Malaysian companies are encouraged to explore opportunities offered by India for investment and collaboration in the development of highways. India’s Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Mr. Kamal Nath, announced during a visit to Singapore in mid-July 2009 that infrastructure, particularly development of roads, will be the key defining sector for attracting foreign investments in India in the coming decade; much like ICT was the focus sector in the 90’s and the present decade. India’s priority is on building world-class infrastructure through public-private partnerships (PPPs). India’s ‘Action Plan for Development of the National Highways Network’ expects that 45,974km of highways with an estimated investment of US$45 billion will be built during the period 2001-2012. To date, only 5,152km or 11.2% of the envisaged 45,974km of highways has been completed. In view of the slow progress, Minister Nath has set a target of 20km a day of highway construction as compared to...

SPANISH businesses are keen to invest in Malaysia and have expressed keen interest in broad sectors, including the high-speed rail project linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said Spain’s investments in Malaysia, although small, still totalled a significant US$2.5 billion (RM8.2 billion) through Acerinox and Tecnicas Reunidas. This, he said, had lifted Spain’s profile in Malaysia.“The flow of investments from Spain marks a diversification in the volume of quality investments we are targeting for in Europe,” he said at a forum on investment opportunities, here, yesterday.Germany, Britain and France are traditionally the main sources of foreign direct investments to Malaysia.For the first half of this year, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority has approved US$64.8 million in investments from manufacturing projects.Mustapa is leading the biggest high-powered delegation to Spain, which included...