Modi meets Yash, Rishab, former cricketers over dinner in Bengaluru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met with Kannada actors Yash and Rishab Shetty, and former cricketers Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, along with some other noted personalities from various fields, including start-ups, here. According to sources, the meeting took place over dinner hosted at the Raj Bhavan here on Sunday after Modi arrived in the evening to participate in the inauguration of 14th edition of Aero India. They said Modi told the actors that the film industries of the southern states have given a great boost to India’s culture and identity through their work. He particularly appreciated how they have encouraged the participation of women. The prime minister stressed the need to leverage the ITIs to provide courses related to films especially in areas needing technical expertise and also remembered late actor Puneeth Rajkumar during the interaction, the sources said. He informed the sportspersons about the measures being taken by the central government to encourage sporting talents, including through the National Education Policy. The discussion with the start-up world focused on how to further support it and nurture an innovation ecosystem in India, the sources said.