India Pulling All Stops To Woo Foreign Investors

NEW DELHI – The government is clearlymaking all out efforts to woo back globalinvestors into the country’s energy sectorand drive India’s growth story.Government officials said the PrimeMinister’s Office (PMO) has taken the lead.Detailed parleys are being held at the highestlevel to woo foreign investors throughroad shows and detailed presentations arebeing given on India’s growth story and onsome of the big ticket investment projectsin the energy sector. Personal invitations arebeing extended to top ministers across theworld to visit India along with their businesscommunity. Bilateral communications arealso being made with cash-rich Gulfnations to attract investments from theirsovereign wealth funds into India’s infrastructureprojects. At a recent inter-ministerialmeeting at the PMO, it was decided thata portfolio of investment proposals shouldbe sent to Gulf countries including Kuwait,UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.Officials said a bouquet of concrete investmentproposals, including PSU disinvestment,infrastructure funds and big ticketenergy and infrastructure projects are beingoffered. Minister for petroleum and naturalgas M Veerappa Moily has also been holdingtalks with top ministers from SaudiArabia, Kuwait and other Gulf nations,apart from energy-rich Latin Americannations such as Venezuela, and variousAfrican nations.