A lot of good points: Shah Rukh Khan full of praise for PM Modi's speech at Davos

Modi, who became the first Indian prime minister to address the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual summit here in two decades, talked about grave concerns facing the world, including terrorism and climate change. His speech was praised by several individuals and he even got a standing ovation at the end of his speech. 

One person who was impressed was Shah Rukh Khan. 

Speaking about PM Modi’s speech, Shah Rukh Khan said: “PM said 'Hum yahan apne logon ka danka bajane aaye hain'.  He pointed out globalisation is losing sheen & India can become hub of bringing it back, a lot of good points. Matter of pride for all of us that for the first time in 20 years we have a PM coming here.” 

Speaking about the state of Maharashtra added: “I'm a living example of how someone can come to Mumbai & fulfill dreams. I always say I have two mothers - Delhi which gave birth to me & Maha which helped me grow. New policies will create a digital environment, favourable to young India.”

PM said 'Hum yahan apne logon ka danka bajane aaye hain'. He pointed out globalisation is losing sheen & India can become hub of bringing it back, a lot of good points. Matter of pride for all of us that for the first time in 20 yrs we have a PM coming here: Shah Rukh Khan #Davos pic.twitter.com/K4aZpldBdI

— ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2018

I'm a living example of how someone can come to Mumbai & fulfill dreams. I always say I have two mothers - Delhi which gave birth to me & Maha which helped me grow. New policies will create a digital environment, favorable to young India: Shah Rukh Khan on 'Magnetic Maharashtra' pic.twitter.com/RXEuAct4Xk

— ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2018

SRK received the 24th Crystal Award alongside Elton John and Cate Blanchett.

The Annual Crystal Awards ceremony, which opens the World Economic Forum summit in the Swiss ski resort, celebrates the achievements of outstanding artists who have shown exemplary commitment to improving the state of the world.

"Honoured to receive the World Economic Forum's 24th Crystal Award, together with Elton John and Cate Blanchett. My fan moment," Shah Rukh tweeted after receiving the honour.

SRK received the award for "his leadership in championing children's and women's rights in India," the World Economic Forum (WEF) said.

The past awardees from India include Amitabh Bachchan, Mallika Sarabhai, A R Rahman, Shabana Azmi, Ravi Shankar and Amjad Ali Khan.

In a nearly-hour long speech delivered in Hindi, the prime minister sought to hard sell India as an investment destination, saying those wanting wealth with wellness and peace with prosperity should come to the country.

Sending out a strong message against protectionism and inward-focused economic policies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said such tendencies can be as dangerous as terrorism and climate change as he pitched for creating a "heaven of freedom" free from divisions.

Seen as an apparent reference to policies like America First, especially since US President Donald Trump would be coming to Davos later this week, Modi said "many countries are becoming inward focused and globalisation is shrinking and such tendencies can't be considered lesser risk than terrorism or climate change".

Protectionism is rearing its head and there is risk of new tariff and non-tariff barriers coming up, the prime minister said, as he mentioned that division is not the solution to this problem of anti-globalisation.

Noting that in an interconnected world, globalisation is losing its lustre, the prime minister wondered "do global organisations created after the Second World War really reflect the aspirations and dreams of mankind today? With respect to the developing countries there is a very big gap".

Asserting that India is proud of its democracy and diversity, Modi said the country has always contributed towards global peace as well as believed in values of integration and unity.

Stating that terrorism is dangerous, the prime minister remarked that worse is when people say there is a difference between 'good' and 'bad' terror, besides noting that it is painful to see some youngsters getting radicalised.

The prime minister also emphasised that a predictable, stable, transparent and progressive India is good news in an otherwise uncertain global environment.

"Let us create a 'heaven of freedom', where there is cooperation and not division, fractures," Modi told the gathering even as he stated that issues of peace, security and stability have emerged as serious global challenges.

The theme of this year's summit is 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World' and referring to it, Modi said it was relevant for him as Indians have always believed in uniting and not dividing people.

"There are many questions before us that require answer for generations to come. Is the existing international system promoting fractures and rift in this world? Can we remove these rifts and distances to make a good shared future?" the prime minister said.

"We always talk about 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (world is one family)," the prime minister said, adding that the problem today is lack of consensus to tackle the problems.

Citing Mahatma Gandhi, the prime minister noted that Gandhi had said, "I don't want doors and windows of my house to be closed and I want winds of cultures of all countries to come inside but I won't accept it if that uproots my own culture".

The prime minister also quoted Sanskrit shlokas to emphasise that "we are children of mother earth".

Hard selling India as an investment destination at the WEF, Modi said the government is following the principle of reform, perform and transform and that the country is moving towards becoming a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025.

"We have made it so easier to invest in India, manufacture in India and work in India. We have decided to uproot licence and permit Raj. We are replacing red tape with red carpet," he added.

Modi held meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and various CEOs.

On Monday, Modi met Swiss President Alain Berset and discussed ways to deepen bilateral ties.

"Together we can! Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Indian CEOs present at the WEF working hand in hand towards a brighter future for the country," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson tweeted with the hashtag IndiaMeansBusiness, the campaign being run by India in Davos this year.

With inputs from PTI