Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday began his five-day, three-nation visit with a stop in Cyprus, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the island nation in over two decades. He was received at the airport by Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides.

The key highlight of the visit was his address at the India-Cyprus CEO Forum in Limassol, where he pitched India as a hub of digital innovation, infrastructure development and economic opportunity. He also mentioned that India and the European Union are working towards a free trade agreement by the end of this year.

PM Modi said India has undergone significant transformation over the past decade, especially in the fields of digital payments, innovation, and infrastructure. He said, “It has happened after six decades that the same government has been elected for the third consecutive time.”

Pointing to India’s rapid digital growth, he said, “There has been a digital revolution in the last 10 years. Financial inclusion has become an example of this. Today, 50 per cent of the world’s digital transactions take place in India through UPI. Many countries, like France, are associated with it. Talks are going on to include Cyprus in this and I welcome it.”

He also highlighted the annual investment of over USD 100 billion in India’s infrastructure sector, particularly in maritime and port development, shipbuilding, shipbreaking and civil aviation. PM Modi said a new shipbuilding policy is also being introduced.