Gadkari's visit to Washington to give momentum to India-US ties in infrastructure sector

Gadkari will be particularly looking for widening and deepening the scope of Indo-US cooperation in innovative technologies for improving highway development, road engineering, road safety and development of green fuels in automobile sector and electric vehicles. 

 

During his interaction with the US captains of trade and industry and pioneers in the maritime sector, Gadkari will highlight investment opportunities in the Indian maritime sector and invite US investments in building ports, port-led industrialization, coastal economic zones, construction of new berths/terminals in existing ports like JNPT, Mumbai and Kandla Ports, capital and maintenance dredging, mechanization, hinterland connectivity and evacuation infrastructure, ship building, ship repairing and ship recycling. 

 

Gadkari has envisaged 50-60 Billion USD foreign investment for infrastructure and another 100 Billion USD towards industrial development for port-led economic growth in the maritime sector and inland waterways, water transport, coastal and cruise shipping and solar and wind energy generation to further boost the country’s growth momentum. 

 

He hopes to add two percentage points in India’s GDP through creating world-class infrastructure. India clocked 7.6 per cent growth rate in 2015-16 when there was a global slowdown. 

 

More than 150 projects were identified under the ambitious Sagarmala Programme at the recent Maritime India Summit in Mumbai. India has 7,500 Kms. long coastline, 212 ports, 70 coastal districts, one billion tone cargo handling currently, 111 waterways and 90 % of export-import trade (by volume) handled at ports. 

 

There is a huge potential for tapping hundreds of islands and lighthouses for tourism. 

 

Gadkari will hold bilateral talks with the US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx in Washington on July 11 aimed at strengthening and expanding India’s relations with the US by enhancing bilateral cooperation in infrastructure sector. 

 

At the US department of Transportation, Gadkari will witness Modal Presentations by Federal Highway Administration, US Maritime Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

 

His itinerary in Washington includes a talk on “A window into India’s Infrastructure Development” organized by Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank. 

 

The Indian delegation accompanying Gadkari will give presentations on port-led development, inland waterways development and highway infrastructure. Besides this there will also be logistics at a luncheon roundtable with investors and infrastructure companies arranged by the US India Business Council (USIBC).