Modi@WH: “A big deal”, and a “powerful sign,” says USIBC chief Keshap
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: The first State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States later this month is “a big deal” and “a powerful sign” that the future of the two democracies is together, US-India Business Council (USIBC) President Atul Keshap said on Friday.
PM Modi is visiting the US from June 21 to 24 at the invitation of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. During his visit, Modi will address the joint session of the US Congress. President Biden will also host a State Dinner in PM Modi’s honor on June 22.
Atul Keshap, 52, is an American diplomat and career United States Foreign Service Officer from Virginia who recently served as the Chargé d’affaires of the United States mission to India.
PM Modi’s is only the third State Visit in the entire history of diplomatic relations between the United States and India. It is the highest level of protocol area and diplomatic gesture that the United States can offer, the media quoted him as saying.
The more the United States and India, the two greatest democracies on Earth come together, the happier, safer, more stable, and more prosperous the entire world is going to be, he said.
The Modi visit to the US could send a powerful signal to the business communities of both countries that they are the preferred partners of each other and that there can be investment and trade in both directions with the full blessing and approval of the two governments.
“We must be impatient in attaining our USD 500 billion goals for annual trade between the United States and India. While we’re only at USD 190 billion, we have to put on our track shoes, and our sneakers, and run faster. Both governments giving this encouragement is important.”
On the eve of PM Modi’s visit, USIBC will host a ‘wedding mela’ at the United States Chamber of Commerce, bringing American and Indian startup enterprises in the defense space together to see if they can make partnerships, to build the defense articles that both of the countries need for a strong defense.
“For the US and India to be strong, to have strong deterrents, we need our companies, our private sectors working together. So IndUSX on June 20 at the US Chamber is our contribution to doing that. We were asked to do so by both the Pentagon and the Indian Ministry of Defence.”
“If we see the trade volume start to climb past USD 200 billion heading for USD 500 billion, then I feel like I’m doing my dharma,” he said.
Keshap said if the world’s two greatest democracies are strong and capable, their enemies who may seek to challenge them will think twice. That’s the whole purpose of deterrence, which is about avoiding the next war. So having a very strong defense industry is very important.
About the American companies, he said “They just want to be treated equally and fairly to be able to do their business, make their investment decisions, and they want to have predictability. I think what American firms want to hear is about predictability and ease of doing business and a level playing field.”
“They feel that in the United States, they have a pretty good field in which to run, that there is a level playing field. There is speedy arbitration of any disputes in the courts. They do get a fair shake from all of the state governors that they go to when they look to see where they might invest,” he said.
