Unity is essential for progress, Karnataka 'lodestar' of India's economic growth: Tharoor

Bengaluru, Feb 14 (PTI) Noting that the world is facing numerous challenges, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor on Friday asserted that unity is essential for progress.

Lauding Karnataka for creating an ecosystem that encourages growth, entrepreneurship, and that allows innovation to thrive, he called the state a "lodestar" of India's economic growth.

"The world is facing numerous challenges and our own country requires the kind of unity that we saw, with the Central Minister (Union Minister of State V Somanna) praising the state government. We need to see more of that happening in our country, because unity is essential for progress," Tharoor said.

Addressing the valedictory event of Invest Karnataka-2025 summit, he said, "I think we all put our own people first, that is the development and well being of our people ahead of the political divisions that might be keeping us apart. We will be able to progress right across, as we take the reins and seize the opportunities available to us in the twenty-first century." Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, former Prime Minister of Greece, George A Papandreou, Union Minister of State for Railways & Jal Shakti V Somanna, Large & Medium Industries Minister M B Patil, and host of ministers in the state cabinet were among those present in the event.

Noting that Karnataka is the state that has time and again made itself a lodestar of India's economic growth, which continues to lead all the states in the number of unicorns in this country, that is companies worth over a billion dollars, Tharoor said, 45 of them are in Karnataka out of 110 in the whole country.

"That's because you have created an ecosystem that encourages growth, encourages entrepreneurship, and that allows innovation to thrive. This is why it is such a joy and so satisfying for people from all over the country and from around the world to come here to see you all and meet with you and to address you at this challenging time," he said.

Highlighting about the investments coming and the large number of jobs it will create, the Congress leader said, jobs are key for the future, because it is essential that we not only bring growth to our country and to this state, but we also empower our people by providing them with work opportunities.

India as a whole is facing serious challenges. We have record unemployment, we have the world's worst youth unemployment, and we hold the global record for the highest number of college educated unemployed in the world, he said.

Pointing out that his own state of Kerala has the Invest Kerala summit coming up in a week's time, Tharoor expressed hopes that other states would follow in the same spirit.

"Not everybody can be Karnataka, but we can learn from you, and I certainly hope that the path you (Karnataka) have shown today and the encouragement you have given to startups and entrepreneurship, that is itself an indication that you will not only encourage people to come and invest here, you will help them grow and you will acknowledge them when they succeed. That to my mind is the right formula, all of us in India should follow," he said.

Tharoor further, welcomed the state's emphasis on sustainability and green mobility, citing the clean mobility policy of Karnataka that was launched at the summit.

Let's focus on adaptability, sustainability, and develop the resilience that is required to succeed in this challenging world, he further said, adding that, "Amid all the unpredictability and turbulence that the world is offering us, let us applaud Karnataka for being such a beacon of achievement, of innovation and of entrepreneurship." PTI KSU KH

Source: PTI