Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a meeting with the tech entrepreneurial community of Indian origin in South Africa during his visit to the country for the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Urging them to deepen their engagement with India, the Prime Minister, who is in Johannesburg, said in a social media post that he had a “fruitful interaction” with Indian-origin tech entrepreneurs about the work they are doing in 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,” he said in the post.
Highlighting the Indian community’s role as a “living bridge between the two countries”, PM Modi credited the contribution of over 1.7 million-strong Indian diaspora in South Africa towards “nurturing the historical bonds of friendship between India and South Africa”.
He also lauded their efforts for helping the “youth connect with the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela”.
“Also asked them to boost the popularity of Indian culture among the people of South Africa, including practices such as Yoga, Ayurveda,” he wrote on X.
“They shared their experiences on various issues and were very appreciative of India’s strides across different fields. Urged them to keep up the momentum with which they are enhancing people-to-people linkages,” the PM added.
The prime minister held discussions with Naspers Limited chairman, Koos Bekker, and CEO, Fabricio Bloisi, on “expanding investments in India’s digital ecosystem, AI, startup and space sectors and explore new avenues in consumer market and technology”, said spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, in a social media post.
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“Deepening investment linkages featured prominently in the discussions. It is commendable how Naspers is actively working with our talented youth across diverse sectors,” PM Modi said about the meeting with the stalwarts of the South African multinational internet and technology company.
“Naspers’ success in India reflects ease of doing business and the strength of the Startup ecosystem in India,” Jaiswal added.
The prime minister had arrived at the Waterkloof Air Force Base (AFB) in Gauteng, where he was accorded a ceremonial welcome for what is Africa’s first time hosting the G20 Summit.
The African Union became a member of the G20 during India’s presidency in 2023.
The PM also met his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, hours after he arrived in South Africa, with whom he discussed progress in cooperation in diverse areas, including defense and security, critical minerals, trade and people-to-people ties.
The prime minister received a ‘Kalash’ from the Chinmaya Mission, consisting of Shree Anna or millets from India as well as South Africa.
“This will be placed in the Annapoorna Devi Temple in Durban,” he said.
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