On Wednesday, the chairperson of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi, expressed her viewpoint that if India and U.S. want to better their trade relations, then the two countries should enter into a bilateral investment treaty. 

Furthermore she expressed that both countries’ leadership should move ahead in executing agreements while examining their implementation till the last.  

Nooyi said at the Indo-US Business Council (USIBC) meeting, organized jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and USBIC, “Time has come to take Indo-US ties to a new level. Inclusive growth, investment in education, health and infrastructure should be the focus areas for both countries.”

She added, “In a country where 68% of the population lives in rural areas, there can be no inclusive growth without serious agrarian reforms. India also needs to improve the quality and availability of water and the country must improve irrigation and harvesting techniques.”

She also said that enormous foreign direct investment and private participation would be required if the country’s infrastructure is to be improved. According to her, there is a very urgent need for cooperation in the field of infrastructure and thus USIBC would keep making an effort to find more openings in banking, insurance and pension sectors.  

She also said, “Other areas within the core sector where both countries must partner are power, roads, clean water, ports, airports and the defense sector.”