World Health Organization Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gave "Gujarati name" to World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus on his request.

PM Modi told WHO chief at the Global AYUSH Investment and Innovation Summit in Gandhinagar, "I am enjoying calling you Tulsibhai."

PM Modi explained to him that Indians have been worshiping the Tulsi plant for generations.

PM Modi said that "WHO Director General Tedros is my good friend. He always told me that Indian teachers taught me and I am here because of them. Today he told me - 'I have become a true Gujarati. Have you Have you decided on a name for me?'

That's why I will call him Tulsibhai. Tulsi is a plant which is being forgotten by modern generations. Generations have worshiped Tulsi. You can use Tulsi plant in marriage also. So now you are with us.

PM Modi was addressing the opening ceremony of the three-day Global AYUSH Investment and Innovation Summit in Gujarat.

Apart from the Director General of WHO, Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth was also present on this occasion.

PM Modi announced that India will soon introduce a special AYUSH visa category for foreign nationals who want to come here for traditional medicine.

"Soon, India is going to introduce a special AYUSH visa category for foreign nationals who want to come to India to take advantage of AYUSH therapy," he told at the function.


He said that there is immense potential for investment and innovation in the field of AYUSH.

"We are already witnessing an unprecedented boom in the production of AYUSH drugs, supplements and cosmetics," the Prime Minister said.