Need investment in infrastructure, human capital for high growth: Mukherjee

President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said India needs investment in infrastructure and human capital to achieve high growth rate over the next two decades.

"To consistently achieve high growth rates over the next two decades, India would require unprecedented investments in infrastructure, human and social capital. Infrastructure development for India is, thus, both an imperative and a key concern," Mukherjee said at the inauguration of diamond jubilee celebrations of the Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) here.

Noting engineering is the leading segment of Indian industry and overseas shipments from this sector account for over 22 percent of India's total merchandise exports, he called upon the EEPC to focus on product quality and market as well as product diversification.

He also commended the EEPC for taking initiatives to promote new and emerging sectors such as defence, medical devices and renewable energy and skill development.

Mukherjee said the exports from India has crossed $70 billion in the last fiscal, which he described as "testimony to the service EEPC has been rendering to the nation".

Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and EEPC India chairman Anupam Shah were among those present on the occasion.