India's Infra Sector Offers Vast Biz Prospects To U.S.

Bangalore: India's infrastructure sector is on the edge of big jump and offers noteworthy investment opportunities for U.S. businesses and other investors, Planning Commission Member B K Chaturvedi has said.

He asked American investors to have confidence in India and its market. Investment in India's infrastructure sector -- which has been has been pegged at around $1 trillion over next five years - has high potential, not high risk, Chaturvedi said.

But, he cautioned that such potential has to be assessed on medium-to-long term basis, since any objective or correct assessment cannot be done based on one or two investment, or for short term. Chaturvedi was addressing a day-long symposium, organized by the Consulate General of India in Chicago, in partnership with Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, U.S. India Bushiness Council, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

In his keynote address, Rajiv Lall, Vice Chairman  & MD of IDFC Ltd said the Indian infrastructure story is not about how much it has not been able to attain, but substantial achievements that have been accomplished so far, with specific examples of success. Highlighting the enormous potential for Indo-U.S. collaboration in this area, Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Nirupama Rao said the present emphasis on public private partnership (PPP) would lead to the share of private sector in total investment in infrastructure moving up from around 40 per cent in the 11th Five Year Plan to 50 percent in the 12th Plan (2012-17).