Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that his government is making efforts to create systems that are innovation-friendly.


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Speaking after he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dedicated to the nation a centre for entrepreneurship and technology in Deo Dholera village near Ahmedabad, he said that the motive to establish the iCreate centre was to provide maximum benefit to the Indian youths from Israel's experience and their startup environment.


Called the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology, a public-private partnership (PPP) venture, iCreate was set up to nurture entrepreneurs by providing them funds, space, mentors and other facilities.


"When I went to Israel last year, I made up my mind that this foundation should have more strong relations with Israel. Since then, I was waiting for my friend Benjamin Netanyahu to come to India. He is here and now we are inaugurating this foundation," PM Modi said.


"We are working towards making the entire system in our country innovation-friendly so that ideas are formed from intent, innovations are formed from ideas and new India is formed from innovations," he said.





On his part, Netanyahu said he was delighted to be there. "The world knows about iPads and iPods, there is on more that the world needs to know about, that is iCreate."


Earlier on Wednesday, he described Mahatma Gandhi as one of the great prophets of humanity.


Netanyahu arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday morning and held a grand roadshow along with PM Modi before visiting the Sabarmati Ashram, the abode of Mahatma Gandhi for a long time.







In a four-line message jointly signed by him and his wife Sara in the visitor's log book at the ashram, the Israeli dignitaries said their "visit was inspiring".


"An inspiring visit to the hearth of one of humanity's great prophets of inspiration- Mahatma Gandhi," Netanyahu wrote in the book.


He and his wife spent around 20 minutes in the ashram premises, where they visited 'Hriday Kunj', the home of Mahatma Gandhi.


Netanyahu and PM Modi also tried their hands at the 'charkha', the hand spinning wheel which was emblematic of India's quest for self-reliance during the freedom struggle.


They also flew kites for a couple of minutes, as their visit comes just a few days after 'Uttarayana' (or Makar Sankranti), Gujarat's popular kite festival.



PM Modi and Netanyahu held the roadshow in Ahmedabad under a heavy security blanket as thousands of people lined up along the route to greet them.


After arriving in Gujarat, the two leaders, along with the Israeli PM's wife Sara, set out in a car from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport.


Around 50 stages were erected on the roadside along the stretch to showcase performances by troupes of different states to welcome the guests.


People carrying Indian and Israeli flags stood in large numbers on both sides of the tastefully decorated road.


Modi and Netanyahu waved at the people, who greeted them with loud cheers.


The roadshow concluded at Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram, after traversing 8 km.


(With PTI inputs)