Ruchi Malik

India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL)

The importance of infrastructure for sustained economic development and influencing the living standards is well recognized. Yet millions of people across the world, lack access to drinking water, proper sanitation, electricity and communication network. High transaction costs arising from inadequate and inefficient infrastructure prevent the economies from realizing their full growth potential. In the Indian context, while there has been some progress in attracting investment into infrastructure, the total annual capital investment on infrastructure still hovers around 4 percent of GDP, as compared to over 10 percent share in some other Asian countries. The dynamics of the Indian economy warrant a strong push to infrastructure. Hon'ble Finance Minister of India, while presenting the Union Budget for FY 2006, acknowledged the need and significance of building adequate infrastructure in the country and made the following announcement: