Trump is a practical person, India can do business with him: Ajay Banga

Says US President Trump and PM Modi are strongly patriotic and nationalistically driven leader

Mastercard President and CEO Ajay Banga today said US President Donald Trump is a 'practical and thoughtful person' with whom India can do business in a constructive manner.

Banga, who is also serving as a member of the US government's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations since 2015, further said that US President Trump and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi are strongly patriotic and nationalistically driven leader.

"I have found President Trump as a practical and thoughtful person. He is a guy that I believe India can do business within a constructive way," he said at St Stephen's College Alumni Dialogue.

Asked whether he finds any similarity between Modi and Trump, Banga said, "I believe both of them are strongly patriotic and nationalistically driven leader".

Noting that Modi has taken upon himself the opportunity to transform India, he said, "I believe we have no choice in India other than to pursue some of the kind of policy that he is trying to put into the place".

The Mastercard CEO noted that our demographic dividend will not be a dividend if we don't do the right things now.

Emphasising that India's leadership is strong, Banga said, "this is time for India to demonstrate its capability".

He also pointed out that female contribution in India's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is low because they are locked-up in less productive jobs.

Banga has been the President and CEO of MasterCard since 2010. He joined MasterCard in 2009 as President and COO.

Prior to joining MasterCard, he held various senior management roles with Citigroup from 1996 to 2009.

He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and St Stephen's College.