INDIAN minister of state for electronics and information technology (IT) Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday (26) told the Financial Times in an interview that the country is open to investment from China. His remarks came when the relations between the two Asian neighbours are not at their best, thanks to border clashes and other strategic rivalry.
New Delhi has also carried out crackdown on Chinese companies while stalling investment proposals from that country.
Speaking to the FT, he said India is "open to doing business with any company anywhere as long as they are investing and conducting their business lawfully and are in compliance with the Indian laws", adding that India was "open to all investment, including Chinese".
Chandrasekhar's claim also comes at a time when India, one of the world's fastest emerging economies, aims to capitalise on global supply chains in a pivot away from China, which currently has tense relations with the US, luring suppliers to multinational firms.
Relations between India and China have particularly nosedived since their soldiers got into physical clashes at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh, resulting in deaths on both sides. India banned several Chinese social media, lending and other apps, including TikTok over the last three years, citing concerns over data and privacy.