AustralianSuper commits AU$500M to India, lauds PM Modi's vision

AustralianSuper CEO Paul Schroder praised PM Modi's stable policy vision, announcing a new AU$500M investment in India's NIIF. The move highlights global confidence in India's growth and bolsters the India-Australia economic partnership.

PM Modi's Vision Bolsters Investor Confidence

Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's long-term economic vision, AustralianSuper Chief Executive Officer Paul Schroder has emphasised that the Indian leader consistently provides the predictable and stable policy environment essential for major global investments. Speaking on the sidelines of the India-Australia CEO Forum and Economic Roadmap Business Reception, the chief of Australia's largest pension fund expressed strong confidence in the bilateral partnership, detailing a fresh financial commitment aimed at bolstering India's domestic infrastructure network. "I have had the chance to meet with Prime Minister Modi before, and he has always assured me that he understands business and investing. He thinks in the very long term about the prosperity of India and making sure that investors have a stable policy setting. I have been very impressed with the way he engages with business. And one of the great things about the CEO Forum today was talking about the great strengths of the relationship between the Australian and Indian people and how important it is for us to continue to learn from each other and continue to improve," Schroder said.

AU$500 Million Investment in Indian Infrastructure

Announcing a major capital injection that would mutually benefit both Australian pension stakeholders and local Indian development, Schroder added, "AustralianSuper today announced that we will be investing an additional 500 million Australian dollars in the NIIF, which is an infrastructure fund, and that will provide a great opportunity for AustralianSuper members to earn a proper return over time and for investments to happen in infrastructure, which will help Indian communities and Indian people wherever they are."

PM Modi Hails Global Confidence in India

Welcoming the massive investment from the pension giant, which manages over 410 billion Australian dollars in assets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that the commitment reflects the burgeoning global confidence in India's economic path and the vast potential of its domestic market. In a post on social media platform X, PM Modi shared, "India welcomes the AU$500 million investment from AustralianSuper, announced by their Chief Executive, Mr. Paul Schroder, this morning in Melbourne. This is yet another glimpse of the global confidence in India's growth and reform trajectory. It also reflects the immense opportunities that our dynamic economy offers global investors."

During his address at the forum, PM Modi pitched India as a secure and dependable long-term investment destination, spotlighting the expanding economic synergy between the two democracies and welcoming pension giants to participate in India's growth trajectory by scaling up their footprints. "Australian pension funds currently manage assets exceeding four trillion dollars. In India, pension savings are regarded as a sacred trust. India offers your funds opportunities for safe, stable, and sustainable growth. Our endeavour will be to ensure that both your trust and your capital grow. There is a natural synergy between the two nations in the realms of education and skills. Our shared goal should be to transform student mobility into talent partnerships," PM Modi stated.

Deepening the Investment Partnership

This strong diplomatic pitch coincided with the formal execution of the transaction, which will channel the additional 500 million Australian dollars (approximately 346 million US dollars) into India's National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). According to the pension behemoth, this fresh capital injection builds upon a 240 million Australian dollar commitment made seven years ago. It brings AustralianSuper's total investment portfolio in India to 3.3 billion Australian dollars, spanning key asset classes, including infrastructure, listed equities, and private markets.

Set up in 2015, the NIIF serves as India's flagship vehicle to anchor global capital into the country's domestic infrastructure development. Affirming the success of this long-term partnership, AustralianSuper noted that its initial NIIF investment has emerged as one of the fund's best-performing infrastructure assets globally, reinforcing PM Modi's narrative of safe, stable, and sustainable returns. (ANI)

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