Kuala Lumpur, February 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his official visit to Malaysia at the invitation of Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, held high-level discussions with the heads of Malaysia's most influential corporations.
The meetings underscored growing confidence in India's economic trajectory, with leaders from the energy, technology, and hospitality sectors pledging to significantly expand their operations in India.
Tengku Muhammad Taufik, President and Group CEO of PETRONAS, described the meeting as "wonderful," praising the Prime Minister's visionary approach to nation-building.
"The Prime Minister is quite visionary about what he wants India to be. We spoke about how he'd like to build India, focusing on infrastructure and innovation like technology," Taufik said.
He noted the significant economic transformation in India since 2014, labelling it a 'high conviction market.' In a major boost to bilateral energy ties, Taufik revealed that the Malaysian oil and gas giant is considering doubling its exposure in India over the next five years, with a focus on expanding infrastructure to serve the country's young population.
Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, Founder and Chairman of Berjaya Corporation, expressed his admiration for the Prime Minister's leadership. "He's made India economically more successful... and I'm very impressed with him," Tan remarked.
Known for developing world-class luxury resorts, Tan indicated that Berjaya is looking to bring its premium hospitality brand to New Delhi and Goa. Beyond tourism, he highlighted a strategic interest in India's sustainability sector, specifically in sanitary landfill waste management.
KS Pua, CEO of Phison Electronics, lauded PM Modi's "big ambition" for the semiconductor industry. Pua emphasised that Phison's strategy goes beyond just manufacturing.
"We aim to transfer our technology and help train local talent in India to design silicon, firmware, software, and AI solutions," Pua stated. He envisioned that within a few years, these efforts would allow India to host its own technology cluster, owned and operated by Indian companies.
According to an official press release from the Government of India, PM Modi highlighted initiatives and reforms undertaken to improve ease of doing business and create a predictable policy environment.
The Prime Minister encouraged further exploration in renewable energy, semiconductors, and healthcare, expressing optimism that the deliberations of the 10th India-Malaysia CEO Forum would lead to a new era of trade and investment ties.
The industry leaders, in turn, expressed strong confidence in the vision of a Viksit Bharat and expressed keen interest in expanding joint ventures with Indian counterparts. (ANI)
