New Delhi /Chicago : Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman invited global investors and business leaders to participate in India’s growth story, highlighting the country’s broad-based economic expansion, reform momentum and increasing opportunities for long-term investment.
Sitharaman was addressing a high-level business roundtable in Chicago organised by the Consulate General of India in Chicago in association with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).
The discussions focused on the theme “Manufacture in India — for India and for the world.” Investment opportunities were highlighted across manufacturing, artificial intelligence and digital technologies, financial services, infrastructure, food processing, defence and other advanced technology sectors.
‘Why India, Why Now’
In her address, Sitharaman outlined what she described as the key reasons for investing in India at the present juncture. These include:
- Strong domestic demand;
- Investment-led economic growth;
- Macroeconomic resilience;
- A large and skilled talent pool;
- Expanding digital infrastructure; and
- Rapid development of physical infrastructure.
She said that as global companies reassessed their supply chains and capital-allocation strategies, India offered not only the scale of a large market but also increasing depth as a long-term investment and operating platform.
Opportunities in Digital and AI
The Finance Minister highlighted India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, including Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, ONDC and India Stack.
She said these platforms had created digital capabilities at population scale and opened opportunities for higher-value businesses in artificial intelligence, engineering, analytics, product development, semiconductors and electronics.
Sitharaman also pointed to the growing role of India’s Global Capability Centres, saying they were increasingly evolving beyond traditional support functions into global hubs for innovation, research and product development.
GIFT IFSC as a Gateway to India
On financial services, Sitharaman highlighted the emergence of GIFT International Financial Services Centre (GIFT IFSC) as an international financial hub connecting global capital with opportunities in India.
She said GIFT IFSC had 1,250 registered entities as of June 2026. The centre offers opportunities in areas such as:
- Banking;
- Fund management;
- Reinsurance;
- Aircraft and ship leasing;
- Sustainable finance; and
- Other cross-border financial services.
The minister invited global financial institutions to explore GIFT City as a gateway to India’s financial ecosystem.
Manufacturing and Supply Chains
Sitharaman said the restructuring of global supply chains presented an opportunity for India to expand its role in international manufacturing.
She emphasised that India’s manufacturing ambitions were moving beyond assembly towards deeper component manufacturing, engineering and advanced technologies. She said targeted policy measures, including the Production Linked Incentive scheme, were supporting this transition.
India’s large domestic market, she added, could provide manufacturers with both a strong consumption base and a platform for serving international markets.
Infrastructure and Food Processing
The Finance Minister also highlighted opportunities arising from India’s infrastructure expansion, including:
- Dedicated freight corridors;
- Railway modernisation;
- Electrification;
- High-speed rail;
- Engineering and construction;
- Specialised equipment; and
- Materials and technology.
She said the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) offered a commercially driven platform for global investors seeking to participate in India’s infrastructure development.
On food processing, Sitharaman pointed to India’s agricultural base, rising incomes and changing consumption patterns. She said these factors were creating opportunities in food processing, automation, packaging, logistics and cold-chain infrastructure, with the potential to serve both Indian and global markets.
Defence and Advanced Technologies
The minister also referred to opportunities in defence and emerging technologies under initiatives such as Atmanirbhar Bharat and iDEX.
She said India was building domestic capabilities in areas including drones, autonomous systems and other advanced technologies. These initiatives, she added, were creating scope for collaboration between Indian and international companies in research, development, manufacturing and innovation.
India as a Platform for Global Growth
Sitharaman said India’s investment proposition was based not on any single sector, but on the combined strength of its market size, economic growth, talent, infrastructure, technology ecosystem and sustained reforms over the past decade.
She said the policy environment was increasingly focused on enabling businesses to invest, manufacture, innovate and expand.
Concluding her remarks, the Finance Minister invited global partners to co-develop, co-produce and build from India for global markets. She urged companies not to view India merely as a market to serve, but as a platform from which to build for the world.
According to Sitharaman, India can serve as a manufacturing base, a technology and innovation centre, a consumer market and a destination for long-term infrastructure investment, supported by its engineering talent, manufacturing capabilities and expanding technology ecosystem.