 RIM Association Renewable Energy Ministerial Meet and the Second Global Renewable Energy Investment Meet and Expo Reinvest 2018. The second reinvest aims to accelerate worldwide efforts to scale up renewable energy and connect the global investment community with the Indian Energy Stakeholders. It will also provide a great opportunity to various organisations to showcase their business strategies, achievements and expectations in India which has today emerged as one of the world's largest renewable energy market. We are very honoured on this occasion with the presence of the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji, and I request the Honourable Minister of State, Independent Charge, Power and Renewable Energy, Mr R. K. Singh, to welcome him with an environmentally friendly potted plant. I request the Honourable Minister to also welcome the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Antonio Guterres, with a plant. The Honourable Minister will also welcome the Minister of State for Ecological and Inclusive Transition Republic of France, Mr Billen Persant. We would like to welcome the Deputy Minister for Energy, South Africa, Madam Timberlise Majula and the Honourable Minister for External Affairs, India, Madam Sushma. I now request Madam Sushma Swaraj, Honourable Minister for External Affairs, to formally welcome the gathering. Namaskar and a very good evening. Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, Secretary-General of the United Nations, his Excellency Antonio Guterres, my colleague in the Council of Ministers, Shri R. K. Singh, distinguished Ministers from across the world, Heads of Delegations, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am delighted to welcome you all to the first meeting of the General Assembly of ISA, International Solar Alliance, the second meeting of the Ministers of Renewable Energy of AYORA, Indian Ocean Remembrance Association and also the second meeting of Global Renewable Energy Investment and Expo Re-Invest 2018. Excellencies, I feel proud to welcome our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, a person who has single-handedly put India on the renewable energy map of the world. I also welcome his Excellency, Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. His presence is a strong inducement of the initiatives we have collectively taken to promote renewable energy and bring the world together to combat climate change. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, launched in 2015 as a part of our shared ambition to mitigate climate change, three years later the International Solar Alliance is an endearing reality. The ISA is now an action-oriented international organisation, headquartered in India with the aim of contributing to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid deployment of solar energy. And tomorrow, we will convene the first General Assembly of ISA, Friends, it will be a historic occasion. Excellencies as on-date, 70 countries have already signed the Framework Agreement of the ISA and 44 of these have ratified it. I am happy to note that at the 6th International Staring Committee meeting of the ISA, held on 20th February 2018 in Delhi, Member States unanimously decided to expand the membership to all UN Member States. This decision should be made a reality at the earliest. I am confident that the ISA will mobilise strong support from member countries, secure commitments from international organisations and also mobilise support from private sector. Excellencies Ladies and Gentlemen, the ISA founding conference was held on 11th March 2018 in New Delhi, co-chaired by Prime Minister Modi and President Macron of France, where the galaxy of heads of states and governments, ministers, multilateral banks, businesses, civil society, scholars, think tanks and others attest to the importance they attach to this alliance. Prime Minister announced nearly 1.4 billion US Dollars worth of lines of credit, covering 27 solar projects in 15 countries, in line with his additional commitment to provide 500 training slots. We have already started courses focused on solar energy under our flagship ITEC program for promoting capacity building in developing countries. Excellencies, today's event is a combination of three distinct events, but with one goal. And that goal is to promote a sustainable and better world for our children. The high level participation in the second IORA renewable energy ministerial meeting and the spotlight on the ISA and reinvest is an affirmation of our collective desire to implement the Delhi solar agenda and use this platform to take the message of solar power forward. Friends, the Indian Ocean is at the centre of the emerging age of Asia. We consider the Indian Ocean Reem Association as an important vehicle for furthering peace and security in the region. We are supportive of the invigoration of IORA activities, including blue economy, renewable energy, maritime safety and security, besides the development of regional HADR capacity to tackle mutual interests. Ladies and gentlemen, guided by a vision of clean energy future for a new India, our government has set a target of 175 gigawatt renewable power installed capacity by the end of 2022, including 60 gigawatt from wind power and the 100 gigawatt from solar power. The significant additions to our renewable energy deployment have been accompanied by the historic low tariffs achieved for solar and wind power. Excellencies in conclusion, I would like to make a wish that as the sun sustains all life on the earth, ISA and IORA should dispel the darkness of ignorance and enlighten this planet for all future generations. With these words, I welcome you all once again and thank you all. Thank you. Thank you, Honourable Minister. We now have a short film on the journey of renewable energy in India. It all began with a flash as the universe came into fiery beam. Earth was created from its emperors. It was charged with energy which has renewed itself time and again over billions of years. These renewable sources of energy have fueled all life on earth. But with development has come rampant exploitation of nature. Climate change is resulting in global warming. The world today is engulfed in layer of pollution, constantly worsening. Climate change is a major concern in the world. We must save our ancestors for future generations. January 2015, India pledged to install a renewable power capacity of 175 gigawatt by 2022, including 100 gigawatt from solar energy, 60 gigawatt from wind, 10 gigawatt from biomass, 5 gigawatt from small hydro. Concerned with the impact of climate change, the world leaders met at COP 21 in November 2015. India not only stood with them but also led the fight against climate change from the front. Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi pledged a commitment to reduce carbon intensity. We will reduce emissions by 33 to 35 percent of 2005 levels and produce 40 percent of our power from non-fossil fuels. He also launched the path-breaking international solar alliance. We want to bring solar energy into our lives and homes by making it cheaper, more reliable and easier to connect to grid. Until date, India has installed over 72 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, with 46 gigawatts under implementation. India is on track to not only achieve the goal of 175 gigawatts but exceed the target. In the last four years, India's renewable power capacity has more than doubled. Today it is the world's fourth largest in terms of wind capacity and fifth largest in terms of solar and renewable power capacity. This has been made possible through robust policies and ease of business frameworks. India has emerged as global leader in the renewable energy sector. The new India today marches ahead with renewed determination, uniting the world to provide universal energy access at affordable rates. India feels humbled on recognition of Srinda Reindromodi, Prime Minister of India, along with Mr. Emanuel Macron, President of France, as champions of Earth by United Nations. India proudly hosts the first assembly of the International Solar Alliance, the second Indian Ocean Rim Association Renewable Energy Ministerial Meet and the second Global Reinvest 2018 from the third to the fifth of October 2018. For India, fighting global climate change is an article of faith. Let us all unite in this endeavor. I now request the Honourable Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonyo Gyateras, to please address the gathering. Honourable Prime Minister Modi, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to be with all of you today. We all know that climate change is not only a direct threat to all our aspirations for inclusive and sustainable development, but it became an existential threat to us all. Good simply, we cannot meet our goals for peace and prosperity on a healthy planet without reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are warming our planet beyond tolerable levels. We know what we need to do and by and large we have the tools to do it. What we still lack, fortunately not here in this room, what we still lack is the political commitment to make the transformative decisions that will lead us onto a safer path. We saw signs of hope in Paris in 2015, but the latest data shows that current commitments under the Paris Agreement fall far short of meeting the target of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees and striving for 1.5 degrees. The truth is that climate change is still running faster than what we are. What is urgently needed is more ambition and more action and so I welcome these very important initiatives perheaded by India and France. The International Solar Alliance represents exactly what needs to be done and represents the future. I applaud your goal of mobilizing 1 trillion US dollars towards the deployment of 1,000 gigawatts of solar energy by 2030 and I commend the Government of India for setting a target that is being, as we have seen, a moving target towards more ambition of achieving 100 gigawatts of solar power capacity by 2022. It is clear that we are witnessing a global renewable energy revolution. Renewable energy accounted for some 70% of net additions to global power capacity in 2017 and solar energy is at the center of this revolution. And today, both the technology and the economy are on our side. More energy is competitive, with and often cheaper than fossil fuels, even despite the harmful subsidies that polluting energy still receives around the globe. I read I don't know where and I usually quote the fact that the Stone Age did not tend for lack of stones. There were plenty of rocks at that time. The Stone Age ended when better technologies were found to solve our problems. And I hope the fossil fuel age will not end with fossil fuels that will find ways to replace them by more adequate forms of energy as we are seeing in this meeting. It is using solar energy that we create a powerful means of meeting our targets of universal access to modern energy. And it is also an indispensable tool for lowering emissions and combating climate change. Let us be in no doubt. Climate change is the defining issue of our time and we are at a defining moment. If we do not change the course by 2020, we risk missing the opportunity to avoid runaway climate change. And that is why next September I will convene a climate summit to bring climate action to the top of the international agenda. The summit will provide an opportunity for leaders and stakeholders, most public and private, to demonstrate as it is the case today real climate action and showcase their ambition. I invite you all to bring your experiences, your ambition and your vision and your commitment to New York next September. You can help accelerate a global energy transformation. And we need to strengthen enabling environments and finance to speed the clean energy transition both in developed and developing countries alike. And we must accelerate innovation for off grid solutions so we can serve the least advantage and fulfill the promise of the 2030 agenda to leave no one behind. In the exhibition I have just seen across the street there are a number of very meaningful examples of very simple farmers and other people can benefit from these very modern technologies. We'll accomplish all these through leadership, your leadership. Together we can rise to the climate change and I wish you a productive first meeting of