The meeting with chip giant Cristiano Amon assumes significance given India’s push to make 5G technology safe and secure.
In the first leg of his US visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met prominent US CEOs in Washington on Thursday.
He held one-on-one meetings with the CEOs of semiconductor and wireless technology maker Qualcomm, software company Adobe, renewable energy company First Solar, weapons maker General Atomics and investment management company Blackstone.
The first meeting was with Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm
“Chairman & CEO of @Qualcomm, @cristianoamon and PM @narendramodi had a productive conversation. PM Modi highlighted the huge opportunities India offers. Mr. Amon engaged with India in areas like 5G and other @_DigitalIndia efforts expressed a desire to work.” The tweet of the PMO said.
Modi’s meeting with Amon assumes significance as India is looking at rapid adoption of 5G technology in the country and investments in this high technology sector from trusted partners who can provide safe and secure networks. The San Diego-based company manufactures semiconductors, software and services related to wireless technology and is growing into 5G technology with its pioneering range of products.
It is expected that the high level meetings will pave the way for major investments in the new technology sector which is needed to help the country in providing next generation networking services to its citizens. In the first leg of his tour, PM Modi will meet his Australian and Japanese counterparts Scott Morrison and Yoshihide Suga besides US Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Chairman, President and CEO of Adobe meets Shantanu Narain
Narayan and PM Modi discussed Adobe’s ongoing collaboration in India and future investment plans. Shantanu appreciated India’s efforts in fighting COVID and especially in rapid vaccination. He expressed his desire to contribute to the 75th anniversary of India’s independence and to bring videos, animations for every child of India.
The PM said that it is important to give smart education to every child and this makes technology very important. He said that the foundation of digital education has been laid in the Kovid era and we should move forward now. Both the PM and CEO of Adobe emphasized on creating some centers of excellence in AI in India. Adobe CEO said during the meeting that investing in India is our secret weapon.
First Solar CEO meets PM Modi
PM Modi elaborated on India’s efforts to harness solar energy including the ‘One World, One Sun and One Grid’ initiative and investment opportunities in this sector. Mark Widmar expressed happiness over Indian policies for climate change and related industries. The PM talked about the One World, One Sun and One Grid initiative and its potential. He mentioned India’s ambitious target of 450 GW of renewable energy.
He also emphasized on India’s focus on manufacturing solar power and said that companies in the solar energy sector can take maximum advantage of our PLI schemes. PM also told about India’s Green Hydrogen Mission. Both the CEO and the PM agreed to increase the manufacturing of solar in India. The countries of the region will also benefit from this.
Vivek Lal, Chief Executive Officer of General Atomics Global Corporation
He talked about strengthening the defense technology sector in India. Shri Lal appreciated the recent policy changes to accelerate defense and emerging technology building and capacity building in India.
Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman calls on PM
PM Modi had a productive meeting with Blackston CEO Stephen Schwarzman. Schwarzman explained Blackstone’s investment in India and their plans to expand it further.
The PM said there is huge scope for further expansion of Blackstone’s partnership in India and elaborated on the reforms undertaken in India. He specifically talked about asset monetization and bad banks.
Mr Schwarzman said he is very optimistic about India’s potential and added that it is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. He also appreciated the reforms undertaken by India.
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