US India Relations

India and the US share a robust working relationship on addressing the major challenge posed by fentanyl drugs, a top health official in the Biden administration has said. Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid primarily used as an analgesic. Since 2018, fentanyl and its analogues have been responsible for most drug overdose deaths in the US, causing over 71,238 deaths in 2021. The Biden administration launched a massive campaign on Thursday to educate young people about the dangers of fentanyl and the life-saving effects of Naloxone, a medicine that reverses opioid-related overdoses. India has been very enthusiastic working with the United States to address this (fentanyl problem) because it understands the significance at a global level of leadership," Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position which is popularly known as Drug Czar, told PTI. He said India is acting like a global leader when it comes to addressing the threat of synthetic

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti will be leading an ambitious effort to deepen America's cooperation with India, including in defence and economic sectors, according to the White House. Garcetti, the former Mayor of Los Angeles, was officially sworn in as the US Ambassador to India on March 24 by Vice President Kamala Harris during a ceremonial event here. The US Senate confirmed 52-year-old Garcetti's nomination earlier last month, ending a protracted hiatus of over two years to fill the key diplomatic position. Garcetti's nomination was pending before the US Congress since July 2021 when he was nominated by President Joe Biden. The president has said, when we look at the relationship with India, it's one of the most consequential relationships that the United States has in the world. That still stands, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference on Tuesday. Ambassador Garcetti will be leading an ambitious effort to deepen our ..

In a significant development amid tensions between India and China, a top American military official on Tuesday said the US and India were working on an information-sharing agreement

Eric Garcetti's confirmation as the US ambassador to India will help achieve critical goals in economic resilience at a time when both countries are working to build their Quad partnership and high-trust ecosystem underpinned by shared democratic values, according to US business leaders. US senators voted 52 to 42 on Wednesday to confirm the former Los Angeles mayor to the post after an unprecedented delay of more than two years. "Eric has a deep understanding and affection towards India and the Indian people, and I have no doubt he will hit the ground running when he lands in Delhi. Eric brings the humility of a great leader who is constantly looking to improve and make a difference. He is also a big-picture guy, said Mukesh Aghi, president of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum. Having led Los Angeles, one of the most vibrant cities in the world, Garcetti understands that working with all stakeholders will be essential in moving forward the most significant relationship of th

President Joe Biden's close aide Eric Garcetti is set to be confirmed as US Ambassador to India after the Senate on Wednesday voted on the cloture motion limiting debate on his nomination, reflecting that the ruling Democratic Party has enough votes for his selection for the top post. The former Los Angeles mayor's nomination was pending before the US Congress since July 2021 when he was nominated for the prestigious diplomatic posting by Biden. A cloture motion is a procedural motion that limits further debate on the matter at hand. It allows the majority to defeat efforts by the minority to delay or obstruct proceedings on a matter by showing the matter has the support of a super-majority. The cloture motion on his nomination was passed 52 to 42 votes. Garcetti's nomination was not brought to the Senate floor for a vote during the last Congress as the ruling Democratic Party did not have enough support to get the 52-year-old close aide of Biden through. Garcetti was not confirme

Observing that India and the United States have been ambitious on the strategic and technology front, a diplomat-turned-corporate executive has asserted that now is the time for the two nations to be more ambitious in the area of trade and investment as well. I take great comfort in the fact that the US and India are now not only Quad partners, they are also Indo-Pacific Economic Framework partners. I think both the governments ought to be ambitious about addressing investment and trade issues in order to have a greater opening up in both directions, Atul Keshap, president, US India Business Council (USIBC) told PTI in an interview. If both the governments take decisions to open up further to create a really good framework for trade and investment, you will hit that USD 500 billion target (of India-US annual bilateral trade). It requires the governments to be ambitious. They have been very ambitious on the strategic and the technological fronts. Now is the time to be ambitious on th

India-US economic partnership needs more energy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, who was in India from March 7-10, the Prime Minister's Office said on Saturday

The cooperation comes in the backdrop of the chip shortage that had badly disrupted supply of automobiles and electronics in both countries, particularly after the outbreak of Covid-19

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India is a global strategic partner of the United States, the Biden administration said on Thursday amidst a series of high-level of exchanges between the two countries. "Our message to India and about India is consistent. India is a global strategic partner of the United States. The engagements we've had with our Indian partners at the ministerial level, at the leader level, at all levels has been in furtherance of deepening the already extensive ties between our two countries," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at a news conference here. "These are ties that are political in nature, diplomatic, economic, security and importantly, people-to-people ties," he said. There is a vibrant Indian diaspora in this country, he said, adding that there is quite a bit of interest on the part of the American private sector in India, exchange students. "There are various ways in which our two societies are intertwined. So every time we have an opportunity to meet with our ..

