Saudi Arabia to work on Make in India programme

KV Prasad

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 3

Saudi Arabia, a country which India identifies as a strategic partner in the region, is hopeful of expanding all-round ties with New Delhi and hopes to work in the Make in India programme that aims to boost manufacturing capacity in the country.

With nearly 3 million Indians working there and granted an unprecedented 1.2 million visas last year, Saudi Arabia is seeking to expand cooperation with India in areas including trade that rose from $26 billion in 2010 to $49 billion last year, Saudi Arabia Ambassador Saud Mohammed Alsati told The Tribune.

At a time when the Narendra Modi government has launched the Make in India campaign, the Saudi envoy said visits were organised under the aegis of the Saudi-India Business Chambers with a group of businesspersons taking part in a dialogue on trade and investment opportunities in India last month. Nearly 100 Saudi and Indian businessmen and investors were present at the Make in India event launch and the Indian Mission in Riyadh last September.