Bombay needs 'billions of dollars'

A new report says India's biggest commercial centre, Bombay (Mumbai) needs $10bn of investment over a 10 year period if it is to compete with similar cities in the Middle East and other parts of Asia.

The privately-commissioned report by the international consulting firm Mckinsey says Mumbai needs to grow by 8-10% a year and do things such as improving major roads and other infrastructure.

The report says Mumbai has the resources to raise the necessary investment itself, and will not need help from the central Indian Government.

The chief minister of Maharashtra, of which Bombay is the capital, Sushil Kumar Shinde, said he accepted most of the report's recommendations, and had appointed a special secretary to oversee their implementation.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service