The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Northern India Chief Ministers' Conclave organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry today (December 15, 2012) at New Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said the high economic growth that we have envisaged for our nation will count for nothing unless we are able to translate this into tangible benefits for the poorer sections of our society. When 30 per cent of our population lives below the poverty line and 26 per cent are illiterate, 'inclusion' cannot merely be a slogan but a compelling goal.

The President said that the need to reverse the deceleration in growth and raise it to 8 to 9 per cent that India had recorded for most of the years in the previous decade should be taken up as a collective challenge.

The President added that the manufacturing sector is an important tool for the creation of jobs in the country. Hence, growth of this sector is vital not only for the overall growth of the economy but also to meet the objectives of employment generation.

This release issued at 1245 hrs