From the Defense Perspective
One area where the relationship is all set to turn a new leaf is the defense sector. As the BJP’s election manifesto spoke about the need to modernize India’s armed forces and to galvanize the defense purchases and promise has been kept as the government in one progressive turnaround, raised the foreign direct investment cap in the defense sector to 49 percent. And not just that, the defense spending in the budget has been raised to 12%. This will definitely motivate U.S. to invest in India and will in turn help them develop India’s defense industrial base.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel during his recent visit to India spoke about dozens of proposals which India can definitely think about with regard to co-production of defense items and transfer of technology. Co-producing the Javelin anti-tank missile is one of the most important proposals which India can give a serious thought to. Over the last decade, U.S. has cumulatively signed nearly $13 billion in defense contracts and that includes top line deals of military transport aircraft and helicopters. But then the setbacks have neutralized the effect somehow. When India decided to down select two U.S. companies from a bidding process to fill its requirement for 126 fighter aircrafts, it was quite a difficult pill to swallow for U.S. On the flipside, U.S. has been trying for years to convince India to sign U.S. defense technology agreements so that they can export the best of their technology. But India’s reluctance is not doing any favors to the whole process.

Clarity over Nuclear Deal
Over the past half decade, the nuclear issue has been a cause of concern between India and U.S. When the BJP was the opposition party, it vehemently opposed the nuclear deal and pushed for liability legislation that complicated matters further. Now with the BJP in power, the U.S. must kick start the attempt to resolve the issue if it has to invest in India’s civil nuclear sector. U.S. must also insist on India’s membership in the major multilateral nonproliferation groupings, such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime. The BJP’s coming into power is all set to re energize U.S. India ties and progress on the areas of defense, security, trade and counter terrorism co operation.

The U.S. India relationship is on the brink of a fabulous new turn and progress is a foregone conclusion. It is just a matter of keeping up with the changing times. That is because more than the quantity, it is the quality of the Indo-U.S. dialogues which will make the ultimate difference and both the countries should look forward to cementing their relationship in a concrete manner while managing the day to day issues which are bound to come up at times.

India is well on its way to a makeover, on the cusp of transformation and leading the charge is none other than the Prime Minister himself, Narendra Modi. In his recent Independence Day speech, Modi announced his vision for a future driven by innovation and aimed at improving the lives of all Indians at large. To achieve his dream of a “Digital India”, his government plans to build the required infrastructure which will ensure that all Indians have access to essential public services and information. A dream which few have dreamt before, leave alone fulfillment.

Then again it is something to look forward to and surely an inspiring signal to his constituents and international partners. After all, innovation is currently the buzzword and extremely necessary for the growth of any nation in the 21st century and for a country as diverse as India, it is something which is long overdue. By embracing the humungous potential that technology has to offer, the people of India can connect and unite like never before. From improving the overall access to education and exploring fresh perspectives on the same to increasing the country’s electronic manufacturing capabilities, so that even those living in the far remote expanses of rural India could benefit.

The Obama Administration recently praised Modi’s approach and quickly highlighted the opportunities for collaboration. In comments at the New York Foreign Press Center, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Biswal said, “We have a pretty ambitious roadmap and workload over the next six weeks and we look forward to a very substantive and consequential visit for Prime Minister (Modi) and look forward to being able to really put a great deal of meat on the bones in terms of this very important relationship that the President has characterized as a defining partnership for the US in the 21st century. This is a relationship that carries a great deal of importance and meaning to the US and is at a critical moment of opportunity and we want to make sure we work very closely with our counterparts in India in realizing that opportunity”.

Recently, India and the US came together to discuss issues in the Strategic Dialogue Meet that was chaired by US Secretary of State John Kerry and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on August 1.The dialogue focused primarily on strengthening cooperation in economic opportunity, energy security, homeland security, education, space and vocational training. ”These are all areas where we are looking to see some concrete announcements. I don’t have that to give to you right now but that is what the homework assignment has been for the two sides to be working on over the next six weeks,” Biswal said referring to the Strategic Dialogue Meet.

