During a series of bilateral business engagements at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi on Saturday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. secured significant investment expansion commitments from prominent Indian conglomerates across diverse sectors including agriculture, healthcare, digital financial infrastructure, aviation, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence.
Trade and Industry Secretary Maria Cristina Roque outlined the outcomes of the meetings, confirming that foreign corporate leaders voiced strong confidence in the administration’s economic direction and outlined plans to scale up operations nationwide.
“Today, we were able to meet important companies that are already in the Philippines and have expressed expansion plans. They are very positive about the economic policies of the President,” Roque said.
Among the major business leaders meeting with the President were executives from the iSON Group, a Delhi-based global conglomerate spanning agrotechnology, healthcare, telecommunications, renewable energy, and information technology.
Roque reported that iSON Group discussed expansion plans across three core verticals: agricultural technology, healthcare, and digital infrastructure alongside business process outsourcing (BPO).
“They want to improve technology in the agriculture sector. Agriculture and food security are among the main priorities of the President, so any advancement in agricultural technology is important to the country and definitely to the President,” she noted.
iSON Group committed $75 million in new and expanded investments, projected to generate roughly 2,000 local jobs. The allocation encompasses a proposed $50-million agro-solar development, 24/7 teleconsultation and health services, and a $10-million buildout of BPO and global delivery hubs.
Addressing geographic healthcare challenges, Roque highlighted the impact of the proposed teleconsultation platform.
“We are a country of 7,600 islands, so sometimes it is difficult to consult a doctor, especially when the nearest facility is in another town. Through teleconsultation, Filipinos can consult doctors online,” she stated.
The platform is planned to offer 24-hour access to medical professionals at a subscription cost of around P65 monthly, pending final operational details.
“This is very helpful for us, especially in areas where access to doctors and healthcare facilities remains limited,” Roque added.
iSON Group operates across 35 countries with over 25,000 employees. Its digital network arm, iSON Tower Ltd. Inc., has built around 450 telecommunications towers in the Philippines under the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s Common Tower Policy, deploying $65 million to support 600 tenants across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
President Marcos also held talks with NPCI International Limited to foster cooperation on digital finance, including a prospective partnership with LandBank to evaluate adopting a system modeled after India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
Roque emphasized the potential benefits of the digital payment gateway for overseas workers, consumers and small businesses.
“If this pushes through, it will be very good. It will not only be used by our OFWs and businesses but by everyone in the country, especially small and medium enterprises,” she stated.
The framework aims to streamline public service transactions, enhance QR-code payment interoperability and lower costs for cross-border remittances.
Discussions further included meetings with executives from GMR Group and Cavitex Holdings, Inc. regarding the development of the Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA) in Cavite.
Roque emphasized the necessity of expanding national aviation infrastructure to accommodate anticipated growth in trade and passenger traffic.
“We need to push airport projects because we are expecting more planes to land in the Philippines. We also want to further promote tourism and trade,” she said.
The proposed multi-runway airport is designed to relieve congestion at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, improve regional cargo logistics and create high-skilled employment.
Additionally, President Marcos led an Executive Roundtable Discussion featuring senior leaders from Cognizant, VVDN Technologies, Hinduja Group and HCLTech.
Roque noted that all four companies expressed satisfaction with their current domestic footprints and confirmed intentions to expand operations in artificial intelligence, telecommunications and software engineering.
“They are very happy with the economic policies of the administration. They want to continue expanding, especially in digitalization, AI and telecommunications,” she remarked.
The tech firms cited the country’s business climate as a primary driver for their growth strategies.
“Because they are already in the Philippines, they know how things work and they are happy with their businesses here. In fact, they said the Philippines is one of the best destinations for trade and business for them,” Roque added, crediting the skilled local workforce and expanding digital ecosystem.
Roque reaffirmed that the administration will maintain a coordinated, whole-of-government framework to support foreign direct investments and assist with regulatory processes.
“We take a whole-of-government approach to make sure that things get done. All the Cabinet secretaries work together to address the concerns of these companies,” she assured.
President Marcos is visiting New Delhi to participate in the 18th BRICS Summit as ASEAN Chair and is scheduled for a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.