AustralianSuper's fresh NIIF investment reflects global confidence in India's growth story: Former ONGC official
New Delhi, July 9
Former ONGC Director Subhash Kumar on Thursday said AustralianSuper's decision to invest an additional AUD 500 million in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund reflects the growing confidence of global institutional investors in India's long-term economic and infrastructure growth story.
Reacting to the latest investment, Kumar said the additional commitment underscores the attractiveness of India's infrastructure sector and validates the country's policy reforms and investment-friendly environment.
He noted that sustained infrastructure development has become a key pillar of India's economic expansion and continues to draw long-term global capital.
"AustralianSuper's additional investment in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on the investment and US President Donald Trump's comments on Iran," he mentioned.
Echoing similar views, economist Rajiv Sahu said the investment demonstrates increasing international confidence in India's infrastructure-led development model under the Narendra Modi-led government.
He said the Centre has consistently prioritised infrastructure since 2014 by substantially increasing capital expenditure on highways, railways, ports, airports, urban infrastructure and connectivity projects.
"The PM Narendra Modi-led government has consistently prioritised infrastructure development since 2014, with major investments in highways, railways, ports, airports, urban infrastructure and connectivity projects," he mentioned.
He noted that the Union Government has significantly increased capital expenditure, allocating more than Rs 10 lakh crore in recent Budgets compared to around Rs 2 lakh crore a decade ago.
According to him, sustained investment in infrastructure has played a key role in helping India maintain an economic growth rate of over 7 per cent, despite global economic uncertainties over the past several years.
He said AustralianSuper's additional investment is a strong endorsement of India's investment climate and demonstrates the confidence of global institutional investors in the country's long-term growth prospects. He added that the NIIF has emerged as an effective platform for attracting foreign capital into India's infrastructure sector.
Sahu pointed out that infrastructure spending is being driven not only by the Central Government but also by state governments, private investors and public-private partnerships. Such investments, he said, are improving connectivity, reducing logistics costs, creating employment opportunities and enhancing India's global competitiveness.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Yay! 🎉 Australia ka largest pension fund daal raha hai aur bhi paisa India mein. Yehi hai "sabka saath, sabka vikas" ka asli results! Jab foreign investors trust karte hain toh matlab hai ki policies sahi hain. Railways aur highways pe jo focus hai, usse India ki growth story strong ho rahi hai. Bas ab 7% growth se bhi aage badhna hai. 🇮🇳
I moved from Sydney to Bangalore for a tech role 3 years ago, and the infrastructure upgrade here is visible. New flyovers, metro extensions, expressways. Sure, there's still traffic chaos, but the pace of change is real. This AustralianSuper investment makes sense—they see the long-term potential. India's not perfect, but the direction is promising.
Sab theek hai, lekin ek chiz bother karti hai. NIIF mein foreign investment aana achha hai, par kya hum apne budget allocations sahi se use kar rahe hain? Rs. 10 lakh crore infrastructure capex achha hai, lekin ground reality mein delays, corruption, land acquisition issues hote hain. Kya proper monitoring hai? Agar yeh investments sahi project management se linked na ho, toh return expectations match nahi karengi.
Superb news! Foreign institutional investors ka bharosa matlab hai ki humara economic model sahi hai. Bas ek baat: logon ko local employment generation bhi dikhna chahiye. In projects se villages mein roads ban rahe hain, railway stations modernize ho rahe hain. Logistics cost kam hoga toh merchandise export mein bhi madad hogi. Sab linked hai. ✨
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