PM invites US CEOs to invest in India, says GST game changer

WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has now emerged as a business-friendly destination, more so with the upcoming implementation of landmark GST beginning next month, while asking CEOs of top US companies to invest in the country.

PM Narendra Modi with US business leaders at a meeting in Washington DC on Sunday. PTI

Washington, June 25

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has now emerged as a business-friendly destination, more so with the upcoming implementation of landmark GST beginning next month, while asking CEOs of top US companies to invest in the country.

Modi also said India attracted largest foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result of the NDA government policies in the past three years, during his interaction with a group of CEOs of top 20 American firms.

In a round-table interaction with the group, including Tim Cook of Apple, Satya Nadella from Microsoft, Sunder Pichai from Google, John Chambers from Cisco and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Modi listed out steps taken by his government in the last three years and next moves.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

“The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of (doing) business and minimum government, maximum governance,” Gopal Bagley, spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in a tweet from inside the meeting, quoting the Prime Minister.

India’s growth presents a win-win partnership for the country and the US, and American companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that, Modi told the CEOs, according to Bagley.

“The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools,” Modi said.

During the hour-long interaction, at the Willard Hotel, where he is staying, Modi gave a patient hearing to the wish-list of the CEOs.

Among other CEOs present at the meeting were Shantanu Narayen from Adobe, Ajay Banga from Mastercard, David Farr from Emerson, Doug McMillon and Punit Renjen from Deloitte Global. Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Business Council, was also present at the meeting.

Posting a group picture of the PM with the CEOs, Bagley said, “strengthening the Indo-US economic partnership”.

In a recent policy document, USIBC said the US-India commercial and strategic relationship supports global security, promotes economic growth and creates jobs for both countries and the global economy. — PTI