Washington Seeks Indian Investment in Capital City

Washington: The mayor of Washington has expressed keen interest in increasing cooperation between the American capital and India and hoped that more Indian companies would be drawn to the city.

Washington welcomed such investment from India, City Mayor Vincent Gray told Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao during a meeting here Thursday, according to the Indian embassy.

Also present at the meeting were the city's Indian American Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi and Cynthia Brock-Smith, Secretary of the District of Columbia.

Welcoming the ambassador, Gray apprised her of the activities of the city administration and said that Washington is focusing on technological development, education, law and order and employment generation.

Rao informed the mayor of the excellent progress in India-US bilateral relations and the priorities of the Government of India in meeting its developmental goals. She hoped that there could be greater cooperation in the field of education between the District and India.

Touching on business relations, she referred to the gamut of India's commercial relationship with the United States including investments in 43 states of the US by Indian companies and the job creation taking place in the United States because of these investments.

Rao invited the mayor to visit India during which time the possibility of establishing closer linkages between Washington and New Delhi as capitals of two great democracies could be seriously explored. Gray said he greatly looked forward to his visit at a mutually convenient date.

It was also decided to explore the possibility of the Indian embassy and Washington jointly organizing an event to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.