New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to expand its financing focus beyond physical infrastructure to include emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), MSMEs and skilling.

Sitharaman made the suggestion during a meeting with AIIB President Zou Jiayi on the sidelines of the bank's annual meeting. India is the second-largest shareholder of AIIB after China.

India Supports AIIB's Expansion Plans

The Finance Ministry said Sitharaman congratulated the bank on its strong performance in the first half of the year and conveyed India's support for its 2027 budget plans and priorities for scaling up operations.

She also reiterated that AIIB's regional focu...