In 2014, Joe Biden hosted a lunch for PM Modi. In 2016, he chaired the joint session of the US Congress - that Prime Minister Modi addressed.

Gravitas: Will Joe Biden be good for India?

#GravitasPlus with WION's Palki| Will Joe Biden's Presidency be good for India? Will he support India against China? Will Kamala Harris' election to the White House help India?

Gravitas Plus: Is Joe Biden good for India?

Top two officials of Trump administration -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper have reached New Delhi for the 2+2 India-US meet. It will be the most significant diplomatic engagement in New Delhi amid the Chinese aggression -- not only with India but also with other countries in the region.

Both -- Pompeo and Esper -- will have bilateral meeting with their Indian counterparts on Monday. A dinner has also been organised in their honour.&nbsp;

The formal 2+2 happens on Tuesday and will be followed by a joint meet called by Indian and US foreign and defence leaders with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be for the second time that the Indian prime minister will meet foreign dignitaries amidst the COVID pandemic -- the first being Dr Abdullah Abdullah, the chief negotiator for Afghan government at the Intra Afghan talks in Doha.

Apart from Chinese aggression, Indo Pacific concept, COVID pandemic and other issues like increasing people to people engagement will be discussed.

A US administration official told WION, "Given China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour across the Indo-Pacific from the Himalayas to the South China Sea, it’s more important than ever that we work with like-minded partners such as India."

A military pact, BECA or Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement, is also expected to be signed. It is the last of the four foundational agreements and will allow for expanded geospatial information sharing between American and Indian armed forces.

In terms of defence and security, both countries have expanded cooperation. Earlier this year in July, Indian Navy and UN Navy's Nimitz undertook passing exercises in the Bay of Bengal.&nbsp;

Defence trade has increased in a major away in the last two decades. India has the largest fleet of C17 and P8 outside of the US and in 2020, US authorised defence sales worth $20 billion were carried out to India.

The focus is also expected to be on the quad grouping of India, US, Japan and Australia. Earlier this month, Pompeo met with EAM Jaishankar in Tokyo. 
&nbsp; 
Pompeo's visit comes just a week before the US goes to election on November 3.&nbsp;

Top two officials of Trump administration -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper have reached New Delhi for the 2+2 India-US meet.

Top two officials of Trump administration -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper have reached New Delhi for the 2+2 India-US meet. It will be the most significant diplomatic engagement in New Delhi amid the Chinese aggression -- not only with India but also with other countries in the region. Both -- Pompeo and Esper -- will have bilateral meeting with their Indian counterparts on Monday. A dinner has also been organised in their honour. The formal 2+2 happens on Tuesday and will be followed by a joint meet called by Indian and US foreign and defence leaders with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be for the second time that the Indian prime minister will meet foreign dignitaries amidst the COVID pandemic -- the first being Dr Abdullah Abdullah, the chief negotiator for Afghan government at the Intra Afghan talks in Doha. Apart from Chinese aggression, Indo Pacific concept, COVID pandemic and other issues like increasing people to people engagement will be discussed. A US administration official told WION, "Given China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour across the Indo-Pacific from the Himalayas to the South China Sea, it’s more important than ever that we work with like-minded partners such as India." A military pact, BECA or Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement, is also expected to be signed. It is the last of the four foundational agreements and will allow for expanded geospatial information sharing between American and Indian armed forces. In terms of defence and security, both countries have expanded cooperation. Earlier this year in July, Indian Navy and UN Navy's Nimitz undertook passing exercises in the Bay of Bengal. Defence trade has increased in a major away in the last two decades. India has the largest fleet of C17 and P8 outside of the US and in 2020, US authorised defence sales worth $20 billion were carried out to India. The focus is also expected to be on the quad grouping of India, US, Japan and Australia. Earlier this month, Pompeo met with EAM Jaishankar in Tokyo. Pompeo's visit comes just a week before the US goes to election on November 3.

US secretary of state, defence secy reach India for 2+2 meet

Deputy US Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who is on India visit, has pitched for "vision of Pax Indo-Pacifica", describing it as a "region at peace, protected and made prosperous in equal measure by those who comprise the Indo-Pacific".

He was speaking at India-US forum in New Delhi, along with India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla.&nbsp;

Biegun said, "Together we stand for a pluralistic vision that will ensure that our countries, and all the region’s diverse countries, can thrive as sovereign and prosperous nations in a free and open Indo-Pacific. One might call this a vision of a Pax Indo-Pacifica."

Pax is a term used in international relations, describing a zone of peace led by major powers. Historical parallels have been Pax Americana, a long period of peace after the end of World War II overseen by US, or Pax Britannica when British were the dominating power after from the end of Napoleonic wars in 1815 in Europe till around World War I.

Biegun also called for strong support for Quad grouping, citing "we have been too cautious..." and in fact, mentioned it 11 times during his speech. 
&nbsp; 
He said, "Quad is a partnership-driven by shared interests, not binding obligations, and is not intended to be an exclusive grouping. Any country that seeks a free and open Indo-Pacific and is willing to take steps to ensure that, should be welcome to work with us."

Quad is a grouping of four countries -- US, India, Australia and Japan, and earlier this month, the foreign ministers of these countries met in Tokyo.&nbsp;

The grouping of "like-minded democratic countries" is seen suspiciously by China, but amid the pandemic, a number of programmes have been implemented to deal with global issues. 
&nbsp; 
"The United States and India represent multi-ethnic, multi-confessional, democratic societies. Together with Japan and Australia, we are four democratic anchors in an Indo-Pacific region buffeted by changing winds and shifting currents," he said.

He added, "We each have our imperfections, of course, and our own histories that steered our democratic paths, but we share values as well as common interests, and together our democracies represent the voices of a nearly a quarter of the world’s population."

In March, Shringla and Biegun, along with other Quad countries, began weekly calls, and this was later joined by other Indo-Pacific counterparts to discuss and coordinate efforts to combat the pandemic.

Biegun's visit comes days before the India US 2+2 ministerial talks between Indian and US defence and foreign ministers.

Deputy US Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who is on India visit, has pitched for "vision of Pax Indo-Pacifica", describing it as a "region at peace, protected and made prosperous in equal measure by those who comprise the Indo-Pacific".

Deputy US Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who is on India visit, has pitched for "vision of Pax Indo-Pacifica", describing it as a "region at peace, protected and made prosperous in equal measure by those who comprise the Indo-Pacific". He was speaking at India-US forum in New Delhi, along with India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla. Biegun said, "Together we stand for a pluralistic vision that will ensure that our countries, and all the region’s diverse countries, can thrive as sovereign and prosperous nations in a free and open Indo-Pacific. One might call this a vision of a Pax Indo-Pacifica." Pax is a term used in international relations, describing a zone of peace led by major powers. Historical parallels have been Pax Americana, a long period of peace after the end of World War II overseen by US, or Pax Britannica when British were the dominating power after from the end of Napoleonic wars in 1815 in Europe till around World War I. Biegun also called for strong support for Quad grouping, citing "we have been too cautious..." and in fact, mentioned it 11 times during his speech. He said, "Quad is a partnership-driven by shared interests, not binding obligations, and is not intended to be an exclusive grouping. Any country that seeks a free and open Indo-Pacific and is willing to take steps to ensure that, should be welcome to work with us." Quad is a grouping of four countries -- US, India, Australia and Japan, and earlier this month, the foreign ministers of these countries met in Tokyo. The grouping of "like-minded democratic countries" is seen suspiciously by China, but amid the pandemic, a number of programmes have been implemented to deal with global issues. "The United States and India represent multi-ethnic, multi-confessional, democratic societies. Together with Japan and Australia, we are four democratic anchors in an Indo-Pacific region buffeted by changing winds and shifting currents," he said. He added, "We each have our imperfections, of course, and our own histories that steered our democratic paths, but we share values as well as common interests, and together our democracies represent the voices of a nearly a quarter of the world’s population." In March, Shringla and Biegun, along with other Quad countries, began weekly calls, and this was later joined by other Indo-Pacific counterparts to discuss and coordinate efforts to combat the pandemic. Biegun's visit comes days before the India US 2+2 ministerial talks between Indian and US defence and foreign ministers.

In Delhi, deputy US secretary of state pitches for Pax Indo-Pacifica

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said his administration, if he's elected, would stand with New Delhi in confronting the threats it faces, calling for strengthening the "bond" between India and the US.

The 77-year old is challenging the incumbent president, Donald Trump, in the US presidential election that will be held on November 3.

"Fifteen years ago, I was leading the efforts to approve the historic civil nuclear deal with India. I said that if the US and India became closer friends and partners, then the world will be a safer place," Biden, who was vice-president in the Obama administration, said while addressing the Indian-American community on India's Independence Day.

If elected president, Biden said, he would continue to believe this and also continue to stand with India against the threats it faces from its own region and along its borders.

He said he would work on expanding two-way trade between the two nations and take on big global challenges like climate change and global health security. He also said he would work to strengthen the democracies where diversity is the mutual strength.

On this day, let us "continue to deepen the bond that endures between our nation's and our people,? Biden said. 
He said that "as President, I'll also continue to rely on the Indian-American diaspora, that keeps our two nations together, as I have throughout my career".

