The former US Ambassador to India delivers third “New India†lecture in New York.
The United States and India are natural allies and the two countries need to take full potential of the relation by further expanding economic and military cooperation, former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said on Monday.
Verma, the only Indian American to serve as the US ambassador to India, was delivering the third “New India†lecture at the Consulate General of India in New York.
During the course of the lecture, he walked the audience through the history, present and future of US-India relationship.
P Vaidyanathan Iyer, a Edward Mason Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and a journalist with The Indian Express, moderated the lecture.
Verma, who is currently the Vice Chairman and Partner of The Asia Group, said that both countries should engage each other amidst the “Make in India†and “America First†rhetoric.
He also spoke about the recent concerns of India regarding the H-1B work visa program. The former diplomat said, annually, there are close to 1.1 million visas issued to Indian nationals and only 50,000 to 60,000 visas come under H-1B category.
Verma also shared stories from his time serving as US Ambassador to India.
The Indian Consulate in New York launched the “New India†lecture series in January to galvanize the spirit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of New India by 2022. The lectures, delivered by eminent personalities, are aimed at shedding light on way to reimagining and renewing India.
The inaugural “New India†lecture series was delivered by Dr. Aravind Panagariya, Prof. of Indian Political Economy at Columbia University.
“Thanks for a great night in New York City at the Indian Consulate — a terrific crowd, wonderful hosts, and an important and hopeful discussion. Look forward to returning again soon!†Verma wrote on his official twitter handle.
Iyer said Verma was “brilliant in summing up 71 years of India-US ties in two minutes. A rapid fast forward till 2018!â€
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