WASHINGTON, Apr 27: The India-US partnership is at a moment where it will not only be good for the two countries’ interests but also for the world, New Delhi’s top diplomat in Washington has said, emphasising that transformational changes are taking place in India.
India’s ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu told a gathering of Indian-Americans at the US Capitol Hill on Wednesday that India and the US are on the cusp of deepening their relationship and the Indian Diaspora is uniquely placed to play a very significant role.
“There are some transformational changes which are happening in India, which is getting reflected also in the India-US partnership,” he said.
“As (Commerce(Gina)) Secretary Raimondo said a few days back, she used the word partnership. I think the first and foremost aspect of that is that India is an ancient civilization, but it’s also a very young country,” he said.
Out of 1.4 billion people, 50 per cent are 26 years old. The immediate fallout of that is that by 2070, India will remain the youngest and that’s a democratic asset if you link it with some of the other transformational changes that have taken place in the last few years, he said.
Sandhu was speaking at the first-of-its-kind US-India Summit organised by Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna in his capacity as the Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus.
“There are transformational changes that are taking place, and therefore, the United States-India partnership is at a moment where it will not only be good for the two countries’ interests but also for the global good,” he said.
The digital payment system has expanded so much that even if you go to a roadside dhaba, the person will ask for digital payment, he said, adding that today 40 per cent of the world’s digital payment is in India.
“Look at the UDI, which is 1.3 billion people’s unique digital identities. That has all been done on a public platform, meaning it’s available to any commercial interest. Utilise it. Just think if it had happened in the United States and a company had done it, it would have made billions of dollars.
“So, this identity has helped many telecom companies in India to reach out ..The reach out today is 1.2 billion and its similarly 800 million internet rates,” he said.
Introducing Sandhu at the event, Indian-American community leader from Silicon Valley Yogi Chug said the ambassador, during his various stints in the US, played a significant role in building a consequential relationship.
Congressman Khanna said Sandhu understands America and Congress and has played an important role in the India-US relationship. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