"My constituents in Delaware, my staff in the Senate, the Obama administration that had more Indian-Americans than any other administration in the history of this country, and this campaign with Indian Americans at senior levels, which of course includes the top of the heap, our dear friend (Kamala Harris) who will be the first Indian American vice president in the history of the United States of America," Biden said.

Early this week, Biden zeroed in on Indian origin Senator Harris, 55, as his running mate in the US presidential election. Harris, whose father is an African from Jamaica and mother an Indian, is the first-ever Black vice-presidential nominee.

"We all know she's smart, she's tested, she's prepared. But another thing that makes Kamala so inspiring is her mother's immigrant story to the US that started in India, with pure courage that brought her daughters to this moment. I know the pride you feel. It's your story too," Biden said.

"For your sacrifices, and your family's courage, you became pillars of our community and our country. You're patriots and the frontlines of this pandemic. In this reckoning of systemic racism, you're making real real promise that America is a place where people of all races and religions can live together in peace," he said.

"But I know it's hard. I heart goes out to all those of you who have been the targets in a rise in hate crimes, and the crackdown of legal immigration, including a sudden and harmful actions on H-1B visas. That for decades have made America stronger and brought our nation's closer," Biden said.

The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

"While it's sometimes may not feel like the US of your dreams, we will overcome and build back better than ever. Like (former President) Barack Obama had asked to me, I'm asking Kamala Harris, to be the last person in the room to ask the tough questions of me, provide counsel, most of all to always represent the belief in possibilities," the former US vice president said.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said his administration, if he's elected, would stand with New Delhi in confronting the threats it faces, calling for strengthening the "bond" between India and the US.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said his administration, if he's elected, would stand with New Delhi in confronting the threats it faces, calling for strengthening the "bond" between India and the US. The 77-year old is challenging the incumbent president, Donald Trump, in the US presidential election that will be held on November 3. "Fifteen years ago, I was leading the efforts to approve the historic civil nuclear deal with India. I said that if the US and India became closer friends and partners, then the world will be a safer place," Biden, who was vice-president in the Obama administration, said while addressing the Indian-American community on India's Independence Day. If elected president, Biden said, he would continue to believe this and also continue to stand with India against the threats it faces from its own region and along its borders. He said he would work on expanding two-way trade between the two nations and take on big global challenges like climate change and global health security. He also said he would work to strengthen the democracies where diversity is the mutual strength. On this day, let us "continue to deepen the bond that endures between our nation's and our people,? Biden said. He said that "as President, I'll also continue to rely on the Indian-American diaspora, that keeps our two nations together, as I have throughout my career". "My constituents in Delaware, my staff in the Senate, the Obama administration that had more Indian-Americans than any other administration in the history of this country, and this campaign with Indian Americans at senior levels, which of course includes the top of the heap, our dear friend (Kamala Harris) who will be the first Indian American vice president in the history of the United States of America," Biden said. Early this week, Biden zeroed in on Indian origin Senator Harris, 55, as his running mate in the US presidential election. Harris, whose father is an African from Jamaica and mother an Indian, is the first-ever Black vice-presidential nominee. "We all know she's smart, she's tested, she's prepared. But another thing that makes Kamala so inspiring is her mother's immigrant story to the US that started in India, with pure courage that brought her daughters to this moment. I know the pride you feel. It's your story too," Biden said. "For your sacrifices, and your family's courage, you became pillars of our community and our country. You're patriots and the frontlines of this pandemic. In this reckoning of systemic racism, you're making real real promise that America is a place where people of all races and religions can live together in peace," he said. "But I know it's hard. I heart goes out to all those of you who have been the targets in a rise in hate crimes, and the crackdown of legal immigration, including a sudden and harmful actions on H-1B visas. That for decades have made America stronger and brought our nation's closer," Biden said. The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. "While it's sometimes may not feel like the US of your dreams, we will overcome and build back better than ever. Like (former President) Barack Obama had asked to me, I'm asking Kamala Harris, to be the last person in the room to ask the tough questions of me, provide counsel, most of all to always represent the belief in possibilities," the former US vice president said.

If elected, will stand with India in confronting threats facing it: Joe Biden

Washington and New Delhi share close bond of friendship and democratic traditions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said as he greeted India on the occasion of its 74th Independence Day.

"On behalf of the government of the United States of America and the American people, I extend greetings and best wishes to the people of India on your Independence Day," Pompeo said in his India Independence Day greetings message on Friday.

"The United States and India have shared close bond of friendship and democratic traditions since India gained its independence seventy-three years ago," he said.

Over the years, the relationship has grown into a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, involving ever closer cooperation on issues vital to global security and prosperity in the 21st century, Pompeo said.

The US and India work together on defence, counterterrorism, trade, investment, energy, the environment, healthcare, agriculture, science and technology, education, space, the oceans, and much more, he said.

"As I remarked earlier this year, the United States and India see each other as great pluralist democracies, global powers, and good friends. I wish the people of India a happy Independence Day," Pompeo said.&nbsp;

Washington and New Delhi share close bond of friendship and democratic traditions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said as he greeted India on the occasion of its 74th Independence Day.

Washington and New Delhi share close bond of friendship and democratic traditions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said as he greeted India on the occasion of its 74th Independence Day. "On behalf of the government of the United States of America and the American people, I extend greetings and best wishes to the people of India on your Independence Day," Pompeo said in his India Independence Day greetings message on Friday. "The United States and India have shared close bond of friendship and democratic traditions since India gained its independence seventy-three years ago," he said. Over the years, the relationship has grown into a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, involving ever closer cooperation on issues vital to global security and prosperity in the 21st century, Pompeo said. The US and India work together on defence, counterterrorism, trade, investment, energy, the environment, healthcare, agriculture, science and technology, education, space, the oceans, and much more, he said. "As I remarked earlier this year, the United States and India see each other as great pluralist democracies, global powers, and good friends. I wish the people of India a happy Independence Day," Pompeo said.

US Secy of State greets India on Independence Day, says it's America's friend

United States President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order to ensure that when it comes to essential medicines, the US buys American. This executive order will require that the US government agencies purchase all the essential medicines it needs from American sources.

India has said this could strategically benefit New Delhi as well.

Highlighting that "objective of the measures are targetted mainly at China", Indian government sources said the order signed by Trump on essential drugs "may benefit India strategically".

Addressing workers at the manufacturing plant in Ohio, Trump said, "As we’ve seen in this pandemic, the United States must produce essential equipment, supplies, and pharmaceuticals for ourselves. We cannot rely on China and other nations across the globe that could one day deny us products in a time of need. We can’t do it. We can’t do it. We have to be smart."

China is world's largest source of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) with India also importing vast quantity from the country.

Sources said, "The development of API and critical medicine manufacturing in the USA may be a strategic positive for India in terms of national security considerations and may provide non-China sources."

India and US have a substantial relationship when it comes to the pharma sector. Indian pharmaceutical companies like Cipla, Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy’s etc are present in the US. India had also sent hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to US amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

United States President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order to ensure that when it comes to essential medicines, the US buys American. This executive order will require that the US government agencies purchase all the essential medicines it needs from American sources.

United States President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order to ensure that when it comes to essential medicines, the US buys American. This executive order will require that the US government agencies purchase all the essential medicines it needs from American sources. India has said this could strategically benefit New Delhi as well. Highlighting that "objective of the measures are targetted mainly at China", Indian government sources said the order signed by Trump on essential drugs "may benefit India strategically". Addressing workers at the manufacturing plant in Ohio, Trump said, "As we’ve seen in this pandemic, the United States must produce essential equipment, supplies, and pharmaceuticals for ourselves. We cannot rely on China and other nations across the globe that could one day deny us products in a time of need. We can’t do it. We can’t do it. We have to be smart." China is world's largest source of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) with India also importing vast quantity from the country. Sources said, "The development of API and critical medicine manufacturing in the USA may be a strategic positive for India in terms of national security considerations and may provide non-China sources." India and US have a substantial relationship when it comes to the pharma sector. Indian pharmaceutical companies like Cipla, Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy’s etc are present in the US. India had also sent hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to US amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump signs order to ensure US buys American drugs; India hopes for a strategic benefit

US President Donald Trump has alleged that India, China and Russia do not take care of their air, while America does. He said this to justify his decision of withdrawing from the "one-sided, energy-destroying" Paris climate accord which would have made it a "non-competitive nation".

Trump, in his address on energy and the Permian Basin in Midland, Texas on Wednesday, said that by imposing punishing restrictions -- and beyond restrictions -- "the Washington radical-left, crazy Democrats" would also send countless American jobs, factories, industries to China and to other foreign polluting states.

"They want us to take care of our air, but China doesn't take care of its air. In all fairness, India doesn't take care of its air. Russia doesn't take care of its air. But we do. Not on my watch, it's not going to happen -- I can tell you that. Because as long as I'm President, we will always put America first. It's very simple," he said.

"For years and years, we put other countries first, and we now put America first. As we have seen in cities and towns across our nation, it's not just Texas oil that the radical Democrats want to destroy; they want to destroy our country," he said.

Such radical Democrats, he alleged, do not love the country in any way, shape or form.

Observing that he withdrew from the one-sided, energy-destroying Paris climate accord, he said this was a disaster and cost the US billions of dollars.

Trump said that under the last administration, America's energy industry was under relentless and unceasing attack.

