Presidents of France, Nepal condole Manmohan Singh's demise, call him "great man and visionary leader"

Macron said that India has lost a "great man" and France a "true friend" and offered condolences to his family and people of India.

In a post shared on X, Macron stated, "India has lost a great man, and France a true friend, in the person of Dr. Manmohan Singh. He had devoted his life to his country. Our thoughts are with his family and the people of India."

Ramchandra Paudel called former PM Manmohan Singh a "visionary leader" of India and extended sympathies to the government and people of India and the bereaved family members.

"We are profoundly saddened by the passing away of former Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh. Dr. Singh was a visionary leader of India.I extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the Government and people of India as well as the bereaved family members," Paudel posted on X.

Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday evening at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the AIIMS Delhi.

Singh, renowned for introducing the 1991 economic liberalisation reforms as the Finance Minister of India, will be cremated near Rajghat, at the location where the last rites of Prime Ministers are performed.Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932.

Apart from being an economist, Manmohan Singh served as Reserve Bank of India governor from 1982-1985. He was the 13th PM of India with his tenure from 2004-2014 and was the longest-serving PM after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.

Serving as the finance minister of India in PV Narasimha Rao's government, Singh has been given credit for economic liberalisation in the country in 1991. The reforms made the Indian economy more accessible to foreign investors, which increased FDI and reduced government control. It greatly contributed to the country's economic growth.

Manmohan Singh's passing marks the end of an era in Indian politics. Known for his calm demeanour and economic acumen, Dr Singh served two consecutive terms as Prime Minister after Congress won the 2004 general elections, defeating the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA. He was succeeded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, following the Congress party's defeat in the general elections. (ANI)