Indian Billionaire Modi Keen To Invest In Malaysia

By Samantha Tan Chiew Ting SHAH ALAM (Selangor, Malaysia), Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Indian billionaire Bhupendra Kumar Modi, or widely known as Dr BK Modi, is keen on investment opportunities in Malaysia's real estate, entertainment, hospitality and technology sectors. "Let's see as it goes along what happens because I am very much closer to Malaysia. I have a home here and I live in Singapore. I am not that far away," he told Bernama here on Wednesday. The Spice Group owner, who joined the Malaysia My Second Home programme, was impressed with Malaysia's economic, government and digital transformation programmes. "Malaysia is the leading country in the region and the first one to take great steps to drive broadband and education," Modi said. The industrialist, who is also chairman of Singapore-based telecom firm Si2i Ltd, said Spice's promise is "to see the internet in the hands of every 8-year-old from Ivory Coast to Indonesia by 2020." Last year, Spice acquired CSL Group of Companies, a Malaysia-based handset distribution entity now known as S CSL, a new brand positioning in line with its mobile internet strategy. On Malaysia's Digital Transformation Programme, Modi said the government needs to adopt the internet because it is a much cheaper tool and less costly for consumers. "They (the government) are aware that operators cannot only get you to the people. It is people like S CSL who can make devices which can make the school connected to internet devices. "Connection to internet devices cannot depend on personal computers as it is too costly. You have to go for cheaper devices like iPad for education," he added. -- BERNAMA