"But the day I took the oath of office, we ended the war on American energy and we stopped the far-left assault on American energy workers," he said.

The US in November last year formally notified the UN of its withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, a global agreement in which President Trump's predecessor Barack Obama had played a key role.

Although Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the historic pact on June 1, 2017, the process began last year with the formal notification and the US will be out of the pact on November 4, 2020.

"It (Paris climate accord) would have made us a non-competitive nation. We cancelled the Obama administration's job-crushing clean power plan," he said as he listed some of the steps being taken by his administration.

"For the first time in nearly 70 years, we have become a net energy exporter. And the United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas on the face of the Earth. To ensure we maintain this dominant position long into the future, my administration is announcing today that export authorisations for American liquefied natural gas can now be extended through the year 2050," Trump added.

India is the fourth highest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, accounting for 7 per cent of global emissions in 2017, according to the projection by the Global Carbon Project published in December, 2018.

The top four emitters in 2017, which covered 58 per cent of global emissions, were China (27 per cent), the US (15 per cent), the European Union (10 per cent) and India (7 per cent).

(with inputs from agencies)

US President Donald Trump has alleged that India, China and Russia do not take care of their air, while America does. He said this to justify his decision of withdrawing from the "one-sided, energy-destroying" Paris climate accord which would have made it a "non-competitive nation".

US President Donald Trump has alleged that India, China and Russia do not take care of their air, while America does. He said this to justify his decision of withdrawing from the "one-sided, energy-destroying" Paris climate accord which would have made it a "non-competitive nation". Trump, in his address on energy and the Permian Basin in Midland, Texas on Wednesday, said that by imposing punishing restrictions -- and beyond restrictions -- "the Washington radical-left, crazy Democrats" would also send countless American jobs, factories, industries to China and to other foreign polluting states. "They want us to take care of our air, but China doesn't take care of its air. In all fairness, India doesn't take care of its air. Russia doesn't take care of its air. But we do. Not on my watch, it's not going to happen -- I can tell you that. Because as long as I'm President, we will always put America first. It's very simple," he said. "For years and years, we put other countries first, and we now put America first. As we have seen in cities and towns across our nation, it's not just Texas oil that the radical Democrats want to destroy; they want to destroy our country," he said. Such radical Democrats, he alleged, do not love the country in any way, shape or form. Observing that he withdrew from the one-sided, energy-destroying Paris climate accord, he said this was a disaster and cost the US billions of dollars. Trump said that under the last administration, America's energy industry was under relentless and unceasing attack. "But the day I took the oath of office, we ended the war on American energy and we stopped the far-left assault on American energy workers," he said. The US in November last year formally notified the UN of its withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, a global agreement in which President Trump's predecessor Barack Obama had played a key role. Although Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the historic pact on June 1, 2017, the process began last year with the formal notification and the US will be out of the pact on November 4, 2020. "It (Paris climate accord) would have made us a non-competitive nation. We cancelled the Obama administration's job-crushing clean power plan," he said as he listed some of the steps being taken by his administration. "For the first time in nearly 70 years, we have become a net energy exporter. And the United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas on the face of the Earth. To ensure we maintain this dominant position long into the future, my administration is announcing today that export authorisations for American liquefied natural gas can now be extended through the year 2050," Trump added. India is the fourth highest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, accounting for 7 per cent of global emissions in 2017, according to the projection by the Global Carbon Project published in December, 2018. The top four emitters in 2017, which covered 58 per cent of global emissions, were China (27 per cent), the US (15 per cent), the European Union (10 per cent) and India (7 per cent). (with inputs from agencies)

Trump takes a dig at India and China's air quality

The United States has proposed to help India in addressing its most serious developmental challenges through innovative finance tools, a top Trump Administration official has said.

"We are actually right now proposing at US-India Development Foundation where we would help India mobilise their own resources to address the country's most serious developmental challenges looking to use innovative finance tools," USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.

Testifying before the Congressional committee during a hearing on the Fiscal 2021 Budget Request for Foreign Assistance, he said the Trump administration is extremely proud of this peer-to-peer relationship that it has with India.

America's relationship with India is a wonderful success story, "we look forward to working with them,"&nbsp;Barsa said. 
Congressman Joe Wilson said he was really encouraged to see America's relationship with India developing.

"I was honoured to be with President Trump and Prime Minister Modi in Houston, the largest welcome program in the history of the United States to welcome a foreign head of state," Wilson said.&nbsp;

The United States has proposed to help India in addressing its most serious developmental challenges through innovative finance tools, a top Trump Administration official has said.

The United States has proposed to help India in addressing its most serious developmental challenges through innovative finance tools, a top Trump Administration official has said. "We are actually right now proposing at US-India Development Foundation where we would help India mobilise their own resources to address the country's most serious developmental challenges looking to use innovative finance tools," USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday. Testifying before the Congressional committee during a hearing on the Fiscal 2021 Budget Request for Foreign Assistance, he said the Trump administration is extremely proud of this peer-to-peer relationship that it has with India. America's relationship with India is a wonderful success story, "we look forward to working with them," Barsa said. Congressman Joe Wilson said he was really encouraged to see America's relationship with India developing. "I was honoured to be with President Trump and Prime Minister Modi in Houston, the largest welcome program in the history of the United States to welcome a foreign head of state," Wilson said.

US to help India in addressing its developmental challenges: Official

US defense secretary Mark Esper said today that the "relationship with India is "one of the all-important defense relationships of the 21st century.

Relationship with India important, monitoring LAC very closely: US Defense Secretary

The government of India has agreed to allow U.S. air carriers to resume passenger services in the US-India market starting July 23, the US&nbsp;Transportation Department said on Friday.

The Indian government, citing the coronavirus, had banned all scheduled services, prompting the US&nbsp;Transportation Department in June to accuse India of engaging in "unfair and discriminatory practices" on charter air carriers serving India.

The Transportation Department said it was withdrawing an order it had issued requiring Indian air carriers to apply for authorization prior to conducting charter flights, and said it had approved an Air India application for passenger charter flights between the United States and India.&nbsp;

A group representing major US&nbsp;airlines and the Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on Friday.

India`s Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Twitter it was moving to "further expand our international civil aviation operations" and arrangements from some flights "with US, UAE, France &amp; Germany are being put in place while similar arrangements are also being worked out with several other countries."

"Under this arrangement," it added, "airlines from the concerned countries will be able to operate flights from &amp; to India along with Indian carriers."

The US&nbsp;Transportation Department order was set to take effect next week. The Trump administration said in June it wanted "to restore a level playing field for US&nbsp;airlines" under the US-India Air Transport Agreement. The Indian government had banned all scheduled services and failed to approve US&nbsp;carriers for charter operations, it added.

The US&nbsp;government said in June that Air India had been operating "repatriation" charter flights between India and the United States in both directions since May 7.

The government of India has agreed to allow U.S. air carriers to resume passenger services in the US-India market starting July 23, the US Transportation Department said on Friday.

The government of India has agreed to allow U.S. air carriers to resume passenger services in the US-India market starting July 23, the US Transportation Department said on Friday. The Indian government, citing the coronavirus, had banned all scheduled services, prompting the US Transportation Department in June to accuse India of engaging in "unfair and discriminatory practices" on charter air carriers serving India. The Transportation Department said it was withdrawing an order it had issued requiring Indian air carriers to apply for authorization prior to conducting charter flights, and said it had approved an Air India application for passenger charter flights between the United States and India. A group representing major US airlines and the Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on Friday. India`s Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Twitter it was moving to "further expand our international civil aviation operations" and arrangements from some flights "with US, UAE, France & Germany are being put in place while similar arrangements are also being worked out with several other countries." "Under this arrangement," it added, "airlines from the concerned countries will be able to operate flights from & to India along with Indian carriers." The US Transportation Department order was set to take effect next week. The Trump administration said in June it wanted "to restore a level playing field for US airlines" under the US-India Air Transport Agreement. The Indian government had banned all scheduled services and failed to approve US carriers for charter operations, it added. The US government said in June that Air India had been operating "repatriation" charter flights between India and the United States in both directions since May 7.

US passenger flights to India can resume starting July 23

The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the US to India has crossed the USD 40 billion mark so far this year, reflecting the growing confidence of American companies in the country, the head of an India-centric business advocacy group says.

The American companies, during the coronavirus pandemic, have shown a great confidence in India and its leadership, said Mukesh Aghi, president of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), which keeps a track of the major US FDIs in India.

"Year to date investment from the US, including the recent ones, is over USD 40 billion," Aghi said.

In recent weeks alone, the announcement of the FDI into India has been over USD 20 billion.

"Investors' confidence in India is high. India still remains a very promising market for the global investors. If you look at the USD 20 billion, not just the US, but (investment) has also come from other geographies such as the Middle East and the Far East.

"So, India still remains a very, very bullish market for the investor community," Aghi said in response to a question.

The USISPF has been working with New Delhi to bring in FDI into India" playing a key role in encouraging American companies planning to move their bases out of China, he said, adding that the move was going on in the last three years of the Trump administration, but gained momentum during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We feel that Prime Minister (Narendra Modi's) intention is very high. The challenges lie on the execution side. Efforts are being made to encourage manufacturing" I've never seen it so better. The policy framework is moving in the right direction," he said.

