The US and India should build an economic relationship focused on creating jobs and economic opportunities in both the countries said The Center for American Progress Task Force on US-India Relations.
A report submitted by the task force outlined specific ideas on how to further build and strengthen the critical partnership between the US and India.
It suggests that the countries should work together through technical cooperation and innovation to build a clean energy future that can boost economic growth and combat climate change.
The report said the countries should create a new Strategic Advantage Initiative to develop New Delhi’s defense capabilities as a premier security contributor in the Indo-Pacific and ensure that India has the capabilities to prevail in contested domains.
Strengthening the freedom of the two largest democracies in the world is important for better co-operation. In this regard, the report suggests, both countries should collaborate to work together to bolster democratic institutions at home while cooperating in multilateral institutions such as the Community of Democracies and the Open Government Partnership to support democracy around the world.
According to the task force, enhancing educational, cultural, and professional exchanges to strengthen ties between Americans and Indians will also help to strengthen the mutual relationship.
The task force was co-chaired by Nirupama Rao, India’s former foreign secretary and Ambassador to the United States, and Richard Verma, former US Ambassador to India. It brought together 20 experts — in fields as diverse as national security, business, energy policy, democracy, and more —from the United States and India to discuss the pressing issues facing the US-India relationship today.
“It is hard to overstate the growing importance of the U.S.-India partnership in the coming decades, and the relationship must be a higher priority on policymakers’ radars,†Rao said in a statement.
“This report outlines the path forward for the relationship, and how policymakers can make good on its potential,†she added.
“The United States should be nurturing its relationship with India now as an investment in the future,†Verma said. “Fulfilling the possibilities of this relationship will require not only hard work and difficult choices by both countries but also deepened faith in one another and the belief that, over the long run, a stronger India will mean a stronger United States and vice versa.â€