Beijing, May 20 (PTI) The New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries has announced plans to open its regional office of India at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) to cater to infrastructure and sustainable development needs of the country.

Working in close coordination with the NDB Headquarters, the Indian Regional Office will focus on project origination including initial project preparation and technical assistance, pipeline development, project implementation and monitoring as well as regional portfolio management, the bank said in a press release.

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Headquartered in Shanghai, the NDB was established by BRICS nations, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The bank formally opened in July 2015.

Besides the five founding members, the NDB has admitted Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uruguay and Egypt have been previously admitted as members further expanding the bank's global outreach.

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“The Indian Regional Office will be instrumental in enhancing NDB's engagement with borrowers and stakeholders. IRO expands our on-the-ground presence, contributing to preparing and implementing projects,” Marcos Troyjo, NDB President said.

“Since its inception, NDB has built a robust and diversified portfolio of infrastructure and sustainable development projects. Our regional offices proved instrumental for ensuring successful portfolio growth. In this context, the Indian Regional Office is part of NDB's effort to increase the quality and complexity of its operations, creating a network of business and development opportunities,” the press release said.

The launch of the Bank's IRO aims to cater to infrastructure and sustainable development needs in India and Bangladesh, contributing to economic growth and sustainable development in South Asia, in line with the NDB's mandate.

The Bank is in the final stages of preparing for the physical opening of the office. NDB will soon announce the appointment of the Director General, India Regional Office, the press release added.

(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)