August 8, 2025
BENGALURU – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday made a strong pitch to Indian business leaders, citing the country’s robust economic momentum, a young, tech-savvy workforce, and wide-ranging reforms aimed at making the Philippines more attractive to long-term foreign investment.
Speaking before top executives at the Philippines-India Business Forum here, Marcos said the Philippines and India are “strategically aligned” across key sectors — from digital innovation and renewable energy to healthcare and semiconductors — and invited Indian firms to partner in building shared prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
“We are ready. We can make it happen — together,” Marcos said in his speech, capping a five-day state visit that yielded 18 bilateral deals and a new Strategic Partnership agreement with India.
“We are laying a strong foundation for high-quality, long-term investment,” the President said, pointing to landmark laws such as the CREATE MORE Act, Green Lanes for Strategic Investments, and the Public-Private Partnership Code.
He added that the government is committed to supporting foreign investors with a stable regulatory environment and incentives of up to 27 years.
In a wide-ranging address, Marcos also spotlighted the Philippines’ digital economy, which is projected to exceed USD40 billion by 2030, and its consistent GDP growth of 5.7% last year.
“Our young, skilled, English-speaking workforce continues to attract global investment,” the President said.
“We want the Philippines to be a trusted, connected, and competitive node in the Indo-Pacific economy.”
Marcos likewise proposed the start of formal talks for a Philippines–India Preferential Trade Agreement to deepen two-way trade and diversify product flows.
“This is not just another bilateral program,” Marcos said. “It is a powerful platform for long-term strategic convergence.”
The Bengaluru forum brought together Indian and Filipino leaders from sectors such as information technology and business process management (IT-BPM), fintech, telecoms, digital services, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, manufacturing, and infrastructure — many of which saw new agreements inked during the visit.