‘India willing to invest at least $20b in Pakistan’
Pak-India Business Council chairman returns from two-week trip.
LAHORE:
Indian investors have shown willingness to invest $20 billion to 50 billion in Pakistan’s mining, petroleum, energy, power and infrastructure projects. Pak-India Business Council (PIBC) Chairman Noor Muhammad Kasuri said that there are several big investors in India interested in exploring opportunities in Pakistan. Kasuri returned from India on Tuesday after a fortnight visit and having meetings with the Indian business community.
He added that the Indian private sector has also shown eagerness to export electricity to Pakistan through Wagah-Attari border and can lay electricity lines within months for this purpose. At the Nuclear Security Summit in March, India had formally offered Pakistan 5,000MW of electricity during a brief meeting between Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
After enhancement in trade ties, opportunities for big projects like gas pipeline project between Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India will further increase. He stated that access and acceptability for Pakistani products in Indian markets has been improved after recent initiatives to improve relations between both governments.
PIBC Chairman also examined that India has developed infrastructure in tourism, information technology, agriculture, business and industrial fields and Pakistan can take advantage from Indian experiences.
Moreover, Pakistani businessmen and industrialists should avail opportunities in this regard through hard work and honesty. PIBC has also suggested to governments of both the countries to establish joint industrial and economic zones.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 2nd, 2012.
Indian investors have shown willingness to invest $20 billion to 50 billion in Pakistan’s mining, petroleum, energy, power and infrastructure projects. Pak-India Business Council (PIBC) Chairman Noor Muhammad Kasuri said that there are several big investors in India interested in exploring opportunities in Pakistan. Kasuri returned from India on Tuesday after a fortnight visit and having meetings with the Indian business community.
He added that the Indian private sector has also shown eagerness to export electricity to Pakistan through Wagah-Attari border and can lay electricity lines within months for this purpose. At the Nuclear Security Summit in March, India had formally offered Pakistan 5,000MW of electricity during a brief meeting between Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
After enhancement in trade ties, opportunities for big projects like gas pipeline project between Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India will further increase. He stated that access and acceptability for Pakistani products in Indian markets has been improved after recent initiatives to improve relations between both governments.
PIBC Chairman also examined that India has developed infrastructure in tourism, information technology, agriculture, business and industrial fields and Pakistan can take advantage from Indian experiences.
Moreover, Pakistani businessmen and industrialists should avail opportunities in this regard through hard work and honesty. PIBC has also suggested to governments of both the countries to establish joint industrial and economic zones.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 2nd, 2012.