THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
NEW
DELHI, MARCH 2, 2026
India’s Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday held high-level discussions with Zou
Jiayi, the newly appointed President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB), in the national capital, underscoring New Delhi’s commitment to
strengthening its strategic partnership with the multilateral lender and
accelerating infrastructure development across the country.
As the second largest
shareholder in AIIB, India reiterated its strong support for expanding the
bank’s developmental footprint, particularly in low-income member nations.
During the meeting, Sitharaman stressed the importance of scaling up
investments through innovative financing and non-financing instruments to
enhance project delivery, sustainability and long-term economic impact.
Highlighting the
Union Government’s continued emphasis on infrastructure-led growth under the
Union Budget, the Finance Minister outlined India’s expansive infrastructure
roadmap and called for deeper engagement with AIIB through early upstream
services in the sector. She emphasised that timely technical support and
structured project preparation mechanisms could significantly boost the pace
and efficiency of infrastructure execution in India.
The discussions also
focused on AIIB’s evolving role in strengthening capital markets and enhancing
private sector participation in infrastructure financing. Sitharaman urged the
bank to expedite approvals for ongoing and proposed projects in Uttarakhand and
Himachal Pradesh, signalling the Centre’s push to accelerate development
initiatives in the Himalayan region.
Given the scale and
growing scope of AIIB’s operations in India, the Finance Minister also
advocated the establishment of a regional office in the country. Such a move,
she noted, would not only streamline coordination but also reinforce India’s
position as a central partner in AIIB’s long-term growth strategy.
