Infra sector offers a great opportunity for investors in India: Nitin Gadkari

WASHINGTON: India, which has set an ambitious target of constructing 40kms of new road per day next year, offers "a great opportunity" to American investors in infrastructure sector, Union Minister for Road and Surface Transportation Nitin Gadkari said today.

"Fast track decision making system is there. It is a great opportunity for the investor in the country," Gadkari said in his address to the Atlantic Council, a top US think tank.

Listing out the key accomplishments of his ministry, the senior BJP leader said land acquisition and clearances are no longer a problem and all the contracts are allocated through e-tender system.

Gadkari said he has set the ambitious target of constructing 40kms of new road per day next year.

In response to a question, he acknowledged that his officials feel that this is not possible, but he exuded confidence that this is achievable.

"I have got a political track record in my life, whatever I say, I accomplish. That's my past, I do not know about the future," he said during an interaction with Atlantic Council think-tank entitled 'A Window into India's Infrastructure Development: A Discussion with Minister Nitin Gadkari'.

In his welcome address, Gen (rtd) James Jones said infrastructure development is a central part to the India-US trade relationship.

The Minister is currently on a week-long visit to the US with the objective of attracting American investors to India's infrastructure sector and technology transfer and adoption of best practices from the US.

He is scheduled to meet the American businesses and the US Transport Secretary later in the day.

Gadkari, who would also visit New York, St Louis, San Francisco and Los Angeles during the visit, rued the large number of deaths in India due to road accidents and described this as his failure.

This is one of his priority area and is seeking assistance from the US in this field.

"One per cent of the cost of the road we are giving to plantation and one per cent to road safety... we are here to understand the intelligence traffic system for that," Gadkari said.

"Attitude, approach and vision of the department has changed," he said.

"In rural and tribal areas, we have decided to make more national highways," he said.

By developing new waterways, highways with reducing logistic cost would be a game changer for the development of India, he said.

Green technologies is another focus for his industry, he added.