusted us when we were new and relatively unknown here in Thailand During our silver jubilee celebrations here, my father called Thailand our second home 25 years now and it still feels like a home away from home Thank you Thailand Our success in Thailand has acted as a springboard for our global ambitions over the last 25 years Today we operate in 36 countries spread across six continents with over 120,000 employees From 42 nationalities powering our growth globally Over half of our turnover of 40 billion dollars Comes from operations outside of India We believe that in our own little way we play a part in putting India on the global business map I feel deeply privileged and immensely proud therefore that we are celebrating our 50th anniversary In the presence of someone who is a true global champion Who has enabled India to take a quantum leap in the embrace of globalization In a short span of only six years Prime Minister Modi has Dramatically raised India's stature globally The color of the Indian passport may still be blue But you can feel its weight in gold today Under his leadership, we have witnessed a real and lasting transformation In people's mindsets and aspirations His exhortation to the young be a job creator Not just a job seeker has captured the imagination of India's millennials It has spawned a startup revolution in the country India now boasts of the third largest startup ecosystem in the world After the US and China We are today a far more confident and assertive nation That is willing to take big bets and is unafraid of failure His compassionate embrace to the chief of the Indian space research organization After a setback in our luna mission was touching It was a reminder of the belief that he has In the ability of the country's institutions to deliver great things Days later, we witnessed an impromptu lap of honor in Houston with US President Trump That was a source of great pride for all of us In two weeks, he demonstrated to us and to the world The power and the confidence of a new India Another striking feature of PM Modi's administration today Is the ability of his government to move with speed and at scale For example, with an aim to provide universal access to banking services Over 340 million bank accounts have been opened in just five years As part of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana 340 million that's equal to the population of the USA The total deposits in these accounts have already topped a whopping 1 lakh crores or 15 billion dollars And how can I forget the largest cash transfer program in the world? The landmark direct benefit transfer scheme That aims to transfer government subsidies and benefits directly to bank accounts An astounding 700 million people have benefited from this initiative That's equivalent to the entire population of Europe minus the United Kingdom I sometimes wonder what does it take to bring This scale of change in a country of 1.3 billion people And then I realize Everything is possible with Modi India is transforming at a pace that is unprecedented And there is one man leading that charge Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in applauding the man behind this transformation The honorable Prime Minister of India, Sri Narendra Modi For my friendship with Prime Minister Modi The United States has deep ties to the nation of India Ladies and gentlemen, it is our honor and privilege to now welcome on to the stage The honorable Prime Minister of India, Sri Narendra Modi to address us The dignitaries of the Kingdom of Thailand Members of Billa family And management, business leaders from Thailand and India Friends Namaskar, Sawadee We have gathered here to celebrate The Savarna Jainty Our golden jubilee Of the global presence of the Aditya Billa group In Suvarna Bhumi Thailand This is truly a special occasion I congratulate The team of the Aditya Billa group We just heard Kumar Mangalam Billa ji Talk about the commendable work The group is doing in Thailand and beyond It is creating opportunities And prosperity for many Friends, we are here in Thailand With whom India has strong cultural linkage And we are marking 50 years of a leading Indian industrial business in this nation This reaffirms my belief That commerce and culture Have inherent powers to unite For centuries Monks And merchants Ventured out To place far and wide They have traveled far from home And mixed with many cultures May the bonds of culture and commerce Keep bringing the world closer In the times to come Friends, I am eager to give you A picture of some positive changes Happening in India today I say this With full confidence This is the best time To be in India In today's India Many things are rising And many are falling Ease of doing business Is rising And so is Ease of living FRI is rising Our forest cover is rising The number of patents And trademarks Are rising Productivity and efficiency Are rising Pace of infrastructure creation Is rising Number of people getting top quality healthcare is rising At the same time Number of taxes are falling Tax rates are falling Red tapism is falling Chronyism is falling Corruption is falling The corrupt are running over for cover Middle man in the corridors Of power or history Friends India has seen Many success stories In the last five years In various sectors The reason for this Is not the only governments India has stopped working In a routine bureaucratic manner Transformative changes are arising Due to ambitious missions undertaken When these ambitions Missions are energized By the partnership of people They become Vibrant mass movements And these mass movements achieve Miracles Things that were supposed to be Previously impossible And now become Possible Coverage for basic necessities of life Have reached almost 100% Good examples For these are Jhandan Yojna That has ensured Near total financial inclusion And such a bar of mission Where sanitation coverage Has reached Nearly all households Friends In India We face A big problem When it came to service delivery That is a problem of leakages The poor suffer most due to this You will be shocked to know That for