Coming back to Modi’s dream of a Digital India, it sure is a grand vision which would take some doing to even embark on its first baby steps and going by the last few months, there’s been more talk than action. As a country, India maintains discriminatory industrial policies that are stopping U.S. exports of the very information and communication technology products that Modi will need to realize his Digital India dream. Widespread copyright piracy and negligent protection of intellectual property rights in India are discouraging innovation and investment and instead are resulting in more brain drain than ever.

While most of the developing countries are opening up their markets and are in the process of introducing the kinds of legal and economic reforms which are necessary to build and sustain a modern digital economy, India is falling further behind rather than keeping pace with them. In the last one year itself, India has slipped ten places in the global innovation index and now ranks a disappointing 76th in the world. According to the 2014 World Economic Forum’s Global Enabling Trade Report, India’s trading regime ranks 96th out of 132 countries in terms of enabling trade. Not the ideal figures when we talk of a nation thinking digital.

These are early days for the Modi government, and manufacturers remain optimistic that positive progress can be achieved and a fruitful bilateral commercial relationship would be an ideal beginning. If India’s new government is serious about taking the actions necessary to achieve their vision, then America is more than ready to work with them.

Nisha Biswal’s Quote Source: Economic Times

Statistics Source: WEM, TOI

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not be able to address the joint session of US Congress during his forthcoming trip to Washington owing to the Congressional holiday schedule, the PM could have luncheon meeting with senior US Senators and governors of important states as part of efforts to engage with a large section of the American administration.

Indeed, plans are on to oragnise a lunch with over 50 US Senators who play a critical role in decision making in the American system. US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), which is a broad-based group of Indian Americans, is driving this initiative.

Robinder Sachdev, head of the Indian chapter of USINPAC, told ET that the group is in touch with over 50 Senators for the proposed luncheon. Sachdev also informed that plans are on to organize a meeting between the PM and governors of key US states. The idea is have a get-together of over a dozen governors of states that are keen to invest in India.

Governors often lead trade delegations to various countries, including India, and are critical for business promotion between the two countries, Sachdev informed. Simultaneously, attempts are also being made to organize a meeting between Modi and top business leaders in Washington. Networth of these business houses is over $600 billion.

This would be the second meeting between Modi and business leaders in the same trip. He is expected to meet a group of businessman under the aegis of business chambers in New York before proceeding to Washington.

Earlier Senators Mark Warner, John Cornyn, Tim Kaine, Jim Risch, and the Senate India Caucus, sponsored a resolution urging a Joint Session of Congress address by Prime Minister Modi. But South Block officials told ET that due to the intervening US Congressional holiday schedule, and the House of Representatives’ urgency to leave Washington to prepare for the November elections in their home districts, a Joint Session address by the PM is unlikely to happen in September this year.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Sunday, the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) said that Modi will address hundreds of Indian Americans at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York on September 28. The event has been named “Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi Abhinandan Samaroh”.

According to OFBJP, Modi is hugely popular among the Indian Americans. Vijay Jolly, BJP Global Convener of Overseas Affairs, along with Chandrakant Patel, OFBJP-USA president, according to the statement, would tour several cities across the country to mobilise Indian American community leaders and the Indian diaspora for this event.

Source: Economic Times

The impending visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly and also to meet US President Barack Obama will be a significant step to set the tone and outcomes of US-India relations.

The importance of this visit lies in the fact that both parties are striving to draw a fresh first sketch on a blank-slate with a new prime minister at the helm in New Delhi. While officials are planning to generate as much value out of Modi’s trip to New York and Washington, DC, it is also time to create newer values in the bilateral relation. This can be possible if the prime minister engages with a wider audience in the US.

