India limits FDI in too many areas: Obama

Lalit K Jha

Noting that New Delhi prohibited foreign investment in too many sectors such as retail, US President Barack Obama today cited concerns over the deteriorating investment climate in India to endorse another "wave" of economic reforms.

Still sounding positive about Indian economy, "which continues to grow at an impressive rate", he said that to some extent, India's slower growth is a reflection of the larger slowdown in the global economy.

In an interview to PTI, Obama was careful not to be directly critical of the negative investment climate in India but cited the concerns of the American business community to make his points.

Many in the American business community, "one of the great champions of the US-India partnership", have expressed concerns that the investment climate in India is deteriorating, he said. "They tell us it is still too hard to invest in India. In too many sectors, such as retail, India limits or prohibits the foreign investment that is necessary to create jobs in both our countries, and which is necessary for India to continue to grow," Obama said.

Refraining from prescribing any solutions for India's economic difficulties, he said, "it is not the place of the United States to tell other nations, including India, how to chart its economic future. That is for Indians to decide."

Obama noted that "there appears to be a growing consensus in India that the time may be right for another wave of economic reforms to make India more competitive in the global economy."

He then went on to add, "and as India makes the difficult reforms that are necessary, it will continue to have a partner in the US... It is important, though, to put this in the context of India's incredible growth and development in recent decades."

Obama pointed out that India had lifted tens of millions of people out of poverty to create one of the world's largest middle classes. "Indian innovation is an engine of the global economy. And even with the recent challenges, the Indian economy continues to grow at an impressive rate. The Indian people have displayed a remarkable capacity to meet India's challenges," he said.

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