Virginia, Maryland want to attract India for investment

NEW DELHI: Virginia and Maryland, two states surrounding the American capital, are aiming to attract India for investment and also to strengthen the exports to one of the growing world economies.

Todd P Haymore, State Secretary of agriculture and forestry said, “We believe that for Virginia India represents a lot of potential. There are some barriers to entry that India has in place that will make it somewhat difficult. But we are so bullish on India.”

Last November Virginia's Republican governor Bob McDonnell has chosen India and Israel to lead his administration's third international marketing mission. He then roped in an agricultural trade representative in Delhi and a general trade representative in Mumbai.

Among the agricultural products, the prominent export prospects to India currently are apples, wood products, soybean oils, and wine.

In China also, which is Virginia's second prominent export customer purchasing $200 million worth of agricultural goods annually, the state has got representative offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

In the past ten years, global firms have declared over 34,000-new jobs representing $ 5.6-billion investment in Virginia.