 "G-20 summit will spur growth in India's tourism sector: EAM S Jaishankar")
The G-20 summit is about "getting India ready for he world and the world ready for India," External Affairs Minister and BJP leader S Jaishankar said on Friday claiming the international event will spur tourism growth of the country.
Jaishankar made the remark while addressing students at a Delhi University's Aryabhatta College as part of a BJP outreach campaign underway to highlight the nine years' achievement of the Narendra Modi government.
He said benefits of hosting the summit will accrue to the country in the next 5-10 years.
"This India which we are getting ready for the world is very important for all of you because this India that we are getting ready for the world is your India," he said.
"Whatever we are doing right now regarding G-20 is in a way India laying foundation for what Modiji has called Amrit Kal, the next 25 years before us and those are your years.
"Our job is to lay the foundation and it is our hope that you will build on that foundation to realise the dream of making India a developed country by 2047," the minister said.
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There are some big countries in the world where tourism sometimes contributes around 30 per cent to their GDP, he said.
Jaishankar said India is the first host country of G-20 summit that has been holding its 200 meetings in 60 cities across all its states and Union territories.
"We have done it so that the world could see the full diversity and richness of India," he said.
"These meetings would be attended by at least 200-300 people and when these people will go back to their home, they will talk about India and share their experiences of places like Varanasi and Kashmir with their friends and families," said the former bureaucrat.
Jaishankar also said that currently India is number one in the world in terms of attracting foreign investment but it is not "satisfactory" because it can go up further.
He said globalisation has opened up doors of opportunities for the youth but they must also be prepared to manage its challenges.