Former ONGC Director (Finance) Subhash Kumar praised AustralianSuper’s decision to invest an additional AUD 500 million in India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), highlighting global investors’ increasing confidence in India’s long-term economic and infrastructure development. This move signifies the attractiveness of India’s infrastructure sector and validates the nation’s policy reforms and investment-friendly environment. Kumar emphasized that sustained infrastructure development is crucial for India’s economic expansion and continues to attract long-term global capital.
Economist Rajiv Sahu echoed similar sentiments, noting that the investment showcases growing international trust in India’s infrastructure-focused development model under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He highlighted the government’s consistent emphasis on infrastructure development since 2014, with significant investments in various sectors including highways, railways, ports, airports, urban infrastructure, and connectivity projects. Sahu pointed out that the Union Government has substantially increased capital expenditure, allocating over Rs 10 lakh crore in recent Budgets compared to around Rs 2 lakh crore a decade ago.
According to Sahu, sustained investment in infrastructure has been instrumental in maintaining India’s economic growth rate above 7% despite global economic uncertainties in recent years. He emphasized that AustralianSuper’s additional investment signifies a strong vote of confidence in India’s investment climate and reflects global institutional investors’ belief in the country’s long-term growth potential. Sahu also highlighted the NIIF’s role as an effective platform for attracting foreign capital into India’s infrastructure sector, driven not only by the Central Government but also by state governments, private investors, and public-private partnerships, leading to improved connectivity, reduced logistics costs, job creation, and enhanced global competitiveness.
