OSBORNE PRIASE CHIDAMBARAM

Finance Minister P Chidambaram's reform push to revive Indian economy and restore investor confidence was today lauded by British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, who said he has done a great job. "When it comes to India, I think Mr Chidambaram has done a great job at telling and showing the world that India is open for business," Osborne told select Indian journalists after his meeting with the Finance Minister. Giving a resounding thumbs up to India's reform initiatives, Osborne said: "I think people had some questions a year or two ago but Mr Chidambaram has settled those doubts and the reforms he has proposed – the retail reforms, pension bill, among others – are a real sign of India's commitment to wanting to trade with the world. I think he has single handedly made a huge contribution and we are honoured that we are able to host him today". Since taking office last July, Finance Minister P Chidambaram has championed reforms and hit the road to woo investors in Asia, Europe and North America. Chidambaram donned a hard hat during a visit to a new Crossrail station project in east London. He was shown around the upcoming mega high-frequency railway project by Osborne, who gave a resounding thumbs up to India's reform initiatives. The Indian Finance Minister is on a three-nation tour to UK, France and Qatar to sell India's growth story and attract foreign investments. The meeting of the two finance ministers followed Chidambaram's closed-door meetings with potential British investors into India.