Make in India needs new infrastructure: PM Modi in Germany

Hannover, Apr 13: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that "Make in India" requires urgent creation of new infrastructure.

"Our strategy for 'Make in India' requires urgent creation of new infrastructure. The substantial enhancement in financing in the federal budget for highways, railways and energy is a step in this direction. Work has begun on the development of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor," said Modi in an Op-Ed piece in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Germany, said that through "our 'Act East' and 'Link West' policy, India has the potential of becoming the middle ground for East and West as a manufacturing hub that serves both our vast domestic market and becomes a base for global exports and general well-being".

He said: "My government has pledged a stable and transparent tax regime, reducing corporate taxes and implementing a single Goods and Services Tax in 2016."

Asserting that his "Make in India" campaign is not a mere brand or a slogan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked global businesses to follow its logo, the lion, to the welcoming and stable investment climate in his country and become a part of this new, national movement.

"We will make it easy to do business in India. And, we will always be eager to listen to your feedback," the prime minister said at the opening of Hannover Messe, considered the largest industrial fair in the world, where India is the partner country this year.

"So, my message to you is this: You will find an environment that is not only open, but also welcoming," Modi said at the event which he inaugurated with his host and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, while also listing a host of advantages of investing in India.

Since landing here on Sunday evening, Modi could not have missed the overwhelming presence of the Make in India Lion in this city -- billboards to the local trams -- that is expected to attract 200,000 visitors over five days to the fair that is also hosting 350 Indian firms.

IANS