Early this week, Larry Kudlow, the White House Economic Advisor, told reporters that the US tech giants like Google and Facebook announcing big investments in India shows that people are losing trust in China and India is emerging as a big competitor.

At the same time, he rued that India continues to be a protectionist country.

"The question is how do you define protectionism... The administration here is saying America first and India is saying vocal for local," Aghi added.

The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the US to India has crossed the USD 40 billion mark so far this year, reflecting the growing confidence of American companies in the country, the head of an India-centric business advocacy group says.

The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the US to India has crossed the USD 40 billion mark so far this year, reflecting the growing confidence of American companies in the country, the head of an India-centric business advocacy group says. The American companies, during the coronavirus pandemic, have shown a great confidence in India and its leadership, said Mukesh Aghi, president of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), which keeps a track of the major US FDIs in India. "Year to date investment from the US, including the recent ones, is over USD 40 billion," Aghi said. In recent weeks alone, the announcement of the FDI into India has been over USD 20 billion. "Investors' confidence in India is high. India still remains a very promising market for the global investors. If you look at the USD 20 billion, not just the US, but (investment) has also come from other geographies such as the Middle East and the Far East. "So, India still remains a very, very bullish market for the investor community," Aghi said in response to a question. The USISPF has been working with New Delhi to bring in FDI into India" playing a key role in encouraging American companies planning to move their bases out of China, he said, adding that the move was going on in the last three years of the Trump administration, but gained momentum during the coronavirus pandemic. "We feel that Prime Minister (Narendra Modi's) intention is very high. The challenges lie on the execution side. Efforts are being made to encourage manufacturing" I've never seen it so better. The policy framework is moving in the right direction," he said. Early this week, Larry Kudlow, the White House Economic Advisor, told reporters that the US tech giants like Google and Facebook announcing big investments in India shows that people are losing trust in China and India is emerging as a big competitor. At the same time, he rued that India continues to be a protectionist country. "The question is how do you define protectionism... The administration here is saying America first and India is saying vocal for local," Aghi added.

US FDI to India has crossed USD 40 bn, says business advocacy group

Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei had a slogan "Neither East, nor West".&nbsp;Khamenei wanted the post-revolution Iran to depend on no one&nbsp;but&nbsp;Tehran is now ready to dump the non-alignment mantra and collapse into China’s embrace.

The United States of America made it happen. It slapped crippling sanctions on Iran and bullied allies to keep distance from Tehran and&nbsp;India was one of the countries that complied.

Last year, when the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a visit to India, he had a clear message on Iran while sitting right next to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Pompeo said: "We also know that Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, and we know the Indian people, how they have suffered from terror around the world."

That statement was a sign of things to come.

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Donald Trump's&nbsp;administration is on a collision course with Iran. Trump walked out of the nuclear deal, slapped sanctions on Tehran and swept allies into confrontation, whether they liked it or not.

India was one of them,&nbsp;it chose to side with the US and stopped buying oil from Iran,&nbsp;and put its investment in the Chabahar project in cold storage. India chose to comply with American sanctions.

Close ties with America is a priority for the Modi government. Prime Minister Modi has invested personal political capital in the&nbsp;relationship. First with the 'Howdy Modi' event in Houston — an event that was attended by 50,000 people. Trump used the opportunity to attract more Indian-Americans to his corner.

A few months later, the US President repeated this pitch in Ahmedabad. He received a king's welcome in Modi's home state. Trump was greeted by locals in a 22-kilometer roadshow and thrown a grand reception at the world's largest cricket stadium.

However, New Delhi's list of complaints with Washington is growing. The biggest pinch that India has felt after siding with the US is on its oil bills. India is the world's third-biggest oil consumer. India imports almost 80 per cent of its oil requirements&nbsp;and Iran was the third-largest supplier&nbsp;mainly because of the easy transaction terms.

Iran reportedly used to offer India a longer credit period of 60 days and the cargo insurance was free but&nbsp;American sanctions have forced India to buy from other West Asian nations.&nbsp;Other bilateral issues with the US have also been hurting India. The US terminated the preferential trade status for India — a move that led to duties on exports of nearly two thousand Indian products.

Trump’s tone and tenor hasn’t helped the relationship. In April, the US&nbsp;President had warned of retaliation over the curbs on exports of hydroxychloroquine.

Trump’s tough stand has driven Tehran towards Beijing. China and Iran are on the cusp of signing a $400 billion strategic partnership.

America gets its way and&nbsp;China gets a new partner&nbsp;but&nbsp;India has lost a strategic ally and an oil supplier. Delhi's policy of strategic autonomy is yet to show in the case of Iran.

Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei had a slogan "Neither East, nor West". Khamenei wanted the post-revolution Iran to depend on no one but Tehran is now ready to dump the non-alignment mantra and collapse into China’s embrace.

Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei had a slogan "Neither East, nor West". Khamenei wanted the post-revolution Iran to depend on no one but Tehran is now ready to dump the non-alignment mantra and collapse into China’s embrace. The United States of America made it happen. It slapped crippling sanctions on Iran and bullied allies to keep distance from Tehran and India was one of the countries that complied. Last year, when the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a visit to India, he had a clear message on Iran while sitting right next to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Pompeo said: "We also know that Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, and we know the Indian people, how they have suffered from terror around the world." That statement was a sign of things to come. Donald Trump's administration is on a collision course with Iran. Trump walked out of the nuclear deal, slapped sanctions on Tehran and swept allies into confrontation, whether they liked it or not. India was one of them, it chose to side with the US and stopped buying oil from Iran, and put its investment in the Chabahar project in cold storage. India chose to comply with American sanctions. Close ties with America is a priority for the Modi government. Prime Minister Modi has invested personal political capital in the relationship. First with the 'Howdy Modi' event in Houston — an event that was attended by 50,000 people. Trump used the opportunity to attract more Indian-Americans to his corner. A few months later, the US President repeated this pitch in Ahmedabad. He received a king's welcome in Modi's home state. Trump was greeted by locals in a 22-kilometer roadshow and thrown a grand reception at the world's largest cricket stadium. However, New Delhi's list of complaints with Washington is growing. The biggest pinch that India has felt after siding with the US is on its oil bills. India is the world's third-biggest oil consumer. India imports almost 80 per cent of its oil requirements and Iran was the third-largest supplier mainly because of the easy transaction terms. Iran reportedly used to offer India a longer credit period of 60 days and the cargo insurance was free but American sanctions have forced India to buy from other West Asian nations. Other bilateral issues with the US have also been hurting India. The US terminated the preferential trade status for India — a move that led to duties on exports of nearly two thousand Indian products. Trump’s tone and tenor hasn’t helped the relationship. In April, the US President had warned of retaliation over the curbs on exports of hydroxychloroquine. Trump’s tough stand has driven Tehran towards Beijing. China and Iran are on the cusp of signing a $400 billion strategic partnership. America gets its way and China gets a new partner but India has lost a strategic ally and an oil supplier. Delhi's policy of strategic autonomy is yet to show in the case of Iran.

India suffers as Trump's tough line allows Iran to embrace China

China's "very aggressive" actions against India, including the brutal attack on Indian soldiers in eastern Ladakh, and its moves in the South China Sea and Hong Kong give a "good insight" into how the ruling Communist Party of China is thinking these days, US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien has said.

The Indian and Chinese armies were locked in a standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh since May 5. The tension escalated in the Galwan Valley on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed during a violent face-off with Chinese soldiers.

"The Chinese have been very aggressive with India," O'Brien said on Tuesday alleging that during the recent clash they beat some of the Indians so badly they were disfigured and could not be identified.

"This is a dispute between India and China, but China has shown itself for what it was. Chinese troops ambushed the Indians. They beat 20 Indians to death. They beat them so badly with clubs with nails in them and wrapped with concertina -- barbed wire," O'Brien told Fox News Radio in an interview.

He was responding to a question on the recent Chinese aggressive behaviour against India in eastern Ladakh.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-not-interested-in-china-trade-talks-ends-hong-kong-preferential-status-313332">Also read |&nbsp;Trump not interested in China trade talks, ends Hong Kong preferential status</a>

Responding to a question on US-India bilateral relations, he said, India is a democracy and is a great friend of the United States.

Prime Minister Narendra "Modi and President (Donald) Trump have a super relationship," O'Brien said.

"In fact, it was the last foreign trip that I took with the president before the COVID crisis hit, was to India, and we had a great reception of the Indian people there. We have a lot in common with them, we speak English, we're democracies. We've got a growing, very strong relationship with India," O'Brien said.

"But China's action towards India, just like its actions in the South China Sea, just like what it's doing in Hong Kong, just like the bullying intimidation of Taiwan, really gives you a good insight into how the Communist Party of China is thinking these days," he said.

China claims almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. China has been building military bases on artificial islands in the region also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

"It's something to be very concerned about," O'Brien said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-revokes-controversial-order-that-would-have-seen-foreign-students-deported-313330">Also read |&nbsp;US revokes controversial order that would have seen foreign students deported</a>

On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected "most" of China's maritime claims in the South China Sea, the latest in the escalation between Washington and Beijing.

Last week, the Trump administration took action against Chinese officials for their involvement in human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region, where Uyghur Muslims and other minority groups have been detained and tortured.

