Stating that the world now sees India as an engine of economic growth, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, on Tuesday, said developed countries are very keen to sign trade deals with India now.

“Before 2014, the Indian economy was considered to be fragile and investors had their doubts about doing business with India,” Goyal said while addressing the gathering at the Vyapari Udyami Sammelan here.

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Stressing the need for transparency and ease of doing business, the Minister assured traders and entrepreneurs that the government will fully support traders who raise their voice against harassment by any authority.

He called upon traders to work with the government to reduce compliance burden of people and businesses, but asked that they strictly follow ethical trade practices. Unnecessary, cumbersome and counter-productive laws and regulations must be uprooted to improve ease of doing business, he added.

The minister asked traders to give priority to the quality of goods and services that India offered. He also underscored the need to encourage youngsters to come forward and lend a youthful energy to India’s growth story with new ideas.

The clarion call of ‘vocal for local’ given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi must be taken up by the youth of the nation, the Minister said.

“We must also encourage more and more women to become traders and entrepreneurs,” he said.

Applauding the Prime Minister’s visionary welfare policies, Goyal said these policies have been helping the poor emerge as consumers and have successfully transformed India’s population into its greatest strength. He added that the Prime Minister’s tireless work had ensured that every household in the country gets access to basic amenities such as cooking gas, drinking water, electricity and toilet and every village gets access to the internet. Goyal said the policies of the Government had also given every Indian the courage to be ambitious and the confidence to aspire to become entrepreneurs.

The minister also emphasised that traders and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) should benefit from demand for goods by beneficiaries of the Prime Minister’s welfare schemes.

He asked all traders, entrepreneurs, and businesses, both big and small, to take a collective resolve to work together to take forward the dream of a self-reliant India by promoting more and more Indian products.