The Silicon Valley could be a great place to start this effort. Such a visit will give Modi the opportunity to see and experience for himself first-hand the culture and eco-system of technology, capital, and the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that has made the Valley the engine of America’s growth.

He would be invited to visit the campus or headquarters of tech giants like Google, Facebook, Twitter — and could also sample some of the newest technologies that are being incubated by these giants — ranging from social media, to solar energy, to driver-less cars and wearable computing. Of course, included in the itinerary would be a meeting or town-hall with the technology CEOs, and a private dinner with the owner-CEOs of some of these top corporations.

Moreover, the Silicon Valley is no longer only about information technology, software and social media. The technology giants are moving towards innovation, products and solutions for smart cities and waste management, clean technology and solar energy, and advances in learning through tools like the Massive Open Online Course, among others.

India must take the leadership in inspiring this eco-system of innovation and entrepreneurship towards creating affordable solutions for the needs of the billions across the world.

Source: Hindustan Times

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for his first speech from Delhi’s Red Fort on Independence Day, history is waiting to be rewritten. In fact Modi has been preparing for this moment for some time now.
If we roll the clock back a year from now, it was on August 14, 2013 when Modi had thrown down the gauntlet by challenging that his August 15 speech in Gujarat, as Chief Minister, would draw as much attention as that of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s from the Red Fort.
His speech last year on Independence Day had begun from a college in Bhuj and had started about half an hour after Manmohan Singh’s speech had finished. Modi had then torn into Dr. Singh’s speech branding it uninspiring and disappointing. The bigwigs at BJP had then proclaimed that Mr. Modi’s next Independence Day speech would be at Delhi’s Red Fort. In fact so fond a wish was it that in election-bound Chhattisgarh in September last year, the BJP erected a replica of the Red Fort as a stage for a Modi rally.
Here we are a year later, and the stage is set for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deliver a speech which many expect would be inspiring and thought provoking in equal amounts.

As the D day draws closer, it is believed that the speech will highlight three major initiatives that are in the pipeline. The spotlight shall remain on big ticket reforms but the three initiatives-a clear plan for the Clean Ganga project, skill development for the nation’s youth, and real steps to ensure financial inclusion-will be the main ingredients of Modi’s first address to the nation.
In fact all three of these major initiatives have been the fulcrum of Modi’s campaign and have been the party’s manifesto in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections this year. In the pipeline are plans to create separate nodal offices for skill development and Clean Ganga project. While the skill development for youth is proposed to be handled by about 20 ministries, different programmes to clean Ganga shall fall under at least three ministries.
True to Modi’s focus on skill development, the government has completely dedicated one of the six areas on the recently launched web portal MyGov to it. The purpose is to develop bold ideas, concrete policies, initiatives and interventions to help develop employable skills on a mass scale to meet the needs of the industry and help youth enter the job market.
So as the countdown begins for August 15, the nation shall wait with bated breath for Modi to unleash a speech which will be charismatic and impactful in equal amounts. After all, we already know he is a man of his words.

The relationship between India and the United States is on the threshold of a new resurgence. Newer opportunities are knocking at the doorsteps of both the countries and with Narendra Modi all set to visit US next month, there could not be a more opportune time to take this relationship to the next level. The recent visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker to India could not have come at a more crucial juncture. Their meetings with various dignitaries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reinforced the need to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, in the wake of India walking out of the WTO.
The issue of Energy security is critical for both the US and India. As a country US is producing more fuel than it can ever use, but the refusal to export the same to India is hurting the trade relations between the two countries. For US, it would ensure that thousands of jobs are created and it would boost the economy several notches higher and for India it would mean an uninterrupted supply of clean energy. Why this win-win situation for both US and India is still pending and has not been implemented is beyond comprehension.
Apart from that, defense development between the two countries is the need of the hour and both US and India must seize every opportunity to collaborate on defense and not let other factors restrict the growth between the two nations. The recent visit of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to India was a step in that direction.
Hagel has left India with few concrete agreements and he acknowledges the fact that the world’s oldest and the world’s largest democracy must be results oriented and do more to transform the defense co operation between both the nations from just buying and selling tradeoffs to the next level of co production and co development.

