President Obama holds discussions with Indian, US businessmen in Mumbai

MUMBAI - The United States President, Barack Obama, here on Saturday addressed a number of Indian corporate heads while opening discussions on crucial areas of cooperation like pharma, manufacturing, transportation and clean energy.

President Obama, during the roundtable discussion, was accompanied by US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and other top officials as also corporate leaders who are part of his entourage on the India visit.

Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra and Mahindra Group, Ajay Piramal of leading pharma group Pirmal and other business leaders attended the discussion which focused on growing trade and investment.

The discussions touched areas like electric cars, clean transport, solar power, drinking water and recent discoveries in the pharmaceutical sector.

Mahindra’s electric car Reva and their US-based partner Curtis reportedly generated considerable interest at the meeting.

Meanwhile, also present at the meeting were a group of 15 young entrepreneurs who are spreading initiatives in job creation and improvement in delivery of basic services — healthcare, education, clean water, power, financial services — through market-based strategies that benefit low-income communities.

“Through this partnership, Mahindra Reva and Curtis are advancing the commercialisation and adoption of clean vehicles in India and across the globe”, a White House press release said ahead of the meeting of Obama with the select business leaders.

On clean drinking water, it said, Minnesota-based Pentair Filteration Systems are being used by Piramal’s Sarvajal to develop sustainable drinking water solutions for rural and urban population.

The Epic System, an optical biosensor developed and manufactured by Upstate New York’s Incorporated, is being used in partnership with Advinus Therapeutics for development of new therapies for a variety of diseases, it added. (ANI)