- Sitharaman pitched India as a potential global hub for autonomous defense technology.
- Hyatt was urged to expand beyond major cities as India’s tourism market grows.
- US companies were also encouraged to deepen investments in AI, agriculture and advanced manufacturing.
India is making a broader pitch to US businesses: the country wants to be more than a huge consumer market. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman used a series of meetings in the US to highlight opportunities for companies to develop technology, manufacture products and build long-term operations in India.
Her discussions covered sectors as varied as AI-powered defense systems, hotels, agriculture, food technology and financial services, with the underlying message that India’s expanding talent pool, infrastructure and innovation ecosystem could support more global operations.
Speaking to the Indian diaspora at the Consulate General of India, Sitharaman also highlighted the community’s role in strengthening India’s global influence and ties with the US.
From buying in India to building in India
One of the more significant pitches came during Sitharaman’s meeting with Brandon Tseng, co-founder and president of Shield AI, where discussions focused on AI-enabled autonomy, unmanned systems and next-generation defense technology.
Sitharaman said India could potentially become a global hub for developing, testing and manufacturing autonomous defense systems, drawing on its engineering talent, technology capabilities and expanding defense innovation ecosystem.
The discussions included possible cooperation in research and development, technology development, co-development and co-production.
That could give India a bigger role in the emerging market for autonomous military systems, rather than limiting its participation to buying technology developed elsewhere.
Her meeting with Monish Patolawala, executive vice president and CFO of ADM, took the conversation in a different direction, focusing on agriculture, food, technology and sustainable supply chains.
Sitharaman highlighted ADM’s work with Indian farmers and farmer producer organisations, as well as its growing technology and AI capabilities in Bengaluru. She also pointed to opportunities to expand regenerative agriculture, food processing and technology-led agricultural development.
Hyatt gets a different India pitch
Tourism and hospitality were another part of the agenda when Sitharaman met Mark S. Hoplamazian, president and CEO of Hyatt.
Rather than focusing only on India’s biggest cities, Sitharaman highlighted the potential of Tier-II and Tier-III cities, where improving connectivity and infrastructure are opening up new tourism and commercial destinations.
She also pointed to several growing tourism segments, including spiritual, cultural, wellness, medical, nature and experiential travel.
The finance minister encouraged Hyatt to use its asset-light business model to work more closely with Indian developers and investors as the country's hospitality sector expands.
She also suggested exploring talent-development opportunities through the National Institute of Hospitality and using GIFT City as a potential financing and treasury hub for Hyatt’s growing Indian operations.
The meetings come at a time when India is trying to attract more international investment while positioning itself as a base for technology development and manufacturing.
For US companies, the opportunity being presented is therefore not simply access to India's large consumer market. Sitharaman's message was that India wants global businesses to develop, finance, manufacture and innovate there as well.
A mud-covered building following a flash flood at Trishuli in Nuwakot district, Nepal, August 26, 2026.Reuters.