In the near future, The US is hoping to partner with India as it modernizes its military, but at the same time Indian leaders are more interested in co-development opportunities than in simply buying American-made weapons.

The new initiative brought to the forefront by Hagel includes more than a dozen proposals that would transfer technology and production expertise to India. It includes a plan for the US and India to co-produce and co-develop, the next upgrade of the Javelin anti-tank missile which would be cheaper, lighter and more capable.

The development initiative in other words is part of a larger picture which is America’s attempt to improve what has often been a shaky relationship with India, which can turn out to be one of their most prominent allies in Asia.

The US-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) concluded its grassroots campaign launched two months ago urging Speaker John Boehner to schedule a Joint Session of Congress Address by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visits the United States in late September.

Due to the Prime Minister’s brief U.S. sojourn, the intervening U.S. Congressional holiday schedule, and the House of Representatives’ urgency to leave Washington to prepare for the November elections in their home districts, a Joint Session Address by Prime Minister Modi will not take place in September 2014, USINPAC said in a statement.

“However, the USINPAC membership came away with an exceptional understanding that the journey – building a case for an enduring bilateral relationship – has been more important than the destination. To this end, USINPAC wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to each and every member of Congress — Senate and House — who have engaged with our membership in this bipartisan effort,” the statement said.

USINPAC extended thanks to Senators Mark Warner, John Cornyn, Tim Kaine, Jim Risch, and the Senate India Caucus, for sponsoring a resolution urging a Joint Session of Congress Address by Prime Minister Modi and noting that this measure is a first in Senate History.

USINPAC thanked Congressmen Joe Crowley, Pete Roskam, and the House India Caucus for writing to, speaking with and urging Speaker John Boehner to schedule a Joint Session Address by Prime Minister Modi. USINPAC also extended thanks to Congressmen Brad Sherman, Ted Poe, Eni Faleomavaega for leading the “Dear Colleague” letter urging Speaker Boehner to schedule a Joint Session of Congress Address by Prime Minister Modi.

USINPAC also thanked individually to the following Members of Congress (in alphabetical order) who signed the Sherman-Poe “Dear Colleague” letter: Joe Barton, Ami Bera, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Gus Bilirakis, Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Mo Brooks, John Campbell, Tony Cardenas, John Carter, Donna Christensen, Judy Chu, David Cicilline, Mike Coffman, Chris Collins, Mike Conaway, Gerald Connolly, Jim Costa, Joe Courtney, Peter DeFazio, Ted Deutch, Eliot Engel, Anna Eshoo, Eni Faleomavaega, Bill Flores, Tulsi Gabbard, John Garamendi, Cory Gardner, Jim Gerlach, Kay Granger, Alan Grayson, Gene Green, Al Green, Michael Grimm, Denny Heck, Jeb Hensarling, Brian Higgins, Mike Honda, Bill Huizenga, Steve Israel, Bill Johnson, David Joyce, Joseph P. Kennedy III, Ron Kind, Peter King, Rick Larsen, Sheila Jackson Lee, Alan Lowenthal, Kenny Marchant, Carolyn B. Maloney, Mark Meadows, Gregory W. Meeks, Grace Meng, Mike Michaud, Randy Neugebauer, Pete Olson, Frank Pallone, Ted Poe, Ed Pastor, Ed Perlmutter, Scott Perry, David Price, Mike Quigley, Dana Rohrabacher, Bobby L. Rush, Loretta Sanchez, Allyson Y. Schwartz, David Schweikert, Pete Sessions, Brad Sherman, Albio Sires, Adam Smith, Lamar Smith, Jackie Speier, Steve Stivers, Steve Stockman, Dina Titus, Michael Turner, Pete Visclosky, Maxine Waters, Tim Walberg, Randy Weber, Roger Williams, and Ted Yoho.

