India, UK can leverage S&T strengths: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India and the UK “can leverage our scientific strengths and technological prowess to create new opportunities” against the backdrop of the two countries face facing several economic challenges which directly affect trade and commerce.

He was speaking at India-UK Tech Summit in New Delhi on Monday which was attended by the visiting U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May.

“I have always said that science is universal but technology has to be local,” Modi said. It is in this context that such summits throw an opportunity to understand each other’s requirements and forge our future relationship on that understanding.

“Today, the world is at an inflection point where technology advancement is transformational,” Modi said. “It is vital that India and the United Kingdom, two countries linked by history, work together to define the knowledge economy of the 21st century.”

Together, our scientific communities are working on new vaccines for infectious diseases, inventing new smart materials, providing solutions for clean energy and climate change mitigation, and improving crop productivity including agriculture and food security, Modi said.

“I feel that India and UK can partner in harnessing the vast traditional knowledge base in India coupled with modern scientific investigation to provide a holistic approach to preventive healthcare. This can help address some of the modern life style diseases that we face,” Modi said.

The convergence of my government’s flagship development missions, our technology achievements and aspirations, and our strong bilateral relations offer huge new growth avenues for Indian and British industries, he said.