Tag: India-US relations

Ahead of Modi visit, India, US set to hold maiden Strategic and Commercial Dialogue

- by India Writes Network

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in September, Washington DC is all set to host the first ever India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue (SACD). According to Stefan M Selig, US Undersecretary for International Trade, Department of Commerce, it is scheduled to be held in September. This will be the first ever high level strategic and commercial dialogue between the world’s leading democracies and close strategic partners. With the intent to boost trade and investment five-fold to $500 billion annually, the meet would focus on areas such as ease of doing business and smart cities. Mr Selig is in India to meet Commerce secretary Rita Teaotia to discuss the details about the high level dialogue.

“The dialogue will have four pillars: ease of doing business, innovation and entrepreneurship, smart cities project in India and the harmonisation of standards to increase bilateral trade,” Mr Selig said at the press conference in the Indian capital. Mr Selig also added that he is due to meet Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shortly to discuss about joint preparations for the upcoming dialogue.

The SACD is expected to be held days before Mr Modi goes on his second visit to the US to attend the United Nations General Assembly in the last week of September. He is also expected to engage US President Barack Obama in bilateral talks on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York.

Read More

India-US defence ties flying high: Maritime patrol aircraft on way

- by India Writes Network

In an increasingly fragile and volatile neighbourhood, India is all set to upgrade its arsenal with a host of new high-tech acquisitions. This also comes at a time when the United States is all set to overtake Russia, Israel and France as India’s largest arms supplier with deals worth $10 billion inked since 2007. With Pakistan and China inking some major deals in the recent past, this acceleration in defence relationship with the US is set to boost the modernization of India’s armed forces. It would also help India strengthen its position with volatility increasing in the neighbourhood.
China Factor
One of the major acquisitions is going to be the deal of $1 billion for four P 8I planes that would be used for maritime patrol. This comes in the backdrop of China strengthening its presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as a part of its Maritime Silk Road strategy. With recent reports of Chinese submarines docking in Karachi lurking past Indian waters, it has raised alarm bells in the security establishment at New Delhi.
Pentagon and South Block are also set to begin negotiations in the next few days over the proposed $770 million deal for M-777 ultra-light howitzers under which the bulk of 145 artillery guns to be acquired in a government to government deal, will be made in India. This is also in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, which is expected to spur indigenization of the country’s defence sector.

Read More

Obama Moment for India’s youth: American dream still burns bright

- by Manish Chand

It was the ‘Obama Moment’ for India’s young and restless dreamers. Barack Obama knows the power of oratory as he spoke in crisp, luminous sentences infecting the overwhelmingly young audience with his mantra of ‘The Audacity of Hope’ which made him the first black president of the US in a country which only a few decades ago discriminated on the basis of the colour of the skin.
In his parting shot before he wrapped up a three-day historic trip to India, Obama sang a full-throated song of India and spoke about the intertwining of the Indian and American dreams, and what the world’s oldest and largest democracies can do to make the world a safe and secure place in which women are respected, diversity is the way of life and religious tolerance is the clean air you breathe in.
At the town hall-style meeting at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi on a wintry morning, he spoke warmly and eloquently about the promise of India, cited Swami Vikekananda’s famous invocation in his hometown Chicago a century ago as he addressed his audience as “sisters and borthers of India” and injected some robust common sense into what he has called many a time “the defining partnership of the 21st century.”
But what struck a powerful chord with the young audience was his paean to the power of youth and the limitless possibilities of human achievement as embodied in the American dream. “If the grandson of a cook can become president, and the tea seller can become the prime minister, so can young people from the humblest of origins dare to dream big and realise their aspirations,” he said to ringing applause.

Read More

Obama the charmer: India, America can be best partners

- by India Writes Network

India and America can be best partners as the world’s largest and oldest democracies are linked by shared values and dreams, said US President Barack Obama on his last public engagement in a town-hall meeting in Delhi as he wrapped up a three-day visit to Asia’s rising power.
Conjuring up a big picture view of what he has called one of the defining partnerships of this century, Mr Obama looked fresh and radiant as he spoke to an audience of young people and outlined what India and the US can do together to build a safe, secure and prosperous world.
“Of course, only Indians can decide India’s role in the world. But I’m here because I am absolutely convinced that both our peoples will have more jobs and opportunity, our nations will be more secure, and the world will be a safer and more just place when our two democracies stand together,” Mr Obama said, to much applause from audience.
Sketching out a broad canvas of global issues on which the two strategic partners can work together, Mr Obama enlisted India’s support for a global climate deal and warned that the world does not “stand a chance against climate change” unless developing and emerging countries like India reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Obama’s speech was his final engagement in a three-day trip that saw reinvigoration of bilateral ties across the spectrum and the resolution of the impasse over the commercial implementation of the landmark nuclear deal that transformed the relations between the two democracies ten years ago.
After his speech, Mr Obama, accompanied by First Lady Michelle, circulated among the audience, shaking hands, with the besotted audience frenziedly clicking photographs to cherish their Obama moment.

Read More