The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that Agriculture and industry shall be looked at as the two eyes of our economy. He was addressing the gathering after giving away The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence, in Mumbai today. The Governor of Maharashtra, Shri C. Vidyasagar Rao, the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley, the Union Minister for Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Shri Jayant Sinha and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.The Vice President said that India’s dream built on the aspirations of about 130 crore Indians can be fulfilled if only every Indian and every business or corporate entity is enabled to express their potential to the fullest potential. He further said that the winners of The Economic Times Awards are trail-blazers in their respective areas. Congratulate all the winners and The Economic Times for steadfastly promoting the spirit of freedom of economic expression, he added.
The Vice President specially congratulated his friend and long-time colleague Shri Arun Jaitley, a winner this year. Shri Arun Ji has been passionately associated with the efforts to enable full manifestation of the freedom of economic expression over the last three and a half years and richly deserves this honour, he added.The Vice President said that the Government and businesses must act as partners to spur economic growth. He further said that Government should act as a facilitator by adopting investment-friendly measures, and at the same time, businesses have certain responsibilities and must strive to promote ethical corporate governance. India Inc. and the Indian State should collectively work towards efficient capital management & ensure this so that every asset of ours becomes a performing asset, he added. The Vice President said that bold reforms with clear vision and purpose have to be implemented with missionary zeal, unmindful of temporary setbacks. He further said that while reforms are the need of the hour, we need to focus on inclusive growth and bridging disparities. Catalyzing farm sector is the key to economic growth, he added.