Sitharaman pitches India’s digital infrastructure to global CEOs

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman invited global companies to explore investment opportunities in India’s rapidly expanding digital infrastructure sector during meetings in New York. She highlighted growth in AI, cloud computing, digital services, financial markets and the country’s reform-oriented business environment

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a series of discussions with CEOs of global companies in New York on new investment opportunities in digital infrastructure opening up in India’s fast-growing economy, according to an official statement posted on X on Friday.

In a meeting with Sanjeev Ahuja, Chairman and CEO of Tillman Holdings, the Finance Minister said India’s policy design, including recent Budget announcements, facilitates investment in digital infrastructure. She also highlighted the rapid growth in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, digital services and enterprise technology.

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These sectors, she said, are generating sustained demand for data centres, high-capacity networks and reliable power infrastructure.

In this context, firms like Tillman are well-positioned to participate in the next phase of India’s digital infrastructure growth, she said.

The two also discussed opportunities pertaining to the development of large-scale, resilient and sustainable digital infrastructure campuses.

In another meeting with Marsh Re CEO Dean Klisura and Devanshu Dhyani, Head of Strategy and Corporate Development at the company, the Finance Minister said India offers global professional services and risk management firms a combination of a large domestic market, skilled talent, expanding infrastructure, digital capabilities and an increasingly reform-oriented business environment.

She noted that these strengths are underpinned by India’s robust economic performance as the fastest-growing major economy in the world, as reflected in GDP growth of 7.8 per cent in Q1 of FY 2026-27.

The Marsh Re team acknowledged and appreciated the reform orientation of the Government of India and said the company is keen to further grow and expand its presence in India, particularly as the country offers a level playing field along with a well-informed regulator, IRDAI.

Marsh Re also informed that it has strengthened its focus on GIFT City and is increasing its engagement with the financial ecosystem there across products and services.

In a meeting with Alejandro Perez, Group COO of BNY Mellon, the discussion focused on India’s resilient growth trajectory and opportunities for deeper investment by global financial institutions.

With real GDP growth of 7.8 per cent in Q1 of FY 2026-27, India’s strong domestic demand, deepening financial markets and reform-oriented policy environment continue to strengthen investor confidence.

Perez highlighted BNY Mellon’s longstanding commitment to India and its view of the country as a critical market in its global operations and growth strategy.

He also highlighted the company’s engagement with leading Indian institutions, including IITs, with a focus on developing and nurturing high-quality talent. He noted that the evolving role of BNY Mellon’s India operations increasingly sees the country serving not only as a delivery centre but also as a strategic global hub for innovation, technology and advanced capabilities, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The discussion also covered opportunities arising from India’s growing financial ecosystem, Digital Public Infrastructure, Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and GIFT City-IFSC.

The Union Finance Minister invited the BNY Mellon team to visit GIFT-IFSC and explore the plethora of products and services on offer there.