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo discussed key areas of shared interests including the Indo-Pacific region in her meetings with the top Indian leadership including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Raimondo in her meeting with Doval, according to the Department of Commerce, discussed the US-India commercial relationship and "opportunities to deepen linkages between our economies". "They concurred on the importance of the inaugural meeting of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology," the Commerce Department said, adding that they also discussed the upcoming US-India CEO Forum and US-India Commercial Dialogue meetings, which will help facilitate increased cooperation between the two governments and business communities across a variety of sectors. Raimondo discussed with all the Indian leaders the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and the opportunities it ...

Since 2013-14, Indo-US bilateral merchandise trade doubled to $131 billion in 2022

US commerce secy says FTA off the table, IPEF to be more economically beneficial

NISAR was envisioned by NASA, ISRO eight years ago in 2014 as a powerful demonstration of the capability of radar as a science tool and help us study Earth's dynamic land and ice surfaces in detail

The United States has said that each country is going to make its own decision when asked about India's ties with Russia and purchase of oil from Russia

India as the G20 host has a "unique role" to play in bringing about an end to the war in Ukraine due to its "longstanding historical" ties to Russia, the US has said, expressing hope to work closely with New Delhi to find a way to stop the conflict. The G20 foreign ministers' meeting hosted by India on Thursday was unable to come out with a joint communique due to a sharp rift between the West and Russia over the Ukraine conflict despite efforts by host India to bridge the differences. "We are deeply grateful to our Indian partners for the way they have led the G20 to date. And as you alluded to, there is a lot more work to be done over the course of this year, but India is off to a very promising start with its stewardship of the G-20," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday. The India-US partnership was a subject of discussion between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterpart External Affairs Minister S Jaishanka

During his three-day trip to India, US Secretary of State Tony Blinken will reaffirm the strengthening of the bilateral relationship, the White House said Wednesday. Blinken, 60, arrived in New Delhi Wednesday night after his Central Asia trip. He is in New Delhi primarily to attend the G-20 Foreign Ministers meeting. On the sidelines of which he will have a meeting with his counterparts of Quad countries and participate in a panel discussion with them. "Secretary Blinken will reaffirm the strength of the US-India relationship and express our commitment to continue working together and in groups like the Quad to advance economic growth for our two countries and expand cooperation as we have our shared priorities," White House Press Secretary told reporters at a news conference here. Blinken would also hold bilateral talks with the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "Namaste, India!" Blinken's Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said on the landing of Blinken in New Delhi. "Secre

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will be leading a big business delegation to India in the second week of March to discuss ways to further boost trade and investment ties between the countries, an official said. Raimondo is scheduled to co-chair the US-India CEO Forum and US-India Commercial Dialogue meetings with her Indian counterpart Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal here, the official added. "The meetings are expected on March 8," the official said. The US is the top trading partner of India. The bilateral trade between the two nations has increased to USD 65.39 billion during April-January this fiscal against USD 62.27 billion a year ago. Imports too rose to USD 42.9 billion during the ten months of this fiscal as compared to USD 34.34 billion during April-January 2021-22. Trade experts believe that the trend of increasing bilateral trade with the US will continue in the coming years too, as New Delhi and Washington are engaged in further strengthening the econom

People-to-people ties form the bedrock of the India-US relationship and addressing the visa wait time issue is critical to maintaining them, senior administration officials said here. Reducing the visa wait time is a top priority for Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nancy Jackson told Indian reporters at a roundtable organised on Tuesday by the State Department, along with the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS). "As I look at the relationship, it strikes me that people-to-people ties between our two nations are really the bedrock of what is one of our most consequential relationships in the world and that's the US-India relationship. We can't underscore that enough. So addressing the visa wait times that we've been facing is critical not only to maintaining those people-to-people ties, but to expand them," Jackson said. FIIDS has been working with the Biden Administration for the past several months