Recognising India's emergence as a global economic power, the world's largest stock exchange NASDAQ marked the country's 63rd Independence Day with display of the Indian tricolour on an electronic board at the Times Square in mid-town Manhattan. India's Consul General in New York Prabhu Dayal rang the closing bell Friday at the exchange, which lists seven Indian companies with combined market capitalisation of $35 billion, to mark a 'very important occasion', as Dayal put it. Dayal said his presence at NASDAQ on the eve of Independence Day emphasised the strong partnership between India and the US. Pointing to a strong Indo-US partnership, he drew attention to the recent successful visit of the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the upcoming state visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Washington. He said as the largest source of foreign direct and portfolio investments, US was an indispensable partner of India, whose huge markets also offer enormous opportunities for US investors. Outside the exchange, in the heart of Times Square, an electronic board displayed the Indian flag with the caption 'NASDAQ welcomes Ambassador Prabhu Dayal, Consul General of India in New York.' source : Yahoo News
