Noting that India's rapid growth is a critical engine of global economy, PepsiCo chief Indra Nooyi has said the business community in the US was eager on playing an active role in the country's future economic development.

"India is now on a trajectory of more rapid growth. It now stands in fact as a critical engine of global growth, a vital partner in global security and a model for democratic development," Nooyi, who is the chairperson of the US-India Business Council, said following an address by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, here.

Underlining that US-India relations have been deepening, Nooyi said, "We've been able to transform the US-India relationship fundamentally from one of Cold War mistrust to really strategic partnership."

"I know I speak for all the business interests in this room when I say that we wish you the best for that development," she noted. "More than that, we want to actively participate. In this interconnected world, no nation will succeed unless it enjoys profitable relationships with others."

"Preparing that relationship for the next level is within our grasp and it only requires the firm commitment of both our countries," she added.

Earlier in his talk, the Prime Minister noted that India needed great investments in human resource development, education, and hard infrastructure.

"It goes without saying that human resource development is probably the most critical component of our development aspirations," he said. "If we succeed in improving the skill level of our population, we would have mounted an effective attack on problems of poverty, ignorance and disease."

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