“USINPAC hopes to continue its dialogue with the US Congress in order to support accelerated US-India strategic partnership and an effective working relationship with the new Government in India,” USINPAC statement said.

Source: Indus Business Journal

August 01; Washington DC.: Today, the US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) concluded the grassroots campaign launched two months ago urging Speaker John Boehner to schedule a Joint Session of Congress Address by Prime Minister Modi.

Due to the Prime Minister’s brief U.S. sojourn, the intervening U.S. Congressional holiday schedule, and the House of Representatives’ urgency to leave Washington to prepare for the November elections in their home districts, a Joint Session Address by Prime Minister Modi will not take place in September 2014. However, the USINPAC membership came away with an exceptional understanding that the journey – building a case for an enduring bilateral relationship – has been more important than the destination. To this end, USINPAC wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to each and every member of Congress – Senate and House – who have engaged with our membership in this bipartisan effort.

USINPAC extends thanks to Senators Mark Warner, John Cornyn, Tim Kaine, Jim Risch, and the Senate India Caucus, for sponsoring a resolution urging a Joint Session of Congress Address by Prime Minister Modi and noting that this measure is a first in Senate History.

USINPAC extends thanks to Congressmen Joe Crowley, Pete Roskam, and the House India Caucus for writing to, speaking with and urging Speaker John Boehner to schedule a Joint Session Address by Prime Minister Modi. USINPAC extends thanks to Congressmen Brad Sherman, Ted Poe, Eni Faleomavaega for leading the “Dear Colleague” letter urging Speaker Boehner to schedule a Joint Session of Congress Address by Prime Minister Modi.

USINPAC extends thanks individually to the following Members of Congress (in alphabetical order) who signed the Sherman-Poe “Dear Colleague” letter: Joe Barton, Ami Bera, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Gus Bilirakis, Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Mo Brooks, John Campbell, Tony Cardenas, John Carter, Donna Christensen, Judy Chu, David Cicilline, Mike Coffman, Chris Collins, Mike Conaway, Gerald Connolly, Jim Costa, Joe Courtney, Peter DeFazio, Ted Deutch, Eliot Engel, Anna Eshoo, Eni Faleomavaega, Bill Flores, Tulsi Gabbard, John Garamendi, Cory Gardner, Jim Gerlach, Kay Granger, Alan Grayson, Gene Green, Al Green, Michael Grimm, Denny Heck, Jeb Hensarling, Brian Higgins, Mike Honda, Bill Huizenga, Steve Israel, Bill Johnson, David Joyce, Joseph P. Kennedy III, Ron Kind, Peter King, Rick Larsen, Sheila Jackson Lee, Alan Lowenthal, Kenny Marchant, Carolyn B. Maloney, Mark Meadows, Gregory W. Meeks, Grace Meng, Mike Michaud, Randy Neugebauer, Pete Olson, Frank Pallone, Ted Poe, Ed Pastor, Ed Perlmutter, Scott Perry, David Price, Mike Quigley, Dana Rohrabacher, Bobby L. Rush, Loretta Sanchez, Allyson Y. Schwartz, David Schweikert, Pete Sessions, Brad Sherman, Albio Sires, Adam Smith, Lamar Smith, Jackie Speier, Steve Stivers, Steve Stockman, Dina Titus, Michael Turner, Pete Visclosky, Maxine Waters, Tim Walberg, Randy Weber, Roger Williams, and Ted Yoho.

USINPAC extends thanks to Speaker John Boehner for discussing with USINPAC Chairman Sanjay Puri and USINPAC leadership the scheduling challenges for a Joint Session Address by Prime Minister Modi during his upcoming visit to the United States. USINPAC hopes to continue its dialogue with the US Congress in order to support accelerated US-India strategic partnership and an effective working relationship with the new Government in India.