Modi in US: Biz honchos say dual taxation a hurdle while investing in India

Modi would be the first world leader to have a working dinner with Trump at the White House

In his second leg of his three-nation tour, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roundtable meeting with business leaders in the US, Indian American businessmen pointed to dual taxation as a major hurdle for investments in India.

Sunny Ghai, president MGMT Service Inc., said, "Both Prime Minister Modi and President Donald Trump need to talk about dual taxation to ease our situation, so that we can invest in India and don't have to end up paying taxes on both sides."

As Trump pledged on the day of his inauguration that it's going to be only 'America first' and Prime Minister Modi has been highlighting his 'Make in India' and 'Digital India' programmes, Sunny Ghai said India can contribute to the American economy as every sector of the economy has a front and a back end and the front end only can work in the US while the back end of the Silicon Valley is in India in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi etc.

In his conference with US business honchos, Prime Minister Modi stressed that the whole world is looking at India today adding that growth for New Delhi also presents a win-win partnership for the United States.

Praising Prime Minister Modi, another expat said Modi has enhanced the status of Indian people across the world and we are not worried about the H1B Visa as there are no hurdles for students who know work.

"Infrastructure growth and terrorism are the main matters to focus on and I want that Russia should also support us on this," he added.

Dr. Nandini Tandon said she has high hopes from the meeting between two powerful leaders - Trump and Prime Minister Modi.

Referring to the H1B Visa regime, she said, "As an American citizen of Indian origin, we want that everyone should have jobs and tech savvy people are required both in America and India."

"I have already sent a report to Prime Minister Modi as there are three areas that will change India dramatically i.e. manufacturing, electric vehicles and solar energy and we have the know-how," Prof. Rajendra Singh said.

Lauding the Modi Government for introducing policies that have made easier for NRIs to do business in India, Singh said, "I wanted to establish a manufacturing plant in India, and now my desire can be fulfilled because we have the best possible government in India I have seen in the last 40 years."

Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi addressed the Indian diaspora in Virginia where he talked about terrorism, counter-terrorism, surgical strikes, the success of gas subsidy transfer and how the Ministry of External Affairs in India has brought a change in the lives of Indians across the globe.

Prime Minister Modi, who touched down the Andrews Air Force base in Washington on Sunday, is on a bilateral visit to meet Trump.

He would be the first world leader to have a working dinner with Trump at the White House on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the visit, India's Ambassador to the U.S., Navtej Sarna, said that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump would discuss crucial issues such as counter-terrorism, security and cyber security.