India invites global firms to manufacture and innovate for world markets
Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged international investors to establish manufacturing, technology and innovation operations in India. Speaking at a Chicago business roundtable, she presented the country as a platform for global production, highlighting digital infrastructure, supply-chain opportunities, GIFT City and sectors ranging from advanced technology to food processing.
India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has invited global companies to establish manufacturing bases, technology centres and innovation operations in the country, urging them to build for international markets. Speaking at a business roundtable in Chicago, Sitharaman said India’s investment proposition rested on the combination of scale, economic growth, talent, infrastructure, technology and sustained reform. “The policy environment is increasingly focused on enabling businesses to invest, manufacture, innovate and expand,” she said at the event organised by India’s Consulate General in Chicago and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.
The meeting focused on manufacturing in India for domestic and global markets. Sitharaman said companies should view the country not only as a market to serve but also as a base for manufacturing, technology, innovation and long-term infrastructure investment. Opportunities discussed included manufacturing, artificial intelligence, digital services, financial services, infrastructure, food processing, defence and advanced technologies.
She said India was seeking to move beyond assembly towards deeper component manufacturing, engineering and advanced technology. Sitharaman pointed to India’s digital public infrastructure, including Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, ONDC and India Stack. She said the next opportunity was to develop higher-value businesses in artificial intelligence, analytics, product development, semiconductors and electronics.
She also highlighted GIFT City, which she said had 1,250 registered entities as of June 2026. The financial centre offers opportunities in banking, fund management, reinsurance, aircraft and ship leasing, sustainable finance and other cross-border services. The minister said India’s infrastructure expansion, including freight corridors, railway modernisation, electrification and high-speed rail, would create opportunities for investors.
She also cited food processing, logistics, cold chains, drones and autonomous systems. Sitharaman was on a six-day visit to the United States and was scheduled to attend the G20 finance ministers’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, and visit New York.
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