India was hit by a tsunami, the highly virulent Delta strain of Covid, but the country remains an attractive destination for long-term global investors, Deloitte Global CEO Punit Renjen told ET.
“Over time and the long-term investment horizon, India is a very attractive destination. And it is attractive because the fundamentals are attractive: the talent pool, the demographics, the consumer base, the democratic tradition, ”said Renjen, born in India, in an interview.
Global companies like Deloitte will not change their investment plans even if India appears to have failed to deal with the aggressive second wave.
“We are committed to doubling our presence in India in the coming years. This is a good example of putting my money where my mouth is. We are going to hire between 75,000 and 100,000 more people over the next few years, ”Renjen said.
It seems that India may have turned the corner in its fight against Covid and the worst may be behind the country.
“I think the second wave numbers are going down dramatically, which is a very positive sign. We must hope that the third wave does not arrive, but we must prepare for it, “he said.
“The United States and Europe have been affected by multiple waves. I am very encouraged by the vaccination program in India. India has a huge challenge like no other in the world: vaccinating 1.3 billion people in a democratic environment. ”
Deloitte, under Renjen’s leadership, has started a health project, Sanjeevani Pariyojana, with the Haryana government and the impact is already being felt in Karnal.