And two weeks ago, the administration announced visa restrictions on current and former Chinese officials who it says "were responsible for eviscerating Hong Kong's freedoms."

The Trump administration has been openly critical of Beijing's sweeping national security law aimed at limiting Hong Kong's autonomy and banning literature critical of the Chinese Communist Party.

Earlier in the day, Senator Bob Menendez, a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, alleged that China is seeking to redraw the map of Asia without regard to its neighbours.

"As India and China work to disengage along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), I remain deeply concerned by China's aggressive behaviour in territorial disputes," he said.

"From the 2017 Doklam standoff to the recent violence along the borders in Sikkim and Ladakh, to China's new claims to Bhutanese territory, Beijing has all too often sought to redraw the map of Asia without regard for its neighbours," he said.

The international community must be clear that such behaviour is unacceptable, he added.

Menendez, the top Democratic Senator from New Jersey, said that the US-India partnership, based on their shared commitment to democracy, is vital to uphold international law, international norms and the institutions that can peacefully and diplomatically resolve disputes and aggression.

"I am committed to working with the Indian government and the Indian-American community in New Jersey and throughout the United States to advance US-India cooperation," Menendez said.&nbsp;

China's "very aggressive" actions against India, including the brutal attack on Indian soldiers in eastern Ladakh, and its moves in the South China Sea and Hong Kong give a "good insight" into how the ruling Communist Party of China is thinking these days, US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien has said.

China's "very aggressive" actions against India, including the brutal attack on Indian soldiers in eastern Ladakh, and its moves in the South China Sea and Hong Kong give a "good insight" into how the ruling Communist Party of China is thinking these days, US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien has said. The Indian and Chinese armies were locked in a standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh since May 5. The tension escalated in the Galwan Valley on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed during a violent face-off with Chinese soldiers. "The Chinese have been very aggressive with India," O'Brien said on Tuesday alleging that during the recent clash they beat some of the Indians so badly they were disfigured and could not be identified. "This is a dispute between India and China, but China has shown itself for what it was. Chinese troops ambushed the Indians. They beat 20 Indians to death. They beat them so badly with clubs with nails in them and wrapped with concertina -- barbed wire," O'Brien told Fox News Radio in an interview. He was responding to a question on the recent Chinese aggressive behaviour against India in eastern Ladakh. Also read | Trump not interested in China trade talks, ends Hong Kong preferential status Responding to a question on US-India bilateral relations, he said, India is a democracy and is a great friend of the United States. Prime Minister Narendra "Modi and President (Donald) Trump have a super relationship," O'Brien said. "In fact, it was the last foreign trip that I took with the president before the COVID crisis hit, was to India, and we had a great reception of the Indian people there. We have a lot in common with them, we speak English, we're democracies. We've got a growing, very strong relationship with India," O'Brien said. "But China's action towards India, just like its actions in the South China Sea, just like what it's doing in Hong Kong, just like the bullying intimidation of Taiwan, really gives you a good insight into how the Communist Party of China is thinking these days," he said. China claims almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. China has been building military bases on artificial islands in the region also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. "It's something to be very concerned about," O'Brien said. Also read | US revokes controversial order that would have seen foreign students deported On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected "most" of China's maritime claims in the South China Sea, the latest in the escalation between Washington and Beijing. Last week, the Trump administration took action against Chinese officials for their involvement in human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region, where Uyghur Muslims and other minority groups have been detained and tortured. And two weeks ago, the administration announced visa restrictions on current and former Chinese officials who it says "were responsible for eviscerating Hong Kong's freedoms." The Trump administration has been openly critical of Beijing's sweeping national security law aimed at limiting Hong Kong's autonomy and banning literature critical of the Chinese Communist Party. Earlier in the day, Senator Bob Menendez, a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, alleged that China is seeking to redraw the map of Asia without regard to its neighbours. "As India and China work to disengage along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), I remain deeply concerned by China's aggressive behaviour in territorial disputes," he said. "From the 2017 Doklam standoff to the recent violence along the borders in Sikkim and Ladakh, to China's new claims to Bhutanese territory, Beijing has all too often sought to redraw the map of Asia without regard for its neighbours," he said. The international community must be clear that such behaviour is unacceptable, he added. Menendez, the top Democratic Senator from New Jersey, said that the US-India partnership, based on their shared commitment to democracy, is vital to uphold international law, international norms and the institutions that can peacefully and diplomatically resolve disputes and aggression. "I am committed to working with the Indian government and the Indian-American community in New Jersey and throughout the United States to advance US-India cooperation," Menendez said.

China's aggressive actions against India give insight into how CPC thinking theses days: US NSA

US President Donald Trump has said that his administration is talking to India and China to help resolve the ongoing disputes. Watch report.

India-China LAC row: Trump offers to mediate border dispute

President of United States Donald Trump reacted on India-China stand off. he said that tensions between India-China is big problem for both.

US President Trump says, "Tensions between India-China is big problem for both"

US President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday announced investigations into foreign digital services taxes it says are aimed squarely at American tech firms.

Following a similar trade investigation against France last year, the US Trade Representative office now is looking into taxes in Britain and the European Union, as well as Indonesia, Turkey and India.

"President Trump is concerned that many of our trading partners are adopting tax schemes designed to unfairly target our companies," USTR Robert Lighthizer said in a statement.

"We are prepared to take all appropriate action to defend our businesses and workers against any such discrimination."

Washington opposes the efforts to tax revenues from online sales and advertising, saying they single out US tech giants like Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Netflix.

The US and France have agreed to negotiate till the end of the year over a digital services tax Paris approved in 2019, after USTR found them to be discriminating and threatened retaliatory duties of up to 100 percent on French imports such as champagne and camembert cheese.

Trump has embroiled the US in numerous trade disputes since taking office in 2017, including a months-long trade war with China that cooled with the signing of a partial deal in January.

US President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday announced investigations into foreign digital services taxes it says are aimed squarely at American tech firms.

US President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday announced investigations into foreign digital services taxes it says are aimed squarely at American tech firms. Following a similar trade investigation against France last year, the US Trade Representative office now is looking into taxes in Britain and the European Union, as well as Indonesia, Turkey and India. "President Trump is concerned that many of our trading partners are adopting tax schemes designed to unfairly target our companies," USTR Robert Lighthizer said in a statement. "We are prepared to take all appropriate action to defend our businesses and workers against any such discrimination." Washington opposes the efforts to tax revenues from online sales and advertising, saying they single out US tech giants like Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Netflix. The US and France have agreed to negotiate till the end of the year over a digital services tax Paris approved in 2019, after USTR found them to be discriminating and threatened retaliatory duties of up to 100 percent on French imports such as champagne and camembert cheese. Trump has embroiled the US in numerous trade disputes since taking office in 2017, including a months-long trade war with China that cooled with the signing of a partial deal in January.

Taxes on tech firms in India, other nations to be investigated by US

In the US, African Americans are dying at higher rates due to the Coronavirus. But, Americans panels are yet to raise their concerns.

Gravitas: The minority report America won't talk about

After nearly three weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind have been unfollowed by the White House on Twitter.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-antibody-tests-may-give-false-positives-says-new-research-295533" hreflang="en">Coronavirus antibody tests may give false positives, says new research</a>

On April 10, the official Twitter handle of the White House had followed the PM Modi and President Kovind making them the only world leaders to be followed by the account. The White House had also followed President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn), PM Modi's personal Twitter handle, the Prime Minister's Office (@PMO) and the Indian embassy in Washington DC (@IndianEmbassyUS) taking the toll of the 'following' to 19.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-registers-its-one-millionth-positive-case-europe-heading-towards-to-normal-295487" hreflang="en">US registers its one-millionth positive case; Europe heading towards to "normal"</a>

The handle decided to unfollow all the non-US accounts and now is following 13 accounts and has more than 22 million followers.&nbsp;

<img alt="cx" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="00afabc2-1214-4a94-b956-d67880af9d85" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Capture_7.JPG" />

India-US friendship hit a speedbump when India refused to lift a ban on hydroxychloroquine and Trump threatened India of 'retaliation'. But agreed to lift the ban and export the medicine to the US.

The significance of the move is unknown to all, although Donald Trump shared a warm tweet thanking PM Modi and India for agreeing on exporting the hydroxychloroquine calling him a "close friend".

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NarendraModi</a> for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1247950299408498693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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But due to Trump's unpredictable nature, it could also signify bitterness.&nbsp;

Both countries are currently fighting against the global pandemic of coronavirus, the United States remains the worst-hit whereas India's COVID response was lauded by WHO.&nbsp;

After nearly three weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind have been unfollowed by the White House on Twitter. Also read: Coronavirus antibody tests may give false positives, says new research On April 10, the official Twitter handle of the White House had followed the PM Modi and President Kovind making them the only world leaders to be followed by the account.

