Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday invited British and European Union investments in BJP-ruled States, especially in green technologies and non-conventional energy sources.
He also called on Foreign Secretary William Hague as part of the BJP's campaign to woo foreign investment.
In a statement, Mr. Gadkari's spokesman Ashok Tandon said Mr. Hague offered to share British expertise in green technology with India.
“He said India and Britain have very strong economic ties and the David Cameron government would keep pushing the British companies to move this special relationship ahead,” the statement said.
Mr. Hague repeated Britain's demand that India must open up its retail, insurance and banking sectors. He offered enhanced British investments if New Delhi removed some of the barriers. He also invited Indian companies to explore investment opportunities in Britain and other EU countries.
“Outlining the BJP policy on opening of the retail and insurance sectors, Mr. Gadkari said a debate on these issues was going in the economic policy forums of the party with a view to evolving a consensus on such sensitive matters,” the statement said.
Other issues discussed during the meeting included Pakistan and terrorism.
Mr. Hague said Britain had told Pakistan to use the killing of Osama bin Laden as an opportunity to root out terrorism. He said Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, who he met earlier in the day, assured him that his country was determined to tackle terrorism.
