India is a land of opportunities for investors: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India is working to achieve over 8 per cent growth in the coming years.Addressing a huge gathering of the Indian diaspora in Johannesburg, Modi said India is "one of the brightest spot in the global economy" and a "land of opportunities" for those who want to invest and have trade.He attributed the rise of the country to HOPE -- Harmony, Optimism, Potential and Energy.

Prime Minister said his government is working in a campaign mode to create 500 million new jobs by 2022 besides transforming rural and urban areas of the country through infrastructure development.He said while the world is marked by slowdown, India has registered a growth of 7.6 per cent this year and we are working to grow even at 8 per cent in the years ahead.

Modi, wearing a 'Madiba' shirt identified with anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, said India's dynamism is notabout mere words but it is driven by concrete action.

class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">He said his government wants enterprises to flourish, businesses to grow and the country to rise. "For this, we are already shaping a policy framework that strengthens India's ability to build trade, manufacturing, innovation and investment partnerships with other countries in the world," he added.

Seeking to strike a chord, Modi said as South Africa works for its economic prosperity, safety and security, it will find in India a "trusted and reliable partner".He said both India and South Africa face similar challenges and India is ready to join this country in its endavours.

The Prime Minister noted that South Africa was the place where Mahatma Gandhi "conceptualised his politics" and is the "birthplace of Satyagraha".Describing South Africa as "karambhoomi (land of work)" of Mahatma Gandhi, he said this country "transformed Mohandas into Mahatma".