India urges European textile firms to invest more
Thursday, 4 February 2010
PARIS, Feb 3 (AFP): Indian Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran Tuesday urged European companies to invest more in his country as he insisted in Paris that India was a more lucrative destination than China.
"Come, come, come and make money," Maran told textile industry executives, adding: "Come to India, produce in India, sell in India, make money in India." Maran, who visited Switzerland, Italy and Turkey before arriving in France, said India was a safer bet for investors than China.
"We want to ensure that India has good quality products, that copyright is protected, so that investors prefer India to China or other countries," he told AFP.
"We want to ensure that more investment comes to India, not to take your business," he said.
India's textile industry made an estimated 62 billion dollars (45 billion euros) in sales in 2008-2009, with 35 per cent of them in exports.
"Come, come, come and make money," Maran told textile industry executives, adding: "Come to India, produce in India, sell in India, make money in India." Maran, who visited Switzerland, Italy and Turkey before arriving in France, said India was a safer bet for investors than China.
"We want to ensure that India has good quality products, that copyright is protected, so that investors prefer India to China or other countries," he told AFP.
"We want to ensure that more investment comes to India, not to take your business," he said.
India's textile industry made an estimated 62 billion dollars (45 billion euros) in sales in 2008-2009, with 35 per cent of them in exports.