Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman invited global investors to invest in India while addressing a high-level business roundtable with leading investors and business leaders in Chicago, United States.
The meeting was centred on the theme “Manufacturing in India – for India and for the World”, with the Finance Minister highlighting India's growing investment potential and its expanding role in global production and supply chains.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Beyond the market: India is pitching itself as a global production and operations base, not merely a consumer market.
Digital advantage: Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, ONDC and India Stack strengthen India's digital investment proposition.
Manufacturing push: Semiconductors, electronics, defence and advanced technology remain key areas for investment.
Global capital link: GIFT IFSC is being positioned as a bridge between international investors and Indian opportunities.
Sitharaman identified strong domestic demand, investment-led growth, economic strength, skilled human resources and rapidly developing digital and physical infrastructure as key strengths of the Indian economy.
She urged global companies to view India not only as a large consumer market but also as a long-term hub for production, operations and innovation.
The Finance Minister highlighted India's expanding digital public infrastructure and investment opportunities in the digital and artificial intelligence sectors. She pointed to platforms and systems including Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, ONDC and India Stack as examples of India's digital ecosystem.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
Greater global investment could strengthen India's manufacturing capacity, technology ecosystem, employment opportunities and integration into global supply chains.
She also highlighted opportunities in AI, semiconductors and electronics, along with the country's growing Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem. In financial services, Sitharaman described GIFT IFSC as an important link between global capital and Indian opportunities. She said 1,250 entities had been registered there by June 2026, underlining the growing importance of India's international financial services ecosystem.
The Finance Minister also pointed to investment opportunities across manufacturing, infrastructure, food processing, defence and advanced technology. Sitharaman called on global companies to “co-develop, co-produce, and build for the global market” with India, stressing the country's ambition to become a global platform for manufacturing and innovation.
Her outreach to investors comes as India seeks to attract greater foreign investment and strengthen its position in global manufacturing and technology supply chains.
The Chicago roundtable therefore focused not only on India's domestic market but also on opportunities for international companies to use India as a base for serving global markets.
