Piyush Goyal Judges US Firms For Investments In Key Sectors | Today’s news
Commerce and Industry Secretary Piyush Goyal held a meeting with leaders of leading US companies in New York this week to discuss strengthening India-US trade and investment ties and invite them to explore opportunities in India, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday.
Goyal met Blackstone President and COO Jonathan Gray and Blackstone International Private Equity Chairman Prakash Melwani to discuss expanding the company’s investments and partnerships in India across key sectors.
He met with Neuberger Berman Chairman and CEO George Walker and senior members of its leadership team. Discussions covered opportunities to deepen investment ties and strengthen engagement in financial and wealth management services, the ministry said.
In a meeting with Estée Lauder Companies President and CEO Stéphane de La Faverie, Goyal discussed growth opportunities in India, including increased manufacturing and resources, as well as the country’s growing beauty and personal care market.
Goyal met with IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna and they discussed further strengthening IBM’s engagement in the country and expanding collaboration in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, quantum computing and other emerging technologies.
During the meeting with MetLife President and CEO Michael A. Khalaf, discussions focused on the company’s growth opportunities in the country and expansion in the insurance and financial services sectors.
Goyal also met with General Atlantic Chairman and CEO William E. Ford to discuss opportunities to further deepen the company’s investment and business relationship with India.
Separately, Goyal met AIA Group Non-Executive Chairman Mark Tucker. Discussions focused on AIA’s engagement in India and opportunities in the insurance and financial services sectors, including in the context of India’s vision of ‘Insurance for All by 2047’.
Indo-American trade
The meetings provided an opportunity to discuss India’s growth prospects and investment opportunities across financial services, manufacturing, energy, technology, artificial intelligence and other sectors, as well as ways to further strengthen India-US economic and trade ties, the ministry said.
Bilateral trade between India and the US rose to $140.77 billion in fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26) from $132.14 billion in FY25, according to data from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). India’s exports to the US rose to $87.31 billion from $86.51 billion, while imports rose to $53.45 billion from $45.63 billion. As a result, India’s trade surplus with the US narrowed to $33.86 billion from $40.89 billion.
India and the US began talks on a bilateral trade agreement in February 2025, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump formally announcing the talks.
