In the post-liberalisation era, beginning early 1990s, India gradually opened up its market, lowering trade barriers and freeing industrial licensing and exchange controls, and set the stage for its evolution as an active player in global economy and trade. Wide-ranging structural reforms have resulted over time in India moving to a higher growth path with an average of six per cent over a decade while the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002-07) is most likely to end up with a 7 per cent average. With its vibrant manufacturing and liberalized financial sectors, India has been reaching out to the world and asserting its competitiveness. Export growth surged to 20 per cent in each of the last three years though outpaced by imports geared to economic expansion.
India holds greater international attraction not so much for its growth record and strong economic fundamentals, as for its market size, vast reservoir of skilled and semi-skilled manpower, highly qualified professionals in all disciplines, its legal system which safeguards property and dominant business and industrial sectors. Capital flows are steadily increasing, such as foreign direct investment and portfolio, in a policy environment to attract such investments especially in infrastructure and areas of high technology as well as export-oriented ventures. India is also a preferred destination for relocation of production by multi-national companies which have also a strong presence in IT, automobiles and pharmaceuticals.