President and my friend Shriman Moon Jae-in Ji; Jay Y. Lee, Vice Chairman of Samsung; the representatives of Korea and India and all the dignitaries present here,

It is an extremely happy experience for me to come to this Samsung factory in Nodia with my friend President Moon. This new mobile manufacturing unit is also a matter of pride for both Nodia and Uttar Pradesh. I congratulate Samsung and their entire team for this new unit and convey my best wishes to them.

Friends,

Today’s occasion is extremely important in the direction of making India a global hub of manufacturing. This investment of Rs. 5,000 crore will not only strengthen the business relations of Samsung in India but will also be very important for the relations between India and Korea. Samsung’s global R&D hub is based in India and now this manufacturing facility will further enhance our pride.

Friends,

Whenever I speak to the people from business community then I often tell them this thing that there will hardly be any middle class home in India which will not have at least one Korean product. Samsung has certainly carved out a special place for itself in the lives of Indians. Especially your phones, they are the world leader in the smart phone market which is growing at a fast speed. Whenever I have spoken to the Samsung leadership, I have always encouraged them to manufacture in India. This program taking place in Nodia today is a reflection of that. Today, digital technology is playing an important role in making the life of a common man easier. Today nearly 40 crore smart phones are in use in India and 32 crore people have been using broadband; internet data is available at extremely low prices and more than one lakh village bodies (gram panchayats) of the country have been covered under the fiber network. All these things indicate towards a digital revolution taking place in the country.

Friends,

Today, fast and transparent service delivery has been ensured due to affordable mobile phones, fast internet and low cost internet data. Almost all the facilities are available online, be it the payment of electricity and water bills or be it admission in the schools and colleges or be it provident fund or pension. More than three lakh common service centres spread throughout the country have been providing services to the village people while free Wi-Fi hotspots in cities have been providing wings to the aspirations of poor and middle class youths.

Not only this, the government is procuring goods directly from the producers through GeM - Government e-Market place. This has been beneficial for small and medium entrepreneurs and it has also increased transparency in the government procurement.

Friends,

Today, digital transactions have been growing consistently. Transaction has become very easy because of BHIM App and Rupay cards. In the month of June, transactions worth nearly Rs. 41,000 crores have been carried out through BHIM App. Today, not only in India but there is a curiosity about BHIM and Rupay throughout the world. I got the opportunity to launch these two facilities in Singapore a few days ago. In such a situation, this program which is happening today will not only contribute in the empowerment of Indian citizens but it will also provide a momentum to the Make in India program.

Friends,

Our insistence on Make in India is not just a part of an economic policy but it is also a commitment of our relations with our friend countries like Korea. In addition to providing new opportunities to a trusted brand like Samsung, it is also an open invitation to every businessman of the world who wants to take advantage of a new and transparent business culture of a New India. India’s growing economy and expanding neo middle class is full of numerous opportunities for investment. I am happy that today this initiative is getting support and is being welcomed throughout the world. If we talk about mobile phone manufacturing then today India has become the second largest manufacturer. In the last four years, the number of mobile manufacturing units has increased to 120 from just two four years ago. And it is a matter of satisfaction that 50 out of them are based here in Noida alone. They have provided direct employment to more than four lakh youths. Samsung has played an important role in employment generation. You have provided direct employment to nearly 70,000 people in the entire country and nearly five thousand of them are here in Noida. One thousand people are going to get employment in this new plant. I have been informed that this unit established here is going to be the largest mobile phone manufacturing unit of the company. Nearly one crore phones will be manufactured here every month. It is also important that 30 per cent of the total production of this plant will be exported; it will be exported to different countries of the world. It will certainly further strengthen your standing in the global market. It means that we will manufacture excellent products for the world market by using Korean technology and India’s manufacturing and software support. And this is the strength of our two countries and precisely this is the vision shared by us.

Once again, I congratulate the entire team of Samsung and convey my best wishes. Thank you very much to you people for inviting me here today and for making me a part of this occasion.

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AKT/KP/RSB/KT/AK