Goyal discusses investment opportunities with US executives in NY

NEW YORK: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met with chief executives of leading global corporations as well as industry stakeholders here and discussed investment opportunities in India and areas to further strengthen the bilateral trade partnership with the US.

Goyal, who is in the US on an official visit, held a series of meetings with the CEOs of investment and financial giants on Monday.

Following a meeting with smart and sustainable buildings solutions provider Johnson Controls Chairman and CEO George Oliver, Goyal tweeted that he "exchanged views on enhancing company's role in decarbonisation & developing sustainable buildings in India."

They also discussed developing security products through Research and Development, the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence.

In his meeting with the CEO and Chairman of investment management giant Blackstone Stephen Schwarzman, Goyal discussed expanding India's investment landscape, including infrastructure, renewables and green hydrogen. They exchanged views on the "deepening of India's capital markets and private equity landscape," Goyal said in a separate tweet.

Goyal met Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach and co-founder and co-Executive Chairman of global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, Henry Kravis.

In a tweet after his meeting with Kravis, Goyal said he exchanged views on "attractive investment opportunities in India including in infrastructure, manufacturing and startup incubators."

Later, at a business roundtable organised by the US-India Business Council at Nasdaq, Goyal "spoke about India's remarkable economic transformation and huge potential. Stronger India-US trade and surging crossflow of investments are adding new value and dynamism to our bilateral partnership."

Earlier in the day, Goyal addressed a roundtable of stakeholders from industry, think tanks and academia at the Council on Foreign Relations.

The interaction focused on strengthening the India-US trade partnership and India's role as a trusted investment destination. "Discussed wide-ranging issues including India's G20 Presidency," Goyal tweeted.

Goyal began his engagements in New York with a visit to the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech which houses a mix of academic and research teams and corporate offices for technology companies, startups and venture capitalists.

He said Tata Innovation Center's work in "cutting-edge technology is a testimony to India-US cooperation in the sector, enhancing our mutual competitiveness & productivity." After arriving in New York Sunday, Goyal addressed members of the diaspora at a community reception in Edison, New Jersey where he lauded contributions made by members of the Indian-American community in strengthening bilateral relations.

He will travel to Washington DC Tuesday and will attend the 13th Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting on January 11. He will also hold a bilateral meeting with US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai.

According to the data of the commerce ministry, in 2021-22, the bilateral trade between the US and India stood at USD 119.42 billion as against USD 80.51 billion in 2020-21.