Sitharaman pitches India as manufacturing hub for global markets at Chicago roundtable
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed investors in Chicago, pitching 'Manufacture in India' for domestic and global markets, citing digital infrastructure and reforms.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has made a strong pitch for India as a global manufacturing and innovation hub at a business roundtable in Chicago. The meeting, attended by leading investors and business leaders, focused on opportunities across manufacturing, artificial intelligence, financial services, infrastructure, food processing, defence, and advanced technologies.
A central theme of the discussions was the proposition of 'Manufacture in India -- for India and for the world'. The Minister outlined that India's economic appeal is driven by strong domestic demand, investment-led expansion, macroeconomic resilience, a deep talent pool, and expanding physical and digital infrastructure.
Sitharaman highlighted that India's Digital Public Infrastructure, including Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, ONDC, and India Stack, has created platforms at population scale. She noted that the next phase involves building higher-value operations in artificial intelligence, analytics, engineering, semiconductors, and electronics, with Global Capability Centres evolving into innovation hubs.
On the financial sector, the Minister pointed to the growth of GIFT IFSC as an international centre connecting global capital with domestic ventures. The hub has registered 1,250 entities as of June 2026, spanning banking, fund management, reinsurance, and aircraft leasing. In industrial manufacturing, the discussion underscored a shift toward deeper component manufacturing and advanced technologies, supported by the Production Linked Incentive scheme.
Infrastructure expansion, including freight corridors and railway modernization, continues to open avenues for institutional capital through platforms like the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund. Sitharaman also highlighted opportunities in agricultural processing and domestic technological growth in defence, drones, and autonomous systems under initiatives like Atmanirbhar Bharat and iDEX.
The Minister emphasized that India's investment proposition rests on the convergence of scale, growth, talent, infrastructure, technology, and sustained reform. She invited global partners to co-develop, co-produce, and build for global markets, positioning India as an integrated manufacturing base and destination for long-term capital. The roundtable was organised by the Consulate General of India in Chicago in association with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.