the General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance. Thank you. Thank you, Your Excellency. To mitigate climate change and ensure sustainable energy for all, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy along with IIT Bombay trained about 100,000 students solar ambassadors who volunteered to work for the adoption and promotion of solar energy technologies. It's also International Nonviolence Day. These students have taken a pledge of nonviolence to the environment. I request the students who are present here today to illuminate their solar lamps and greet our dignitaries. We thank you, students, solar ambassadors, for taking part in this initiative. Now request the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to inaugurate by pressing on the button the First Assembly of the International Solar Alliance, the Second Indian Ocean Rim Association Renewable Energy Ministerial Meet and the Second Global Reinvest 2018. Request the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Srinarendra Modi, to please address the gathering. Heads of Resident Diplomatic Missions in India, Representatives from the Indian Industry and Businesses, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my privilege to be a part of this August gathering in an inaugural ceremony of three events that are transformational. The International Solar Alliance is testament to our resolve for achieving a sustainable energy future. The Indian Ocean Rim Association Energy Minister's meeting is a reflection of India's commitment to digital partnership for a sustainable energy future. The Global RE Invest initiative aims to accelerate worldwide efforts to scale up renewable energy. On behalf of the Government of India and my colleague Ministers from all the countries present here, I express our gratitude to the Honorable Prime Minister, Srinarendra Modi, for gracing the occasion and guiding us with his vision for sustainable development. Sir, we are deeply honored to have you here. Sir, bestowing upon you of this year's highest environmental honor, the Champions of the Earth Award by the United Nations is a matter of pride for our country. Your vision and leadership have been our guiding force in realizing the dream of the International Solar Alliance. We assure you of our deepest commitment for realizing your vision of a world where countries are energy secure, where energy is sustainable, convenient, efficient, safe and affordable and most important, where energy access is universal. Your Excellency, your dream for one world, one grid is also something which I think all of us together in the International Solar Alliance will aspire to because it is really something which will change the world as we see it today and it is feasible. Your Excellency, Mr. Antonio Gutres, Honorable Secretary General of the United Nations, your presence here demonstrates the commitment of the United Nations towards creating a sustainable world. Way back in 1981, the United Nations General Assembly had passed a resolution that underlined the need for mobilizing financial resources for new and renewable sources of energy. Renewable energy has a major role to play in achieving the sustainable development goals and for ensuring access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all. We recall with gratitude the presence of the then UN Secretary General at the launch of the ISA on the 30th of November 2015 and the support extended by the United Nations in shaping the International Solar Alliance. Excellency, we thank you for your graceful presence and kind words of support and encouragement. We are privileged to have the presence of over 40 honorable ministers and 75 high legible delegations from the International Solar Alliance, the Indian Ocean Dream Association members and partner countries. It is a reflection of our shared commitment to harnessing renewable energy for a better tomorrow. Excellencies, please accept our sincere thanks for your graceful presence. We assure you of India's committed, continued and consistent support for realizing the vision of the ISA and for taking forward the spirit of cooperation embodied in the Indian Ocean Dream Association. We look forward to our deliberations tomorrow and day after in carrying forward our cooperation to provide affordable and sustainable energy access to all our peoples. I express my heartfelt gratitude towards Shreemati Staswati Parajji, our external affairs minister. She has been a guiding force for forging partnerships, for promoting renewable energy and for making the International Solar Alliance a reality. Under our guidance, we recently held a meet of international experts of the Indian diaspora on affordable solar power. I also thank the officers from the Ministry of External Affairs, including our missions in the International Solar Alliance and the Indian Ocean Dream Association countries for their efforts in making this event possible. The support from the diplomatic missions of the Indian Ocean Dream Association countries and the International Solar Alliance countries in India was pivotal in organizing these events. I acknowledge with gratitude their help. I thank all my colleagues in the ministries, friends in the media and officers of the ISA Secretary for the support. We are also grateful for the efforts put in by the configuration of Indian industry and their continuous engagement support. I once again take the opportunity to thank each one of you and express our gratitude for your presence at this inaugural session. Finally, I will close recalling the words of the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who said that we should act as trustees and use natural resources wisely as it is our moral responsibility to ensure that we bequeath to the future generations a healthy planet. The events planned for the next three days will carry forward this period. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes this inaugural program. May I request all of you to please remain seated while our Prime Minister and other dignitaries leave the days. Tomorrow morning, proceedings will begin at the Expo Center in Greater Noida at 9.15 a.m. Thank you all for joining me here this evening. I'm Sukanya Balakrishnan. Goodbye.