Nirmala Sitharaman’s US visit: FM meets World Bank President, interacts with top CEOs -- Key points

Nirmala Sitharaman met World Bank Group President David Malpass on Friday, April 22. The two discussed India’s continued recovery from Covid-19 and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The two also discussed India’s upcoming G20 Presidency and World Bank leadership in India.

Sitharaman discussed investment opportunities with President and CEO of Boeing Defense Ted Colbert. During the interaction, Colbert noted that Boeing is expanding its India operations and is committed to the vision of “AatmanirbharBharat”. 

Nirmala Sitharaman attended the 105th Development Committee Meeting of the World Bank in Washington D.C. She said that India’s economic growth in the current year is estimated to be 8.9 per cent, the highest among all large economies and reflects India’s resilience and strong recovery.

The Indian Finance Minister also interacted with OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann on Friday. The two discussed issues of bilateral engagement at a meeting that took place on the sidelines of the IMF-WB Spring meetings 2022.

Sitharaman recently also virtually interacted with representatives of 14 US varsities. Besides the FM, the meeting was also attended by Ambassador of India to the US, Sandhu Taranjit Sandhu, CEA to GoI Dr V. Anantha Nageswaran, and IFSCA Chairperson Injeti Sriniwas.

FM Sitharaman also met with UK COP26 President Alok Sharma in Washington D.C. The two discussed climate action goals and ongoing and potential interventions to implement a sustainable, clean and green transition. 

On the sidelines of IMF-WB Spring Meetings 2022, Sitharman also discussed issues of global concerns and mutual interests with the European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni. 

FM Sitharaman recently also attended FATF Ministerial Meeting in Washington DC. The meeting stressed its focus on providing strategic direction, by endorsing the FATF’s strategic priorities for the years 2022-24.

Earlier this week Sitharaman met Gopinath to discuss a range of issues, including the upcoming India G20 Presidency.

Finance Minister met CEOs of large American firms like FedEx and Mastercard. She discussed various opportunities for investment in India as the country is poised to be the fastest-growing large economy in the world.