After nearly three weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind have been unfollowed by the White House on Twitter. Also read: Coronavirus antibody tests may give false positives, says new research On April 10, the official Twitter handle of the White House had followed the PM Modi and President Kovind making them the only world leaders to be followed by the account. The White House had also followed President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn), PM Modi's personal Twitter handle, the Prime Minister's Office (@PMO) and the Indian embassy in Washington DC (@IndianEmbassyUS) taking the toll of the 'following' to 19. Also read: US registers its one-millionth positive case; Europe heading towards to "normal" The handle decided to unfollow all the non-US accounts and now is following 13 accounts and has more than 22 million followers. India-US friendship hit a speedbump when India refused to lift a ban on hydroxychloroquine and Trump threatened India of 'retaliation'. But agreed to lift the ban and export the medicine to the US. The significance of the move is unknown to all, although Donald Trump shared a warm tweet thanking PM Modi and India for agreeing on exporting the hydroxychloroquine calling him a "close friend". Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you Prime Minister @NarendraModi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2020 × But due to Trump's unpredictable nature, it could also signify bitterness. Both countries are currently fighting against the global pandemic of coronavirus, the United States remains the worst-hit whereas India's COVID response was lauded by WHO.

White House's official Twitter handle unfollows Prime Minister Narendra Modi

A report claims that India is spending more than 100 crores for the Trump visit. What is India getting in return?

Gravitas: Why India should demand more from the US

Since India's independence, 6 American Presidents have paid a visit to the country. Wion's Palki brings you a recap of all the previous presidential visits.

Gravitas: A history of US presidential visits to India

The White House has yet to confirm Trump’s expected visit this month, although preparations have begun in earnest. The US is seeking to conclude a modest bilateral deal with India that will bring an end to almost three years of trade hostilities.

Trump's India Policy: Full of Flip-Flops

"President @realDonaldTrump & @FLOTUS will travel to India from February 24-25 to visit Prime Minister @narendramodi! The trip will further strengthen the US-India strategic partnership & highlight the strong & enduring bonds between the American & Indian people," White House said in a tweet.

Trump India Visit: Big Ticket purchases on Agenda? Watch this report

US President Donald Trump will reach India February 24 for a two-day visit accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, the White House spokesperson said in a statement Monday.

Trump to visit India on Feb 24th; 'Howdy Modi' style event in Gujarat

Donald Trump Visit: US to focus on trade,defence ties with India

US President Donald Trump to visit India on Feb 24 & 25: US Officials

The United States Committee on Foreign Affairs raised concerns over the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/aiudf-calls-citizenship-bill-unconstitional-267466">Citizenship Amendment Bill</a> which was recently in Lok Sabha.

The Bill intends to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

According to the committee, any religious test for citizenship has the potential to undermine the basic tenets of democracy. 
 
"Religious pluralism is central to the foundations of both India and the United States and is one of our core shared values. Any religious test for citizenship undermines this most basic democratic tenet," the committee said after the passage of the bill. 
 
The legislation was passed with a majority, with 311 votes in favour and 80 against after a seven-hour-long debate. 
 
People belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities from the three neighbouring countries and living in India will no longer be treated as illegal immigrants, if they arrived before&nbsp;December 31, 2014. 
 
"The Bill enshrines a pathway to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/national-register-of-citizens-will-be-brought-in-soon-dont-link-it-with-citizenship-bill-amit-shah-267346">citizenship</a> for immigrants that specifically excludes Muslims, setting a legal criterion for citizenship based on religion", said the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The bill will be tabled in Rajya Sabha and require the support of at least 123 Members of Parliament in the 245-member house.

(With inputs from ANI)

The United States Committee on Foreign Affairs raised concerns over the Citizenship Amendment Bill which was recently in Lok Sabha. The Bill intends to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

The United States Committee on Foreign Affairs raised concerns over the Citizenship Amendment Bill which was recently in Lok Sabha. The Bill intends to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. According to the committee, any religious test for citizenship has the potential to undermine the basic tenets of democracy. "Religious pluralism is central to the foundations of both India and the United States and is one of our core shared values. Any religious test for citizenship undermines this most basic democratic tenet," the committee said after the passage of the bill. The legislation was passed with a majority, with 311 votes in favour and 80 against after a seven-hour-long debate. People belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities from the three neighbouring countries and living in India will no longer be treated as illegal immigrants, if they arrived before December 31, 2014. "The Bill enshrines a pathway to citizenship for immigrants that specifically excludes Muslims, setting a legal criterion for citizenship based on religion", said the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. The bill will be tabled in Rajya Sabha and require the support of at least 123 Members of Parliament in the 245-member house. (With inputs from ANI)

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill may undermine basic tenets of democracy: United States

Walmart told the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-us-trade-talks-to-restart-friday-amid-few-signs-of-compromise-234949">US government </a>privately in January that India's new investment rules for e-commerce were regressive and had the potential to hurt<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-high-tariffs-on-american-products-no-longer-acceptable-says-us-president-donald-trump-234420"> trade ties</a>, a company document was seen by Reuters showed.

The lobbying effort yielded no result at the time - India implemented the new rules from February 1 - but the document underlines the level of concern at Walmart about the rules. Differences over e-commerce regulations have become one of the biggest issues in frayed trade ties between New Delhi and Washington.

"It came as a total surprise ... this is a major change and a regressive policy shift," Walmart`s Senior Director for Global Government Affairs Sarah Thorn told the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in an e-mail on January 7.

Just months earlier, Walmart had invested $16 billion in Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart, its biggest ever acquisition globally.

In a statement to Reuters on Thursday, Walmart said it regularly offers input to the U.S. and Indian governments on policy issues and this was a "past issue and Walmart and Flipkart are looking ahead".

The USTR did not respond to a request for comment.

In the January letter to the USTR, Walmart said it wanted a six-month delay in the implementation of the rules, but that did not happen. Washington did raise concerns about the policy with New Delhi, but India gave a non-committal response, an Indian trade ministry official told Reuters at the time.

Walmart`s problems in India highlight the regulatory complications it faces as it restructures its international business to boost growth and online sales. Mexico`s competition regulator recently blocked its acquisition of delivery app Cornershop, while in Britain it was stopped from merging its British arm Asda with rival Sainsbury's.

These issues, however, have failed to unnerve Walmart investors. Walmart shares have risen 21 per cent, compared with a 19 per cent increase for the S&amp;P 500 since the start of the year.

New India rules

E-commerce is likely to again be on the agenda on Friday when a USTR delegation meets Indian trade officials in New Delhi.

In its January representation, Walmart told the USTR that India`s new policy wasn't good for global businesses, highlighting that its foreign direct investment would help Flipkart grow and result in "significant" tax revenues for New Delhi.

"Changing rules to hinder international business following major investments ... will have important implications for India FDI goals and add unnecessary pressure to trade discussions," Walmart said in its note.

The new rules barred companies from selling products via firms in which they have an equity interest and also from making deals with sellers to sell exclusively on their platforms.

Amazon.com Inc removed thousands of products from its India website briefly in February as it initially struggled to comply with the new policy. Flipkart was forced to rework some of its vendor relationships, sources told Reuters at the time.

The policy, implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi months before his re-election in May, was seen aimed at winning the support of small Indian traders, who had long complained they were losing business due to the steep discounts offered by foreign e-commerce giants.

"The action appears in every respect ... intended to placate Indian companies and local traders," Walmart told the USTR.

Small traders vs Big retailers

Reuters obtained the two-page representation Walmart sent to the USTR through a Freedom of Information Act request first filed in January. The USTR in February provided a heavily-redacted version of the document, citing confidentiality reasons. In consultation with Walmart, it withdrew most of those redactions this week following an appeal from Reuters.

Although Reuters asked for both Amazon and Walmart`s communications, the USTR responded saying it found only one e-mail with Walmart`s representation between Dec. 22 and Jan. 28, the period for which the records were searched.

Since the policy has been announced, Indian oil-to-telecoms conglomerate Reliance Industries has repeatedly talked about its plans to diversify into e-commerce.

Walmart's document released to Reuters did not name Reliance, but the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company argued the policy discriminated against foreign firms, and not just in favour of small domestic players.

"The purported rationale of such regulations is to protect small retail players who are seen to be threatened," Walmart said, but added: "This argument does not account for why there should be differentiated treatment between large foreign eCommerce companies, and large domestic companies."

In the past six months, several Walmart executives have also weighed in publicly on India`s new e-commerce policy, including Chief Executive Doug McMillon, who said in February the company was disappointed by the Indian government`s decision.

"We hope for a collaborative regulatory process going forward, which results in a level playing field," he said.

Defending e-commerce

India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said the government was committed to protecting small traders, but open to ironing out policy-related issues. Goyal said on Twitter on Wednesday he had met Walmart International`s CEO, Judith McKenna, and discussed ways of boosting sales of Indian-made products.

In a closed-door meeting last month, however, Goyal warned both Flipkart and Amazon to comply with the new rules in letter and spirit, and questioned them on their discounting policies, Reuters has reported.

The Walmart spokeswoman on Thursday said that, in line with the company's commitment to India, it looked forward to contributing to the country's retail ecosystem. "Walmart has had good consultations with the Government of India," she said.

Amazon was not aware of Walmart`s January representation to the USTR, according to a person with direct knowledge. The company in a statement said it continued to engage with New Delhi to enhance infrastructure and create jobs.

Walmart told the USTR in January that its unit Flipkart, as well as Amazon, had opened many new distribution centres over the past three years in India, creating thousands of jobs and greatly benefiting to consumers.

It warned of "serious consequences" if the new policy was implemented hastily. "The lack of policy stability makes it very difficult for companies to continue planned investments, both in the eCommerce sector and beyond," Walmart wrote.

