Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh shared the view during a meeting with Makara Capital's General Director Ijaz Ahmad on October 24.

Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh and Makara Capital's General Director Ijaz Ahmad.

During the meeting, Ahmad shared that from an investor's perspective, he has observed growing international interest in Vietnam, driven by its expanding market size and increasingly attractive investment environment. In this context, Makara Capital's leadership expressed a strong desire to explore investment opportunities in Vietnam, particularly in Hanoi.

Speaking about Makara Capital, Ahmad highlighted the fund's focus on infrastructure projects, with a current portfolio totaling $23 billion, which includes airport and seaport developments across various countries. The fund is also heavily involved in the energy sector, undertaking large-scale projects in Indonesia and the US, while recently expanding into green energy initiatives, such as developing batteries for electric vehicles.

He also noted that Makara Capital is seeking opportunities in public-private partnership (PPP) projects, especially those related to research, startup programs, building innovation ecosystems, and spreading new technologies.

He emphasized that when selecting investment destinations, Makara Capital evaluates a country's development potential, examines the entire supply chain, assesses the availability of raw materials, and considers the potential for optimizing production costs. He also stressed the importance of maintaining close cooperation with local governments in the countries they invest in, in order to identify opportunities within their expanding investment portfolios.

With this collaborative spirit, Ahmad expressed a desire to learn more about Hanoi's vision and development goals, particularly in the areas of innovation, intellectual property protection, and the city's priorities in linking economic development with regional supply chains.

In response, Hanoi People's Committee Chairman Tran Sy Thanh thanked Ahmad for his insights and shared that Hanoi has submitted two development plans to the Prime Minister, outlining the city's growth strategies up to 2045 and 2065. These plans involve restructuring Hanoi's development model towards sustainability and smart city concepts.

Chairman Tran Sy Thanh emphasized Hanoi's favorable conditions, including a concentration of universities and research institutions, and a young, high-quality workforce. The city prioritizes creating favorable conditions for trade activities, the development of high technology, and fostering a startup ecosystem. In this regard, Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park is actively inviting high-tech businesses, including major global corporations, to participate.

The Chairman also highlighted Hanoi's strategic role as a central hub in the Red River Delta and as a driving force for the northern key economic region and the nation. This role is being strengthened through proactive collaboration and support for research and development efforts.

Finally, Chairman Tran Sy Thanh reaffirmed that innovation, green industries, and new technologies are among Hanoi's top development priorities. He expressed appreciation for Makara Capital's willingness to collaborate and welcomed the company's cooperative spirit.

Ngoc Mai