New Delhi [India], March 26 (ANI): Tourism can play a key role in driving economic growth and job creation in India, said Amitabh Kant, former G20 Sherpa and ex Niti Aayog CEO, stressing that this sector will be crucial for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of an event organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Kant on Thursday said tourism has a strong 'multiplier' effect on the economy.

'Tourism is a very big multiplier of growth. It is a huge driver of job creation,' Kant said.

He added that if India wants to become a developed nation, the economy must grow rapidly while also generating employment opportunities.

'So if India has to become a Viksit Bharat, it has to grow at high rates, but it has to grow with jobs and there is no better sector than tourism to create both growth and jobs,' he said.

Kant also praised the initiative taken by the Indian Chamber of Commerce to organise an event focused on tourism.

'I would like to compliment Indian Chambers of Commerce for taking this initiative,' he said, adding that states will play a crucial role in boosting tourism.

'States have to play a very critical role and this can be the key driver of both growth and jobs in India,' he noted.

Reflecting on India's role during its presidency of the G20, Kant said the country was able to build consensus on several important global issues.

'Well, those were critical days for India at that point of time on G20. We were able to bring consensus on a range of issues from SDGs to growth, to AI, to women-led development, to financial inclusion,' he said.

Kant further added that multilateral cooperation is facing challenges today amid global conflicts and disruptions to supply chains.

'Multilateralism today is seeing a lot of challenges. You're seeing conflict in the heart of Europe. You're seeing supply chains have been broken down,' he said.

Highlighting emerging technologies, he noted that artificial intelligence is a 'very big accelerator of growth.'

'You're seeing AI as a very big accelerator of growth and therefore multilateralism will have to play a critical role and all countries need to sit together and address these very challenging times for the world,' Kant said.

On India's aviation sector, Kant said the government's UDAN Scheme has significantly improved connectivity across the country.

'I think UDAN scheme has been a great boon for India. It's opened up several geographical regions and enabled Indians to fly,' he said.

He added that improved connectivity to smaller cities and rural regions will strengthen India's growth story.

'Airlines have been able to cover tier-2, tier-3 areas and now they will cover many rural areas as well and therefore every Indian will get an opportunity to fly by aircraft, and that to my mind will be a huge, huge impact on the growth story of India,' Kant said. (ANI)