Walmart told the US government privately in January that India's new investment rules for e-commerce were regressive and had the potential to hurt trade ties, a company document was seen by Reuters showed.

Walmart told the US government privately in January that India's new investment rules for e-commerce were regressive and had the potential to hurt trade ties, a company document was seen by Reuters showed. The lobbying effort yielded no result at the time - India implemented the new rules from February 1 - but the document underlines the level of concern at Walmart about the rules. Differences over e-commerce regulations have become one of the biggest issues in frayed trade ties between New Delhi and Washington. "It came as a total surprise ... this is a major change and a regressive policy shift," Walmart`s Senior Director for Global Government Affairs Sarah Thorn told the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in an e-mail on January 7. Just months earlier, Walmart had invested $16 billion in Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart, its biggest ever acquisition globally. In a statement to Reuters on Thursday, Walmart said it regularly offers input to the U.S. and Indian governments on policy issues and this was a "past issue and Walmart and Flipkart are looking ahead". The USTR did not respond to a request for comment. In the January letter to the USTR, Walmart said it wanted a six-month delay in the implementation of the rules, but that did not happen. Washington did raise concerns about the policy with New Delhi, but India gave a non-committal response, an Indian trade ministry official told Reuters at the time. Walmart`s problems in India highlight the regulatory complications it faces as it restructures its international business to boost growth and online sales. Mexico`s competition regulator recently blocked its acquisition of delivery app Cornershop, while in Britain it was stopped from merging its British arm Asda with rival Sainsbury's. These issues, however, have failed to unnerve Walmart investors. Walmart shares have risen 21 per cent, compared with a 19 per cent increase for the S&P 500 since the start of the year. New India rules E-commerce is likely to again be on the agenda on Friday when a USTR delegation meets Indian trade officials in New Delhi. In its January representation, Walmart told the USTR that India`s new policy wasn't good for global businesses, highlighting that its foreign direct investment would help Flipkart grow and result in "significant" tax revenues for New Delhi. "Changing rules to hinder international business following major investments ... will have important implications for India FDI goals and add unnecessary pressure to trade discussions," Walmart said in its note. The new rules barred companies from selling products via firms in which they have an equity interest and also from making deals with sellers to sell exclusively on their platforms. Amazon.com Inc removed thousands of products from its India website briefly in February as it initially struggled to comply with the new policy. Flipkart was forced to rework some of its vendor relationships, sources told Reuters at the time. The policy, implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi months before his re-election in May, was seen aimed at winning the support of small Indian traders, who had long complained they were losing business due to the steep discounts offered by foreign e-commerce giants. "The action appears in every respect ... intended to placate Indian companies and local traders," Walmart told the USTR. Small traders vs Big retailers Reuters obtained the two-page representation Walmart sent to the USTR through a Freedom of Information Act request first filed in January. The USTR in February provided a heavily-redacted version of the document, citing confidentiality reasons. In consultation with Walmart, it withdrew most of those redactions this week following an appeal from Reuters. Although Reuters asked for both Amazon and Walmart`s communications, the USTR responded saying it found only one e-mail with Walmart`s representation between Dec. 22 and Jan. 28, the period for which the records were searched. Since the policy has been announced, Indian oil-to-telecoms conglomerate Reliance Industries has repeatedly talked about its plans to diversify into e-commerce. Walmart's document released to Reuters did not name Reliance, but the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company argued the policy discriminated against foreign firms, and not just in favour of small domestic players. "The purported rationale of such regulations is to protect small retail players who are seen to be threatened," Walmart said, but added: "This argument does not account for why there should be differentiated treatment between large foreign eCommerce companies, and large domestic companies." In the past six months, several Walmart executives have also weighed in publicly on India`s new e-commerce policy, including Chief Executive Doug McMillon, who said in February the company was disappointed by the Indian government`s decision. "We hope for a collaborative regulatory process going forward, which results in a level playing field," he said. Defending e-commerce India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said the government was committed to protecting small traders, but open to ironing out policy-related issues. Goyal said on Twitter on Wednesday he had met Walmart International`s CEO, Judith McKenna, and discussed ways of boosting sales of Indian-made products. In a closed-door meeting last month, however, Goyal warned both Flipkart and Amazon to comply with the new rules in letter and spirit, and questioned them on their discounting policies, Reuters has reported. The Walmart spokeswoman on Thursday said that, in line with the company's commitment to India, it looked forward to contributing to the country's retail ecosystem. "Walmart has had good consultations with the Government of India," she said. Amazon was not aware of Walmart`s January representation to the USTR, according to a person with direct knowledge. The company in a statement said it continued to engage with New Delhi to enhance infrastructure and create jobs. Walmart told the USTR in January that its unit Flipkart, as well as Amazon, had opened many new distribution centres over the past three years in India, creating thousands of jobs and greatly benefiting to consumers. It warned of "serious consequences" if the new policy was implemented hastily. "The lack of policy stability makes it very difficult for companies to continue planned investments, both in the eCommerce sector and beyond," Walmart wrote.

India's e-commerce rules regressive, potential to hurt trade ties: Walmart told US government

Governor of the US State of Kentucky Matt Bevin will lead a high-power American business delegation, comprising representatives from top companies, for the next Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January.

The delegation of US Chambers of Commerce, which includes the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and co-leaders of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, will strengthen ties with national and state government leaders, industry groups and individual businesses in one of the world's largest and fastest growing economies, the governor's office said.

"Kentucky is excited to explore opportunities within the Indian market and to meet with key government and business leaders during next month's business summit," Bevin said in a statement on Monday.

"Our state is a leading exporter of food products as well as healthcare and engineering technologies. This trip is an incredible opportunity to showcase Kentucky's growth as an epicentre for global companies," Bevin said.

The delegation will help increase awareness about trade and investment opportunities between the US and India, he said.

After Gujarat, the delegation will also travel to Uttar Pradesh to participate in industry meetings surrounding Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

Nisha Biswal, president of the USIBC, said the organisation will deliver a productive and impactful engagement for Kentucky and the USIBC members at Vibrant Gujarat and in Uttar Pradesh.

"It is an honour for USIBC and its members to welcome a close partnership with Governor Bevin and the State of Kentucky to lead a delegation of US companies critical to the growth of the US-India bilateral trade and commercial relationship," she said.

"Kentucky and India have enjoyed a longstanding partnership, which has resulted in job creation and expanded business opportunities for both Indian and Kentucky companies," Biswal said.

Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development leaders Terry Gill and Vivek Sarin will join Bevin, as will Cabinet's executive director for international affairs Erran Persley and business development, a media report said.

Indian companies own&nbsp;in whole or part&nbsp;five facilities in Kentucky, which currently employ approximately 1,625 people.

In addition to those five facilities, Novelis earlier this year broke ground in Guthrie for a 125-job aluminium rolling mill, which is scheduled to open by 2020.

And this summer Novelis announced it will purchase Aleris Corp, which operates an aluminium rolling mill in Lewisport employing nearly 1,000 people.

The deal is scheduled to close in 2019. Together, those will push Kentucky's Indian-owned facilities to seven, employing about 2,750 people, the Governor's office said.

Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers. It is advertised as a platform to understand and explore business opportunities in the State of Gujarat.&nbsp;

Governor of the US State of Kentucky Matt Bevin will lead a high-power American business delegation, comprising representatives from top companies, for the next Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January.

Governor of the US State of Kentucky Matt Bevin will lead a high-power American business delegation, comprising representatives from top companies, for the next Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January. The delegation of US Chambers of Commerce, which includes the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and co-leaders of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, will strengthen ties with national and state government leaders, industry groups and individual businesses in one of the world's largest and fastest growing economies, the governor's office said. "Kentucky is excited to explore opportunities within the Indian market and to meet with key government and business leaders during next month's business summit," Bevin said in a statement on Monday. "Our state is a leading exporter of food products as well as healthcare and engineering technologies. This trip is an incredible opportunity to showcase Kentucky's growth as an epicentre for global companies," Bevin said. The delegation will help increase awareness about trade and investment opportunities between the US and India, he said. After Gujarat, the delegation will also travel to Uttar Pradesh to participate in industry meetings surrounding Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Nisha Biswal, president of the USIBC, said the organisation will deliver a productive and impactful engagement for Kentucky and the USIBC members at Vibrant Gujarat and in Uttar Pradesh. "It is an honour for USIBC and its members to welcome a close partnership with Governor Bevin and the State of Kentucky to lead a delegation of US companies critical to the growth of the US-India bilateral trade and commercial relationship," she said. "Kentucky and India have enjoyed a longstanding partnership, which has resulted in job creation and expanded business opportunities for both Indian and Kentucky companies," Biswal said. Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development leaders Terry Gill and Vivek Sarin will join Bevin, as will Cabinet's executive director for international affairs Erran Persley and business development, a media report said. Indian companies own in whole or part five facilities in Kentucky, which currently employ approximately 1,625 people. In addition to those five facilities, Novelis earlier this year broke ground in Guthrie for a 125-job aluminium rolling mill, which is scheduled to open by 2020. And this summer Novelis announced it will purchase Aleris Corp, which operates an aluminium rolling mill in Lewisport employing nearly 1,000 people. The deal is scheduled to close in 2019. Together, those will push Kentucky's Indian-owned facilities to seven, employing about 2,750 people, the Governor's office said. Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers. It is advertised as a platform to understand and explore business opportunities in the State of Gujarat.

