India Has to be America’s First Geopolitical Priority in the World, Says Former U.S. Envoy

As India is on its way to becoming a major global power, New Delhi and Washington must concentrate on ways to enhance mutual ties, former U.S. ambassador to India David Mulford said. Mulford, who was speaking at the 2nd Houston India Conference on March 8 at Houston, Texas, said India and the United States should boost trade and investment by negotiating agreements that will create employment opportunities in both nations.

Mulford added that India should be the United States’ first geopolitical priority in the world and that Washington DC should concentrate on nurturing relations with New Delhi independently. Mulford also welcomed the steps against Pakistan, reported PTI.

Stressing on the fact that India and the United States are natural allies, Mulford described his experience of how the difficult civil nuclear deal was negotiated. He added that the two nations started sharing intelligence only after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.

Consul General of India in Houston Anupam Ray said in his opening remarks that the conference served as a platform for people who are involved with writing the India story to help the next generation write new chapters. The theme of the 2nd Houston India Conference 2018 is Make in India-The Inside Story.

“The conference fit very well in the 18 plus year agenda of the chamber in helping facilitate bilateral trade with India,” said Jagdip Ahluwalia, the founding secretary of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH), the report added. Ahluwalia added that the U.S.-India trade equation has advanced through the years and it has helped in creating employment opportunities in Texas and India.

“Texas has a large interest in India. India is one of the major business partners for companies in this area. There is a large Indian presence in the educational, medical and research institutes that Houston is renowned for,” a statement from the conference said.

The conference featured a series of panel discussions on the state of the Indian economy and politics, doing business in India, and exploring India’s growing soft power on the global stage. Besides Mulford, the panelists also included Vikram Singh Mehta, chairman of Brookings India; Nisha Biswal, president, US-India Business Council (USIBC); Aparna Subramani, executive director, World Bank; and Sandeep Sen, CEO, Aegis Ltd.

The Houston India Conference, which took place for the first time in March 2017, is organized by the Consulate General of India in Houston, US India Business Council, University of Houston, US India Skills and Education Council, Asia Society Texas Center, Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, Greater Houston Partnership, US India Chamber of Commerce of Dallas – Fort Worth, and India House.