Johannesburg [South Africa], November 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (local time) had a "fruitful interaction" with Indian-origin tech entrepreneurs in Johannesburg, discussing their work across multiple sectors and encouraging closer engagement with India.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister spoke about initiatives undertaken by entrepreneurs in FinTech, social media platforms, agriculture, education, healthcare, medical devices and other fields.
"Had a fruitful interaction with Indian origin tech entrepreneurs in Johannesburg. They talked about the work they are doing in sectors such as FinTech, social media platforms, agriculture, education, healthcare, medical devices and more. Called upon them to deepen their engagement with India and work closely with our people," PM Modi wrote on 'X'.
Jatin Bhatia, a tech entrepreneur who met PM Modi, said that in total, eight entrepreneurs met the Prime Minister. Bhatia informed that he is the founder of the social media platform, Expulger, which was launched in India in the year 2021.
"We had a detailed meeting with the Prime Minister and it was very nice. Eight tech entrepreneurs were called, and I was one among them. I am the founder of a social media platform, which we launched in India in 2021. It's called Explurger... This is the world's first platform for travellers. I told Modi ji how more than 2 crore people from 75 countries have come together on this app," Bhatia said.
Jatin Bhatia stressed that PM Modi's vision to boost tourism and stated that he didn't feel as if we were talking to a political leader or a head of state. He was talking to us like a tech-entrepreneur.
"His vision is to boost tourism. When we were interacting with him, it didn't feel as if we were talking to a political leader or a head of state. He was talking to us like a tech-entrepreneur. He was asking us questions about technology, and it felt as if we were talking to a fellow tech entrepreneur. He asked the right questions. His suggestions were those of a visionary... A person like him holds the reins of our country, so it made us happy," he added.
PM Modi will attend the summit from November 21 to 23, marking a significant milestone as the first G20 summit held on the African continent. He will discuss key issues related to India and the global south.
This will be PM Modi's fourth official visit to South Africa, following his bilateral visit in 2016 and his attendance at the two BRICS summits in 2018 and 2023.
This summit is the fourth consecutive G20 meeting hosted by the Global South, following Indonesia, India, and Brazil's presidencies. Prior to South Africa, the G20 presidencies were held by Brazil (2024), India (2023) and Indonesia (2022).
The G20 comprises major economies representing 85 per cent of global GDP and 75 per cent of international trade. The forum has identified priority areas under South Africa's presidency theme of 'Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability'.
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