India: Ambassador hails PM Modi’s historic US visit, highlights strong relationship

New Delhi, India: India’s ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, said that the India-US relationship has changed a lot and it has been really impressive. He mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the third Indian leader to be given a special visit by the US President.

Sandhu also said that PM Modi is the only Indian leader who has spoken in front of the US Congress twice. The US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden invited PM Modi to visit the United States from June 21 to June 24.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and USIBC President Atul Keshap were also present at the India Ideas Summit. Sandhu praised the USIBC for organizing the summit.

During his speech at the India Ideas Summit, Taranjit Singh Sandhu expressed his excitement about the upcoming historic state visit of Prime Minister Modi to the US.

He mentioned that it is a great honor for PM Modi to be the third Indian leader in history to receive a state visit invitation from the US President. Sandhu also highlighted that PM Modi is the only Indian leader to have addressed the US Congress twice.

He emphasized that both the ceremonial and substantive aspects of PM Modi’s visit will be exceptional and complement each other. Sandhu acknowledged the significant contributions of everyone present at the summit in strengthening the India-US relationship.

He expressed pride in the progress made so far and emphasized the need for continued collaboration, as the transformation of their relationship has been remarkable in terms of speed and scale.

Taranjit Singh Sandhu said that India and the US have become smarter and more mature as partners. He mentioned that India plays an important role in global supply chains and value creation.

Sandhu highlighted some impressive numbers, such as India having more than 1.2 billion mobile subscribers and 825 million internet subscribers.

He also shared that in the past seven years, India has been adding one new mobile subscriber and three new internet users every second. Sandhu emphasized that India is not just a market anymore but also a crucial part of global supply chains.

He mentioned that the cost of data in India has dropped by 98%, which is one of the lowest rates worldwide. Sandhu concluded by saying that India’s digital story is all about inclusion, innovation, and empowering people.

He expressed India’s desire to attract investments from US companies and highlighted the fact that Indian companies are already investing in the US and creating job opportunities there. He emphasized the energy and compatibility between India and the US in the technology sector.

Sandhu mentioned the iCET industry roundtable, which was recently launched, and the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue. He stated that there is a strong synergy and complementarity between the two countries in the field of technology.

Sandhu also mentioned the presence of important officials from both countries, such as the National Security Advisors and Secretary Raimondo, during the launch of the iCET industry roundtable. He highlighted that Secretary Austin was in Delhi while the Foreign Secretary was in DC, and the inaugural India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue was initiated, which he considered a significant step forward in discussions about export controls.

Overall, Sandhu expressed that the depth of engagement between Delhi and DC has never been better.