NEW DELHI /JOHANNESBURG, 22 November (H.S.): On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a significant meeting with the leadership of Naspers, a global internet and technology powerhouse, to discuss bolstering investment in India's rapidly expanding high-tech sectors. The productive discussion with Naspers Chairman Mr. Koos Bekker and Group CEO Mr. Fabricio Bloisi took place on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg.
The conversation centered on channeling fresh investments into India’s dynamic digital ecosystem, with a particular focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), the startup landscape, and the burgeoning space sector.
The leaders also explored new opportunities in India's vast consumer market and other technology-driven domains. Prime Minister Modi highlighted the success of Naspers in India as a testament to the country's ease of doing business and the vibrancy of its startup environment.
Naspers, through its international investment arm Prosus, has a significant and successful history in India, having invested over $4 billion between 2014 and 2019 in sectors ranging from e-commerce to food delivery. The firm has backed some of India's most prominent startups, including Swiggy and PayU, and has expressed confidence in the potential for Indian tech companies to achieve global scale.
Following the meeting, Naspers indicated an intention to potentially double its investments in the country, which have amounted to ₹80,000 crore in recent years.This high-level business engagement is a key component of Prime Minister Modi's agenda during his three-day visit to Johannesburg for the G20 summit.
The tour, which marks the first time the G20 summit is being held on African soil, provides a crucial platform for India to advance its economic and diplomatic priorities on the world stage.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
