Rahul to India Inc: Time to harness energy of ‘beehive’

“I have come here because I believe in you. I believe that this country cannot move forward without you. I have come here because I want to forge a partnership with you,a long-term partnership to take this country forward,” Rahul told the special plenary session of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s annual meeting.

Making a veiled but obvious attack on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi,seen as his rival in the race for the PM’s post in 2014,Rahul stressed on his pet agenda of inclusive growth.

“When you play the politics of alienating communities,you stop the movement of people and ideas. When that happens we all suffer. Businesses suffer and the seeds of disharmony are sown and the dreams of our people are severely disrupted,” he said.

Faster economic growth was made possible under the UPA as the government tried to reduce communal tensions and foster harmony,he added. He also said that aspiration levels in India had spread to even the poorest sections and challenged businesses to find ways to connect with them.

In a speech that was both written and spontaneous,Rahul said that harnessing the energy of those left behind will make businesses feel like riding an energy wave. The newly-appointed congress vice-president made a fervent pitch for support while complimenting India Inc for its achievements despite the complexity inherent in the economy.

He promised the Congress would create an environment where businesses need not compete in the corridors of Raisina Hill but should be able to compete “on the streets of the towns and villages. On our part,we will ensure fair,a rule-based and stable environment for entrepreneurs,large and small”.

Rahul said there can be no movement of people and ideas if roads have potholes or break down in six months. But he said the government cannot build all the infrastructure alone.

“We are incapable of doing it alone. We need your help,” he said. “It has to be built jointly,and together we will find the models where capital is used efficiently and without delays. And it is critical that the business environment for the creation of this dynamic infrastructure is stable and predictable.”