Samarkand: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Thursday (September 15) night to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO Summit). PM Narendra Modi, while addressing the SCO summit on Friday, said that he wants to turn India into a manufacturing hub. The SCO summit is set to deliberate on regional security challenges, boosting trade and energy supply, among other issues. PM Modi is likely to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, which includes Russian President Putin and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, among others. Addressing the summit on Friday, PM Modi said, "There are more than 70,000 start-ups in India. We are focusing on a people-centric development model. We are supporting innovation in every field. Today, there are more than 70,000 start-ups and more than 100 unicorns in our country. India's economy is expected to grow at 7.5 per cent this year. I am happy that our economy is one of the largest economies and fastest growing economies in the world. Russian President Putin and PM Modi are attending the two-day 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).'' This is the first physical meeting in the last two years, which has removed the fears of Corona and provided a platform for all the 8 heads of state to meet face-to-face on global and regional issues. Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov told the media that Russian President Putin is going to attend the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. PM Modi is also going. He said "We have already announced that there will be several meetings with PM Modi in Samarkand.'' RBI may increase repo rate by 50 bps to 5.9 pc in Sept policy Mass Shooting case Begusarai: All 4 Accused Arrested Protests Erupt in Assam After 6 Communities not being granted ST status