As India celebrates its 74th Independence Day, Indian Ambassador-designate Piyush Srivastava extends his warm greetings and congratulations to members of the Indian community in Bahrain.
“Today, the world is facing unprecedented challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The global community has come together to fight this huge crisis.
“India and Bahrain have also co-operated and co-ordinated their efforts in this regard.
“I take this opportunity to thank the leadership of the Kingdom of Bahrain for ensuring the welfare of the large Indian community in Bahrain during the Covid-19 pandemic and for extending full co-operation to the Vande Bharat Mission of the government of India for repatriation of Indian nationals.
“While India continues to battle the Covid-19 crisis, persistent efforts are being made on the economic front to stabilise and speed up growth.
“The government of India has undertaken several transformative reforms to respond to economic adversities posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as to fulfil the vision of making India a $5 trillion economy.
“These policy initiatives have placed the poor and vulnerable sections of society at the core of the growth agenda – thus underlining equal importance for ‘ease of living’ and ‘ease of business’.
“Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in May 2020 announced the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’, which focuses on making India self-reliant and contributing towards a more prosperous and resilient world.
“Agriculture is a key pillar of this mission and the government of India has set up an INR 1lakh crore (about $13.3 billion) ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’ to provide impetus for the development of post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets, besides promoting and encouraging agriculture entrepreneurs and start-ups.
“India has continued to be a favoured destination for foreign investment.
“Even during Covid-19 crisis, the country attracted more than $20bn foreign direct investment (FDI) from April to July 2020.
“The government has further liberalised FDI policy including in the crucial energy and defence sectors. India is thus cementing its place as a land of opportunities.
“These policy initiatives and reforms have also opened up possibilities for greater economic engagement with Bahrain.
“The historical and civilisational ties between India and Bahrain, characterised by trade and people-to-people contact, have been further strengthened in recent times with regular high-level political interaction and opening up of new vistas of co-operation in areas of maritime security, infrastructure and investment, high-tech areas, health, renewable energy and space technology.
“The dynamic and vibrant Indian community in Bahrain remains a significant anchor in our bilateral ties.
“Their contribution to the growth and development of both India and Bahrain has been publicly acknowledged by the leadership of the two countries.
“As Ambassador of India to Bahrain, it would be my endeavour to further strengthen and diversify the age-old bonds of friendship and co-operation between our two countries and ensure the welfare of the large Indian community in Bahrain.
“I conclude by wishing growth, development and prosperity to the Kingdom of Bahrain and its friendly people.
“Long live India-Bahrain friendship!”
**A flag-raising ceremony will be held today at the Indian Embassy’s premises in Seef District to mark the 74th Independence Day of India. The programme will be telecast live on the embassy’s social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.