The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today invited the investors and entrepreneurs from Saudi Arabia to explore investment opportunities in India. <br/><br/>Underlining India’s vast needs for high quality modern infrastructure, the Prime Minister Dr Singh specified energy, telecommunication, pharmaceuticals, health,agriculture among other areas for prospective investors from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.<br/><br/>Giving his remarks in the Saudi-India Business Forum at the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and industry in capital Riyad in Saudi Arabia today, the Prime Minister asserted that despite the global economic slowdown, India hopes to achieve a growth rate of 7 per cent in the current financial year.<br/><br/>He further expected to get back to the growth rate of about 9 per cent per annum within two years.<br/><br/>At the Council of Chambers Dr. Singh highlighted the fact that India can support investment rates of as high as 38 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product. <br/>He said that both India and Saudi Arabia have a sound institutional mechanism in place to facilitate trade and investment which includes a Double taxation Avoidance Agreement and Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement.<br/><br/>It may be recalled that these two important agreements had been signed in January 2006 during the visit of the Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud to India.<br/><br/>Appreciating Saudi Arabia’s role as a reliable partner in meeting India’s energy needs, the Prime Minister said that conditions are ripe for both countries to move beyond a traditional buyer-seller relationship to a comprehensive energy partnership. <br/><br/>He said that both should establish new partnership in the area of new and renewable energy through the sharing of clean technologies and joint collaboration.<br/>
News On AIR | February 28, 2010 7:58 PM
PM invites investors from Saudi Arabia to explore opportunities in India