Overseas Indian Affairs ministry and Confederation of Indian Industry have decided to launch an exclusive yellow page, listing prominent NRI entrepreneurs who are on the look out for Indian partners in their bid to launch joint ventures in the country.

The yellow page, which will reach out to about five million Indians living outside country, will feature Indian businesses willing for tie-ups and NRI entrepreneurs as well.

To be made available in print and through an Internet edition, the yellow pages can also be obtained from Indian High Commissions and missions abroad.

"Our role as a business facilitator will be greatly enhanced by the listings in the yellow pages. At NRI meets like Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, we received queries for Indian tie-ups in areas like marketing of products and services, commodities and for even real estate business in the country," said CEO of the ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs' Facilitation Centre, Harmit Singh Sethi.

In business meets like Vibrant Gujarat, the OIFC also received requests from Indian businessmen seeking NRI partners.

"These are healthy developments and fortunately the government and many state governments are taking the right step to enhance the investment environment," Sethi said.

Overseas Indian Affairs ministry is projecting the country as an investor-friendly destination and is keen on on attracting NRI investments, officials said.

"A guided approach is required as industry partners must identify business prospects first before approaching the state governments for facilitating the tie-ups," a highly placed ministry official said.

NRI cells of state governments like in Gujarat, Karnataka and Bihar had shown considerable interest in the yellow pages, he said.

The yellow pages, currently in an early stage of development, is expected to be completed over the next eight- month period.