New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) India's growth has to be a lifting tide for the entire region, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday while pitching for greater investment by the country in the neighbourhood, particularly to improve connectivity.

Speaking at an interactive session at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, Jaishankar also highlighted India's focus on self-reliance to boost economic growth as well as efforts to improve the overall prosperity of the region.

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"India's growth has to be a lifting tide for the entire region," he said adding the country needs to invest in the neighbourhood and build more connectivity projects.

At the same time, he said, "we are actually doing it".

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Jaishankar said India has been a supplier of electricity to most of its neighbours in the last five years besides providing fuel to many of the countries.

He said India has been involved in developing waterways, ports, railway networks and other projects in the region.

"There is a lot of regional investment which India is making today and our sense is that you are going to get a much better-integrated region, a much more connected region. But one needs to go beyond that," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)