Kentucky government to lead US business delegation for Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit

Donald Trump described India as ''Tariff King''

Earlier this week, we came across Ms. Bhattacharyya&#39;s emotionally charged essay, &#39;Why an Indian girl chose to become an American woman&#39; (published in Quartz) on her challenging journey to become a naturalised American citizen. She describes the alienation and disaffection she felt from her home country and how this largely stemmed from the fact that India had failed its women (and by extension her) due to the widespread sexual violence within our society. Finally, this disaffection led her to pursue a strategy of extending her stay in the United States (or literally anywhere else) in an attempt to escape the horrifically morbid fate Indian women are preordained. While we largely share her concerns about widespread violence against women, we find her characterisation of India&#39;s society misinformed, laced with generalities and therefore incredibly problematic.

As Indians studying and working in the United States, we are confronted by a similar array of choices as Ms. Bhattacharyya. The US is inarguably a melting pot of diversity - a country that prides itself as the land of immigrants; attracting the best and brightest from every corner of the world. And yet, this fantastical &#39;land of the free&#39; too suffers its own set of major issues ranging from mass gun violence to racism. The insidious culture of sexual harassment and assault is ubiquitous in the US too, spanning Wall Street, Hollywood and college campuses across the country. It is misleading to suggest that a woman can leave her house and drive for a 100 miles without a single care in the world. If one is to believe economist Amartya Sen, even if we multiply the instances of reported rape by 10 (to account for underreporting), estimates of its occurrence would still be substantially lower than in the UK, US, Sweden or South Africa.

The fight for gender inequality and violence against women has miles to go in India as it does in the rest of the world, but despair and a defeatist attitude is not the way to win any battle, least of all this one. In her essay, Bhattacharyya laments that even change would be unable to undo the damage done by our history of oppression. It seems as if she hasn&#39;t examined the history of the very country she holds in such high regards. If India has a history for regressive practices, Western history is also replete with similar repression of women&#39;s rights right up to the early twentieth century. It was only after a long struggle that women were able to win the right to vote. And yet, if, as the writer herself argues, she feels safe enough to drive across the country at 3am, it is clear that things have changed. India on the other hand, being a relatively younger democracy and several years behind the United States in economic development cannot be dismissed as incapable of change or progress. We may be the world&#39;s &#39;smelliest&#39; and most &#39;interesting&#39; melting pot as frivolously put by Ms Bhattacharyya, but at least we broke the glass ceiling long before any of us even called it that with the reign of Indira Gandhi. As of 2018, this feat is yet to be accomplished by the world&#39;s oldest democracy, a country where she feels safer and more empowered in.

The inscrutable Americans-esque analysis of her personal experience in the United States of feeling &#39;poor&#39; and like an &#39;outsider&#39; goes against the very spirit of why we moved to the US - a country that thrives on its immigrants&#39; confidence and relentless will to stand out. She not only perpetuates the Indian stereotype of being secondary in America, but also reaffirms the superiority of someone up in the West determining just how hipster you had to be to be considered cool, or how much of your intellectual prowess authors like Hegel determine. While it may make for a catchy statement to call India a country that doesn&#39;t know what to do with its women, it&#39;s utterly careless to do so because of how dangerously wrong this narrative is. For starters, the Indian government through one of its landmark schemes MUDRA Yojana, provides small businesses across the country with seed capital in the form of loans, and almost 75 per cent of its beneficiaries are female entrepreneurs, thereby not making India a country that &quot;doesn&#39;t know what to do with its women&quot; as claimed by Ms. Bhattacharya. We are also the first country in the region to have a purely women-led railway station in Rajasthan affirming public female confidence in a state that is traditionally known for nothing but its textiles and rates of child marriage. Further initiatives to boost women participation have also been kickstarted by the private sector. While there are several challenges we need to scale in order to become the country we deserve to be, we are eternally optimistic about our ability to surmount them.

The overall comparison of a global super power with one of the oldest civilisations in the world is not only irresponsible but also blatantly ignorant. Our nation stands at the cusp of awakening and ever growing polarisation, much like the United States. We use our rather fantastical, emotionally charged and inspiring films to inculcate a culture of openness and make big budget movies about periods, homosexuality, and religious tolerance. In her 70 young years, India has kept one finger on the pulse of social change. The transactional approach she has adopted when assessing her loyalty to any country, be it the United States or India, is disheartening and just the kind of spirit a nation that thrives on unconditional patriotism-fueled progress does not need. As Indians living in the United States, the only parting advice we can give her is to continue texting friends and family while being out and about on American streets at 3 in the morning; for these roads too are rife with thorns, some much sharper than the ones in India.

(Mansi has written the piece along with her fellow NYU graduate Abhishek Dalal)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The insidious culture of sexual harassment and assault is ubiquitous in the US too, spanning Wall Street, Hollywood and college campuses across the country.

Earlier this week, we came across Ms. Bhattacharyya's emotionally charged essay, 'Why an Indian girl chose to become an American woman' (published in Quartz) on her challenging journey to become a naturalised American citizen. She describes the alienation and disaffection she felt from her home country and how this largely stemmed from the fact that India had failed its women (and by extension her) due to the widespread sexual violence within our society. Finally, this disaffection led her to pursue a strategy of extending her stay in the United States (or literally anywhere else) in an attempt to escape the horrifically morbid fate Indian women are preordained. While we largely share her concerns about widespread violence against women, we find her characterisation of India's society misinformed, laced with generalities and therefore incredibly problematic. As Indians studying and working in the United States, we are confronted by a similar array of choices as Ms. Bhattacharyya. The US is inarguably a melting pot of diversity - a country that prides itself as the land of immigrants; attracting the best and brightest from every corner of the world. And yet, this fantastical 'land of the free' too suffers its own set of major issues ranging from mass gun violence to racism. The insidious culture of sexual harassment and assault is ubiquitous in the US too, spanning Wall Street, Hollywood and college campuses across the country. It is misleading to suggest that a woman can leave her house and drive for a 100 miles without a single care in the world. If one is to believe economist Amartya Sen, even if we multiply the instances of reported rape by 10 (to account for underreporting), estimates of its occurrence would still be substantially lower than in the UK, US, Sweden or South Africa. The fight for gender inequality and violence against women has miles to go in India as it does in the rest of the world, but despair and a defeatist attitude is not the way to win any battle, least of all this one. In her essay, Bhattacharyya laments that even change would be unable to undo the damage done by our history of oppression. It seems as if she hasn't examined the history of the very country she holds in such high regards. If India has a history for regressive practices, Western history is also replete with similar repression of women's rights right up to the early twentieth century. It was only after a long struggle that women were able to win the right to vote. And yet, if, as the writer herself argues, she feels safe enough to drive across the country at 3am, it is clear that things have changed. India on the other hand, being a relatively younger democracy and several years behind the United States in economic development cannot be dismissed as incapable of change or progress. We may be the world's 'smelliest' and most 'interesting' melting pot as frivolously put by Ms Bhattacharyya, but at least we broke the glass ceiling long before any of us even called it that with the reign of Indira Gandhi. As of 2018, this feat is yet to be accomplished by the world's oldest democracy, a country where she feels safer and more empowered in. The inscrutable Americans-esque analysis of her personal experience in the United States of feeling 'poor' and like an 'outsider' goes against the very spirit of why we moved to the US - a country that thrives on its immigrants' confidence and relentless will to stand out. She not only perpetuates the Indian stereotype of being secondary in America, but also reaffirms the superiority of someone up in the West determining just how hipster you had to be to be considered cool, or how much of your intellectual prowess authors like Hegel determine. While it may make for a catchy statement to call India a country that doesn't know what to do with its women, it's utterly careless to do so because of how dangerously wrong this narrative is. For starters, the Indian government through one of its landmark schemes MUDRA Yojana, provides small businesses across the country with seed capital in the form of loans, and almost 75 per cent of its beneficiaries are female entrepreneurs, thereby not making India a country that "doesn't know what to do with its women" as claimed by Ms. Bhattacharya. We are also the first country in the region to have a purely women-led railway station in Rajasthan affirming public female confidence in a state that is traditionally known for nothing but its textiles and rates of child marriage. Further initiatives to boost women participation have also been kickstarted by the private sector. While there are several challenges we need to scale in order to become the country we deserve to be, we are eternally optimistic about our ability to surmount them. The overall comparison of a global super power with one of the oldest civilisations in the world is not only irresponsible but also blatantly ignorant. Our nation stands at the cusp of awakening and ever growing polarisation, much like the United States. We use our rather fantastical, emotionally charged and inspiring films to inculcate a culture of openness and make big budget movies about periods, homosexuality, and religious tolerance. In her 70 young years, India has kept one finger on the pulse of social change. The transactional approach she has adopted when assessing her loyalty to any country, be it the United States or India, is disheartening and just the kind of spirit a nation that thrives on unconditional patriotism-fueled progress does not need. As Indians living in the United States, the only parting advice we can give her is to continue texting friends and family while being out and about on American streets at 3 in the morning; for these roads too are rife with thorns, some much sharper than the ones in India. (Mansi has written the piece along with her fellow NYU graduate Abhishek Dalal) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: India hasn't failed you, you failed India

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