7
News India Times August 21, 2015
– that’s all you need to know
Special Report
“TheU.S. leaders have said
time and again that they see
the rise of India in theU.S.
interest, andPrimeMinister
NarendraModi has referred
to this as a relationship
betweennatural allies.
It is fromthat perspective
thatwe approach the
bilateral relationship”
– Ambassador Arun Singh
Asia, Ramesh Patel, chairman of
Federation of Indian
Associations, Upendra
Chivukula, former
Assemblyman who is now chair-
man of New Jersey Board of
Public Utilities and a host of
businessmen and entrepre-
neurs, including Anil Bhatia,
director Phillip Morris; Jay M
Shah, CEO of Hersh Hospitality
Trust; Dipak Patel, CEO of Anna
Management Corporation and
Alpa Yagni, president, Wells
Fargo.
The ambassador assured the
gathering that a lot of opportu-
nities for doing business and
making investments will open
up in India in the coming years
and asked entrepreneurs to take
advantage of that.
OpportunitiesAplenty
“We believe that in the com-
ing years, there will be a lot of
opportunities in the infrastruc-
ture sector because as we
expand manufacturing, those
constraints will see enhanced
emphasis. There will be need for
roads, telecom, and power for
which investments will be need-
ed. The government has also
launched a project for 100 smart
cities and that again will provide
opportunities for foreign invest-
ment, for urban infrastructure in
the next ten years or so,” he said.
The renewable energy sector
was another area of investment
opportunity, he added.
Especially in light of India’s poli-
cy of inclusive growth that aims
to bring more people above the
poverty line, the need for renew-
able energy will increase. Both
countries could partner to
mutual advantage, he added.
“India will provide opportuni-
ty because the country has
demand, democracy and
demography,” he said, alluding
to the 600 million ‘technically-
enriched’ Indians under 25
entering the labor market, a
demographic advantage com-
pared to many other countries
where the population is aging.
During the question answer-
session, entrepreneur Jay Shah
brought up the issue of ‘ease of
doing business in India’ noting
that theWorld Bank’s Ease of
Doing Business Index shows
India among the bottom 25 per-
centile of countries. “So, as well-
intentioned as the policy might
be, what are the practical barri-
ers for getting something like
that addressed?” Shah asked.
An unruffled Singh acknowl-
edged theWorld Bank Index and
the issues on ease of doing busi-
ness in India. “But I believe the
World Bank is also taking a look
at the various steps taken by the
government over the past one
year which are huge,” he
emphasized. Data from the
Federation of Indian Chamber
of Commerce and Industry,
autonomous body, had put out a
five-page document about the
ease of doing business in India.
He also pointed to Foreign
Policy magazine’s recent article
which counted India as a num-
ber one investment destination.
Singh, who has a background
in economics and taught in
Delhi University before joining
the Indian Foreign Service,
spent the major part of his
address and interaction on eco-
nomic and business issues,
although he answered a few
questions on India’s relations
with Israel, and the future of
bilateral relations with Pakistan.
CommunityReception
Later the same day, Singh was
feted by the Federation of Indian
Associations in Royal Albert’s
Palace in Fords, New Jersey,
where over 340 members of the
community from New Jersey
and NewYork greeted him. the
FIA greeted the ambassador
with a plaque and representa-
tives from some 30 other com-
munity organizations that
joined FIA in welcoming the vis-
iting ambassador, greeted him
with bouquets.
“The Ambassador showed a
lot of patience as he stood most
of the time during the one-and-
half hour program on the dais,
allowing people to get pho-
tographed with him. Even some
of the workers of Albert’s Palace,
who requested to be pho-
tographed with the dignitary, got
a chance to have their moment
of glory,” FIA President Ankur
Vaidya told Desi Talk. “Later, we
took the ambassador inside
Albert’s Palace to show him
around an Indian American’s
enterprise. New Jersey State
Police Bagpipers gave him a cer-
emonial welcome.”
Ambassador Arun Singh being presented with a plaque by FIA president Ankur Vaidya at a reception in Royal Albert Palace, Aug 9.
From left, Ambassador Singh,
FIA Chairman Ramesh Patel, and
Dr. Sudhir Parikh at the FIA reception
for the visiting ambassador.
Below, Dr. Sudha Parikh welcoming
Ambassador Singh at the beginning of
the luncheon at Renaissance Hotel.
Jugesh Soni
Kamal Joshi
