Internet Connectivity Key to India's Economic Growth Says Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Facebook (FB) founder Mark Zuckerberg in Silicon Valley this weekend. At a townhall meeting they discussed the role of the Internet and social media in growing India's economy. Zuckerberg told the audience that 'for India to keep making progress it needs to be a leader online,' praising Modi's example of 'using the Internet to communicate directly with Indian citizens.' A long term advocate of social media, with over 15 million followers, Modi pledged to improve communication between the people and government, responding that: 'the strength of social media today is that it can tell governments where they are going wrong, stop them moving in the wrong direction,' as well as giving them 'an opportunity to do a course correction.' The prime minister spoke of his plans to establish a nationwide digital infrastructure using fiber optic cables and to grow the economy from $2 to $20 trillion under his leadership.