<div><em><strong>India is ready to assist Chinese firms in every possible way to invest in India, reports Arshad Khan</strong></em></div><div> </div><div>Trade between New Delhi and Beijing has increased rapidly over the years, but flow of investment from China is still a matter of concern for the government of India, Amitabh Kant, secretary at department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), said on Wednesday (August 19). </div><div> </div><div>The secretary further added that India will assist Chinese companies in every possible way to invest in India.</div><div> </div><div>Bilateral trade has surged from $3 billion in 2000 to nearly $74 billion in 2015, but India has received only $1.2 billion as direct investments from China in the last 15 years. Investment from China accounts below 1 per cent of the total FDI made in India.</div><div> </div><div>Kant said that the government is grateful that China has taken keen interest to participate in the Make in India initiative. </div><div> </div><div>He said, "India has started Invest India programme to assist Chinese investors. By opening FDI in defence, railways, pharma and so on, we have made India one of the most open economy in the world. We are very hopeful of big investment coming from China in near future."</div><div> </div><div>China has been one of the biggest economies when it comes to foreign investment. According to data from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, China was the third biggest source of foreign direct investment last year, having invested more than $100 billion in other countries.</div><div> </div><div>Chinese companies have a huge market presence in India, but when it comes to investment they are surprisingly unwilling. China has invested less in India than Poland and Malaysia.</div><div> </div><div>Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi's China visit was full of promises, a bilateral deal of $24 billion, China is yet to spur investment in India. </div><div> </div><div>The only big thing which resulted from Chinese President Xi Xinping's visit to India and Modi's visit to China is the two industrial parks in Pune and Gujarat which will be built by Hubei province of China. It will be also interesting to see how the two China-based biggies, Alibaba and Xiaomi will make their investment. </div><div> </div><div>Growing annually at 7.5 per cent, consultancy firm E&Y has projected India will remain the most attractive investment destination in the years to come. China, the second biggest economy may not touch present government's huge expectation as the country is on a verge of a stock market crash.</div>
