Modi, India’s Best Salesman
By The New Indian Express, 16th November
(There has never been two views about Modi’s ability as a man with the gift of the gab, as an advertiser, as man capable of making his way through to make a show of himself and the cause he is standing for. It is this trait alone that got him in the PM’s seat. Weather these are the traits needed for a PM is the most disputed question. You can fool people with glittering promises for a few times, not all people, in all places and all times. First duty of a PM is to stay at home and put his house in order and provide the wherewithal for the kitchen and the basic needs of the inmates. Establishing good relations with the outside world should only come next. The question if he has a priority list in his agenda as PM. james kottoor, editor)
As salesmen go, India, it seems, needs only one – its Prime Minister. There’s been a lot of talk about Narendra Modi’s penchant for rushing off abroad from time to time despite the pressure of his domestic agenda, but every trip has helped raise the country’s profile, changing the narrative from paralytic to dynamic.
Modi’s visit to the United Kingdom once again confirms how good he is at promoting India as the destination economy today. He can’t take sole credit for the turnaround in fortunes since May, 2014, as the world economy has slowed down considerably. Even China is temporarily short of steam. That leaves India as the brightest spot and Modi has relentlessly sold that story wherever he has gone. It is precisely what he did in his interactions in the UK, whether with David Cameron’s government, British businessmen or the Indian diaspora.
It is worth noting that this last section seems to be in his thrall in a way no previous leader has managed. The dividends from this particular interaction will, however, accrue only in the long term.The result of his salesmanship, for one, is approximately £10 billion in business deals. His continuing assurance of fair treatment for foreign investors is working as the inflow of Foreign Direct Investment shows. It will take more time for everyone to shed their wariness of the Indian business ecosystem but as he told a group of industrialists at London’s Guildhall last Friday: “At this point of time it is wiser to be in India.” This is actually true, if the figures put out by international ranking organisations are correct.
The other big takeaway is Cameron’s assurance of support for India’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. That is still a work in progress. And, Modi’s final plank, fighting terror, has become all the more important now, given the sheer scale of the Paris attacks. The Prime Minister has been relentless in carrying forward the two-decade-old Indian refrain on this subject across the globe. But now, as the world watches the new India take shape, the ring master needs to take charge at home
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