The US nominee for the post of World Bank President and former MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga has tested positive for Covid-19 on his arrival to India.
“During routine testing, Ajay Banga tested positive for Covid-19 but remains asymptomatic. In adherence with local guidelines, he is quarantining in isolation,” a US Embassy Spokesperson in New Delhi said on Friday.
Additional information will be provided about Banga’s schedule in India when available, he added.
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Banga’s two-day scheduled visit to India, on March 23-24, was to round off a three-week global listening tour. He visited countries in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and also in Asia, before coming to India on Thursday.
He was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to hold discussions on India’s development priorities, the World Bank, and global economic development challenges.
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Banga tested positive upon arrival in Delhi. He had conducted multiple tests for Covid-19 during his tour, and tested negative before departing for India, a source said.