Hong Kong keen to play major role in Indian infra funding

Hong Kong on Thursday said it is keen to play a major role in helping fund the development of India's infrastructure.

"Hong Kong can help finance India's infrastructure," Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's chief executive C.Y. Leung said at Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event here.

Leung said Hong Kong's position as a global financial services hub puts it in a unique position to help finance India's infrastructure requirements. He told the gathering that global players in the city in sectors like banking, finance, logistics and infrastructure "will be happy to share the experience and expertise to help you find opportunities in Hong Kong and the region".

"India is a world leader in IT and I know about their ambitious expansion plans for the sector, through the 'Make in India' programme.

"India is a country that has captured the attention and the imagination of the business world," Leung said, adding that bilateral trade between India and Hong Kong was growing at a healthy pace of 12 percent in 2014. The bilateral trade in 2014-15 stood at $19.17 billion.

The chief executive also said that Hong Kong has forwarded a draft MoU on cultural cooperation to the Indian government and is looking forward to its signing as soon as possible.