Financial inclusion for 1.3bn Indians achieved, says Modi in Singapore
What's the story
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with US Vice President Mike Pence, shortly after delivering a keynote address at Singapore's Fintech Festival.
At the event, Modi highlighted that financial inclusion had become a reality for 1.3 billion Indians.
PM Modi, who became the first world leader to address the festival, is a on a two-day visit to Singapore.
Here's more.
Fintech
Highlights of Modi's keynote address at the Fintech Festival
Delivering the keynote address at the Fintech Festival, Modi pitched India as an ideal investment destination, saying that fintech had driven India's push towards financial inclusion for all.
He highlighted that potential of fintech in changing lives, emphasizing on the fintech explosion in India.
Additionally, Modi spoke of inclusive growth, and launched the APIX (Application Programming Interface Exchange), a global fintech platform.
Quote
Modi: India has the biggest public infrastructure in the world
"Less than 50 per cent of Indian had bank accounts in 2014. Now, it is nearly universal. So today, more than a billion biometric identities, more than a billion bank accounts and more than a billion cell phones give India by far the biggest public infrastructure in the world," said Modi, highlighting his government's achievement.
Twitter Post
WATCH: Narendra Modi's full speech at the Fintech Festival
Honoured to deliver the keynote address at the Singapore Fintech Festival. Watch my speech. https://t.co/HtlY1xmjLP
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 14, 2018
Twitter Post
Modi launches APIX with Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister
#Singapore: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches APIX - online global fintech marketplace, at the Singapore Fintech Festival. pic.twitter.com/DD8h10XQdb
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2018
Pence
What we know about Modi's meeting with Pence
Following his keynote address, PM Modi met with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, before meeting US Vice President Mike Pence for bilateral talks.
Speaking to Pence in front of reporters, Modi congratulated the US and President Donald Trump for celebrating Diwali.
The duo are set to hold talks on defence cooperation and on maintaining a free Indo-Pacific region.
Twitter Post
PHOTOS: PM Modi meets with US Vice President Mike Pence
Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with Michael R. Pence, Vice-President of the United States of America, in Singapore pic.twitter.com/XXqDFon8Vz
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2018
Other details
PM Modi is set to attend several summits
Apart from his meeting with Pence, PM Modi is set to attend the East Asia Summit, an ASEAN-India informal meet, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership summit.
Just prior to leaving for Singapore, the Prime Minister had said that India's participation in the aforementioned summits marked its "continued commitment" to bolster engagement with both ASEAN members, and the Indo-Pacific region at large.