Sharing a light moment, PM Modi on Wednesday renamed the Director-General of WHO Tedros Ghebreyesus as “Tulsi Bhai” while speaking at the Global AYUSH Investment and Innovation Summit in Gandhinagar.
“Earlier this morning, Tedros met me and told me that he is a pakka Gujarati now so rename him with a Gujarati name. A short while ago, he asked me if I have found a Gujarati name for him. So today, I rename my close friend Tedros as Tulsi Bhai,” PM Modi said.
He further added, “Tulsi holds a special significance for us Indians since time immemorial. It is a tradition to have a Tulsi plant in front of our houses. Tulsi is also a chief component of India’s spiritual heritage. So when a summit is happening on Ayurveda, Tulsi is the most appropriate name. And in Gujarati, we have a practice of suffixing names with Bhai. Hence, Tulsi Bhai.”
In attendance were the World Health Organization’s Director-General Dr Tredos Ghebreyesus, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and other dignitaries.
Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi also highlighted how innovation and investment are key to driving competence in any particular field. “Innovation and investment play a significant role in expanding capabilities in any sector. The first investment summit for the AYUSH sector will therefore help in augmenting the sector’s capabilities,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi also enunciated on how the AYUSH products have helped patients not only in India but across the world. He also informed that the government is now going to make a special AYUSH mark which will be applied to the highest quality Ayush products made in India.
Besides, PM Modi also announced that to provide better access to traditional medicines in India, the government is going to introduce a special AYUSH visa category for foreign nationals who want to come to India to take advantage of AYUSH therapy.
Pitching India as an attractive destination for investment, PM Modi said the country is fast turning into an economic and business hub, highlighting how 14 startups have joined the unicorn club within first 4 months of 2022. “I am confident that unicorns will soon emerge from AYUSH start-ups,” PM Modi said.