MUMBAI: The United States is hopeful for American business in India. With growth in the Indian sub-continent seeing rapid expansion, the US Commerce Secretary John Bryson said it has opened the door for “unprecedented” opportunities for American companies. Ironically, simultaneous recent reports also state that despite India's massive growth rates in recent times, that financial abundance is not trickling down to the average Indian, but this didn't seem to hit Bryson, on a visit to India late last week as part of a business delegation. He said on Monday that the three-city tour of India would “lay the groundwork” for increased trade and partnerships between Washington and New Delhi. “During last week's trade mission, we took concrete steps toward strengthening our commercial relationship with India,” Bryson said in a statement on his return from India. Bryson traveled to New Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai where the focus was on the India's need to boost their infrastructure sector. In the next five years, India is planning to invest some $1 trillion in the infrastructure sector, including in Mumbai by pushing all new construction to be environmentally friendly. “American business leaders connected with Indian firms to create new opportunities in India's rising infrastructure and renewable energy sectors. We met with government and business leaders and laid out our goals, as well as our concerns,” he said. “We saw first-hand how India's many regions continue to grow rapidly – opening the door for unprecedented opportunities. We launched a promising new partnership to bring more Indian visitors to the United States. These developments lay the groundwork for US companies to increase exports, attract greater investment, and create good jobs here at home,” said the US Commerce Secretary. It was his first trip to India as the US commerce chief and top Indian officials are hopeful that the visit will result in greater trade and ease of business between the two countries. “We are definitely hopeful about the trip and feel that we will benefit greatly from the trade and potential investment in our infrastructure sector,” a top Indian government economist, part of the meetings, told Bikyamasr.com on Tuesday.
