Gadkari on week-long US visit to seek investment in infra

India will seek American assistance in innovative technologies for highway development, road engineering and green fuels during the week-long US visit of Indian Road Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, an official statement said on Sunday.

"Indo-US cooperation in the vital infrastructure sector will get a new impetus when Road Transport, Highways & Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari holds official talks with his counterpart, US Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx in Washington tomorrow (Monday)," said a Road Transport and Highways Ministry statement here.

At his interaction with the American maritime industry, "Gadkari will highlight investment opportunities in the Indian maritime sector and invite US investments in ports, port-led industrialisation, coastal economic zones, construction of new berths and terminals in existing ports, mechanisation, ship building and ship repairing, among others," it said.

India has envisaged around $50-60 billion foreign investment for infrastructure and another $100 billion towards industrial development for port-led economic growth in the maritime sector and inland waterways, the statement added.

Gadkari, who is being accompanied by senior officials, is scheduled to engage the US infrastructure companies at a series of interactions organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, the US India Business Council, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and other business forums in Washington, New York and San Francisco, the ministry said.

Gadkari will also visit Tesla, manufacturers of quality electric cars, meet with investors and interact with TiE Charter, a global organisation of entrepreneurs with over 12,000 members, it added.