New York: Reaching out to the large Indian diaspora in the US, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Sep 24, 2004) assured them that his Government was committed to taking forward the reforms process and suggested they help create a "brain bank" which could be utilised by India.

He said along with reforms, there was need to reinvigorate the Indian economy and unleash the "animal spirit" of entrepreneurs and the creative potential of Indian professionals through a change of mindset for transformation of society.

At a meeting with Indian-American CEOs and prominent Indian-Americans in New York, Singh assured them that his Government would pursue policies that would enable two-way flow of ideas and opportunities.

The Prime Minister said he had always shared the view long expressed by his friend Jagdish Bhagwati of Columbia University that the migration of talent like that of the Diaspora from India did not necessarily constitute a "brain drain" but could, in fact, help create a "brain bank" from which "we can draw, provided we put in place at home, required policies and infrastructure".

Singh assured them that his Government "is committed to taking forward the programme of reforms and liberalisation we initiated over a decade ago".