years Money was spent on the poor Which did not really reach the poor Our government Ended this culture Thanks to DBT DBT stands for Direct benefit transfer DBT has ended The culture of middleman And Inefficiency It has left Little scope For error DBT has saved Over 20 billion dollars so far You would have seen LED lights In homes You know that They are more efficient And energy conserving But Do you know Its impact in India We have distributed More than 360 million LED bulbs In last few years We have changed 10 million street lights To LED lights Through this We have saved About 3.5 billion dollars Carbon emissions have reduced as well I firmly believe Money saved Is money on Energy saved Is energy generated This money is now being used To empower Millions Through our Equally effective programs Friends In today's India The contribution Of the hard working Tax payer Is cherished One area Where we have Done significant work Is taxation I am happy That India Is one of the most People friendly tax regime We are committed To further improving It even more In the last 5 years We have lowered The tax burden On the middle class Considerable We are now starting Faceless tax Assessment So that There is no scope For Discretion Or harassment You would already have heard Of India Decision To curb the corporate tax rates Our GST Has fulfilled The dream of economic integration Of India We want to work towards Making it Even more people friendly All of what I have said Just now Makes India One of the world's most Attractive economies For investment Friends India received 286 Billion US dollar FDI In the last 5 years This is almost Half of the total FDI In India In the last 20 years 90% of this Came through Automatic approvals And 40% of this Is green-filled investment This shows that Investors are taking Long term call on India India's gross trajectory Is reflected In several ratings We are among the Top 10 FDI Decisions Atwar Angtara Moved of 24 places On the global innovation Index Of Waipo in 5 years But There are 2 of them I want to Talk about specially India has Jumped 79 places In the world Banks Each of doing business ranking In 5 years From 142 In 2014 We are 63 In 2019 This is a Massive achievement For the third year In raw We are Among the top 10 reformers The variables For doing business in India Are many We are Large and diverse Nation For the central State and local governments In such a Contact A Directional shift Shows our commitment To reforms The people And government came together To make the Business environment better Friends The other is India's improved ranking In the world Economic forums Travel and tourism Competitiveness index From 65 In 2013 We are ranked 34 In 2019 This jump Is among the biggest The number Of foreign tourist arrivals Have also Gone up by 50% All of you know Very well That a tourist will not go to a place Until He or she finds comfort Convenience And safety Thus If we are getting more Tourist It means that our efforts on the ground Are Bearing fruits The fact That India has better roads Better connectivity Better cleanliness And better Law and order Is bringing the world to India Friends These rankings come after Looking at the impact Of transformation These rankings are not Forecasts They are A manifestation Of what has already happened On the ground Friends India is now Pursuing another dream To become A 5 trillion dollar Economy When by government took over in 2014 India's GDP was about Two trillion dollars In 65 years Two trillion But In just Five years We increased it To nearly Three trillion dollars This convinces me That the dream Of a five trillion dollar economy Will soon Become a reality We are going to invest 1.5 trillion Dollars for next generation Infrastructure Friends If there is one thing I am specially proud of It is India's Talented and skilled Human capital No wonder India is among The world's largest startup Ecosystems India Is one of the largest And fastest growing markets For digital consumers There are a Billion smartphone users And more than Half a billion internet subscribers We are keeping pace With industry 4.0 And working actively To adopt technology For fulfilling Development and governance needs With all these advantages We aspire to emerge As a global manufacturing hub Friends Thailand 4.0 Focuses on Transforming Thailand into a value based Economy Built on science, technology Innovation and creativity It is also Compatible with And complemented To India's priorities India's initiatives Such as Digital India Skill India Ganga Regeneration project Swachh Bharat mission Smart cities And gel-given mission Offer Good opportunities For partnerships Friends When India's prosperous The world prosperous Our vision for India's Development is such That it also leads To a better planet When we are looking At giving top quality And affordable Healthcare To 500 million Indians Through Aishwan Bharat It will naturally Lead to a healthier planet When we Decide to eliminate TB in 2025 Five long years before The global target of 2030 It will surely strengthen The global fight against TB At the same time We are sharing our success And best practices With the world too Our South Asia Satellite is helping So many people in our region Especially Students And fishermen Friends In the spirit of our act This policy We are paying special attention To enhance With this region Direct connectivity Between ports on Thailand's West coast And ports on India's East coast such as Chennai, Vizagapatam and Kolkata Will enhance Our economic partnership We must take advantage Of all these favourable Factors We must take advantage Of our Possibility Like our forefathers did Friends Given that our economies Are capable And complement Each other Given the commonality In our cultures Given the natural goodwill For each other I have no doubt That we can enhance Our business partnership I would like to end By saying For investment And easy business Come to India To innovate And starting Of Come to India To experience Some of the best Touricides And warm hospitality Of people India awaits You with open arms Thank you Thank you Thank you very much