London, Jul 20 (IANS): Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari has invited British and European Union investments in the BJP-ruled states in India in the field of green technologies and non-conventional energy sources like solar power, wind energy, bio-energy etc.
Gadkari, on a six-day visit to the UK, called on British Foreign Secretary William Hague here Tuesday evening and explored the potential of enhanced Indo-British cooperation in various fields.
Hague told Gadkari that Britain and the European Union countries have the expertise and technologies in these fields and would be willing to share 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.
Hague said Britain would like India to open the retail, insurance and banking sectors and offered enhanced British investments if New Delhi removed some of the trade barriers.
Outlining the BJP policy on opening of the retail and insurance sectors, 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.
Gadkari said the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had pursued the process of economic reforms in some areas and the BJP was committed to carrying the same policies forward if it returned to power at the centre in the next general elections.
He said the nine BJP-ruled states accorded "highest priority" to rural development, irrigation and water management to augment agricultural output. The other areas of focus for the BJP ruled states were infrastructure development, and more specifically power and road development.
The BJP, when in power, would like to promote greater Indo-British cooperation in the field of R & D, science and technology, advanced manufacturing, green technologies, non-conventional energy, defence, skilled development and education.
Hague invited Indian companies to explore the tremendous investment potential in Britain and other European Union Countries and agreed to intensify efforts to prepare favourable ground for them. He informed Gadkari that India has already emerged as the second largest investor into the UK with a large number of Indian companies working in Britain and more would be welcome.
During the 30-minute meeting Gadkari was accompanied by former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje, BJP Mahila Morcha president and MP, Smriti Irani, Vijay Jolly, convenor of the Overseas Friends of BJP, co-convener Amit Thaker and the party president's media advisor Ashok Tandon.
Earlier, speaking at a luncheon meeting at the London Chamber of Commerce, Gadkari assured adequate security and a transparent, efficient and result oriented administration for those investing in the BJP-ruled states in areas like infrastructure development, power and road development on private-public partnership basis.
He said the BJP was committed to enhancing the special relationship between the two countries.
Gadkari participated in a similar interactive session with the captains of British industry over breakfast.