New Delhi, August 29: India offers a huge market, human resources, developing infrastructure, digital capabilities and ongoing economic reforms, said Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who has made India an attractive choice for foreign investment.
At the high-level Business Roundtable with investors and business leaders in Chicago, United States, Sitharaman made the remarks. The meeting centered onfly the opportunities arising in the Indian industry in advanced sectors such as manufacturing, artificial intelligence, digital technology, financial services, infrastructure, food processing, defence and others.
During the meeting, the message, “Manufacture in India, for India and for the world” was a key message. Sitharaman appealed to multinational companies to consider India as a market outlet for their products and also as a manufacturing centre to innovate and service international markets.
Why India, Why Now
The Finance Minister outlined the economy’s numerous advantages when outlining the investment opportunities for India. These factors include robust domestic demand, investment-driven growth, macroeconomic stability, a large supply of skilled human resources, a growth in physical infrastructure and a rapid development in digital infrastructure.
She said that it was not necessary for India to be a good investment case in a specific sector. It’s rather a function of economic scale plus technology, talent, infrastructure and reforms over the last ten years.
The minister also pointed out the shift in the global supply-chain environment. Companies are reviewing their manufacturing facilities and how they allocate their capital, and India wants to get more of the world’s manufacturing and investment.
Sitharaman said that India’s strength is that it has a huge domestic market and is becoming increasingly competitive in manufacturing. The focus is also shifting from mere assembly to more advanced component manufacturing, engineering and advanced technologies, she said, with Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes providing support.
Digital Infrastructure and AI
Another key topic of discussion was India’s digital infrastructure.
Sitharaman spoke about the country’s Digital Public Infrastructure like Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, ONDC and India Stack. These platforms have been developed to scale at population level and have contributed to a digital ecosystem to support businesses and consumers throughout the country.
Next is the quest for higher value activities, including artificial intelligence, engineering, analytics, product development, semiconductors and electronics, said the Finance Minister.
She also highlighted the evolving nature of Global Capability Centres (GCCs). Many GCCs are now acting as innovation hubs that are developing technologies, performing engineering and other high-value activities rather than simply as support centres.
Financial Opportunities are provided by GIFT City.
Sitharaman also encouraged international financial institutions to visit GIFT International Financial Services Centre (GIFT IFSC) to explore business opportunities.
The data shared at the roundtable showed that there are 1250 registered entities in the financial hub as of June 2026. GIFT IFSC is emerging as an international financial centre, bringing together global capital with opportunities in India.
The Finance Minister pointed to possibilities in such sectors as banking, fund management, reinsurance, aircraft and ship leasing, sustainable finance and other financial services across borders.
Manufacturing and Defence
The government is also keen to increase international involvement in manufacturing of defence technology.
Sitharaman discussed the Atmanirbhar Bharat and iDEX initiatives to boost the capabilities of the domestic industry in areas like drones, autonomous systems and other emerging fields.
She urged the world companies to look into the possibilities of India-Global cooperation in co-development, co-production and co-development of the products in India for the world market.
The Chicago roundtable was an initiative of the Consulate General of India, Chicago, along with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.
