India Pitches 'Manufacture in India' to Global Investors in Chicago

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman actively courted global investors in Chicago, presenting India as a prime destination for manufacturing and technological advancement. Addressing a high-level Business Roundtable, she championed the 'Manufacture in India -- for India and for the world' initiative, emphasizing opportunities across diverse sectors including manufacturing, artificial intelligence, digital services, financial services, infrastructure, food processing, defense, and advanced technologies.

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A key focus of the meeting was 'Manufacture in India -- for India and for the world', with opportunities across manufacturing, AI & digital, financial services, infrastructure, food processing, defence and advanced technologies

Sitharaman detailed the core factors underpinning India's economic appeal. She pointed to a robust combination of strong domestic demand, investment-driven expansion, macroeconomic resilience, a deep pool of skilled talent, and continuously expanding physical and digital infrastructure. As international corporations re-evaluate global supply chains, India offers significant scale and long-term operational depth, making it an attractive alternative.

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Digital Public Infrastructure--including Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, ONDC and India Stack--has created platforms at population scale

The minister highlighted the transformative impact of India's Digital Public Infrastructure, such as Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker, which have created population-scale platforms. She outlined the next phase of development, focusing on building higher-value operations in areas like artificial intelligence, analytics, engineering, semiconductors, and electronics, with Global Capability Centres evolving into innovation hubs.

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the next phase involves building higher-value operations in artificial intelligence, analytics, engineering, semiconductors, and electronics, with Global Capability Centres across the country developing into global innovation hubs.

Addressing the financial sector, Sitharaman noted the expansion of GIFT IFSC as an international financial center. She also underscored the shift in industrial manufacturing from basic assembly to deeper component manufacturing and advanced technologies, supported by government policies like the Production Linked Incentive scheme. Furthermore, she pointed to ongoing national infrastructure development and opportunities in agricultural processing and defense technology, emphasizing India's comprehensive investment proposition driven by scale, growth, talent, infrastructure, technology, and sustained reforms.

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the discussion underscored the shift beyond basic assembly toward deeper component manufacturing, engineering, and advanced technologies, supported by policy measures such as the Production Linked Incentive scheme.