印度将推进基础设施建设

India's government has pledged to move ahead with major infrastructure¹ projects to give a boost to the country's slowing economy.

印度政府承诺加快大型基础设施的建设以促进经济的发展。

India plans to build new highways, airports and ports, among other things during the ongoing² fiscal³ year.

The economy grew at the slowest rate since 2003 in the first three months of 2012, because of a widening trade gap and poor investment.

India is the third-largest economy in Asia.

But it has been struggling with inflation and currency weakness. Domestic demand, which India's economy is largely reliant（依赖的） on, has also slowed in part due to the political upheaval⁴ in the country.

During a meeting with his ministers on Wednesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said after years of high growth India is "now running into more turbulent（骚乱的） weather".

"In these difficult times, we must do everything possible to revive investment and business sentiment, both public and private," he said.

Mr Singh unveiled a series of projects to kickstart investment. Among them are:
 Contracts to build 9,500km of roads
 Three new airports at Navi Mumbai, Goa and Kannur. At least "three or four" of five airports - Lucknow, Varanasi, Coimbatore, Trichy and Gaya - are to be upgraded to international standard
 Two new aviation hubs to make India a major transit⁵ point
 Two new ports in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal

Mr Singh said building infrastructure needed about $1tr in the next five years, and the government alone would be unable to invest the amount.

"Therefore, importance is being given to public-private partnership⁶. Achieving targets in key infrastructure sectors⁷ is key to success and will inspire confidence about the overall economic growth rate," he said.