Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman advanced India’s global economic agenda by holding a series of bilateral meetings with key international leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Asheville, United States.

Her engagements focused on trade, investment, infrastructure, emerging technologies and private capital mobilisation.

In her meeting with World Bank President Ajay Banga, Sitharaman appreciated the continued engagement and the speedy processing of the World Bank’s Development Policy Financing worth approximately ₹12,500 crores.

The two leaders discussed a larger role for the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency in deepening corporate, infrastructure and municipal bond markets through guarantees and greater mobilisation of private capital. Banga acknowledged India’s significant transformation in infrastructure and highlighted opportunities to further leverage World Bank Group instruments, including political risk insurance for Indian companies investing overseas.

Sitharaman also met International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva to discuss the global economic outlook and India’s growth trajectory. Georgieva appreciated India’s strong economic performance and track record, noting the resilience built by the Indian economy. Sitharaman emphasised the importance of robust, evidence-based surveillance frameworks that reflect structural shifts in emerging and developing economies.

In her meeting with Poland’s Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski, Sitharaman discussed expanding cooperation across trade, services, defence, energy security and emerging technologies. Domanski described India and Poland as high-level trading and investment partners and noted the scope to diversify cooperation across multiple sectors.

Qatar’s Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari praised India’s strong and resilient growth and invited Sitharaman to the 11th Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Board of Governors in Doha in September 2026. Their discussions covered trade, investment, energy, infrastructure and logistics, underscoring Qatar’s interest in strengthening economic ties with India.

Sitharaman also engaged with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, where discussions centred on bilateral and global economic developments, including cooperation through the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. This dialogue reflected India’s continued engagement with Russia on multilateral financial platforms.

Her meeting with South Korean Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol focused on financial cooperation, critical minerals, resilient supply chains and greater investment. Koo emphasised the need for India and South Korea to further develop stronger bilateral cooperation to enhance trade and investments, highlighting the importance of collaboration in critical sectors.

These engagements underline India’s proactive efforts to broaden economic partnerships, attract private capital and strengthen cooperation in infrastructure, technology and financial systems. Sitharaman’s meetings demonstrated India’s determination to position itself as a central player in shaping global economic frameworks.

Minister Sitharaman is currently in the United States as part of her official nine-day visit to Canada and the US from 25 August to 2 September. The US leg of her visit began on 28 August, with her participation in the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Asheville forming a key part of her scheduled engagements.

ANI