U.S. envoy undertakes first official visit to Jaipur

Education, innovation, and competitiveness were the three hallmarks of United States Ambassador to India, Richard R. Verma's official visit to Jaipur, his first official visit to Rajasthan.

Ambassador Verma discussed ongoing U.S.-India cooperation in infrastructure development and smart cities, particularly U.S. partner city Ajmer, with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The Ambassador also paid a courtesy call on Governor Kalyan Singh during his two-day visit.

The Ambassador spoke with 130 American Fulbright Scholars from across South and Central Asia, who were meeting in Jaipur and shared with him their experiences across a wide range of subject areas. Ambassador Verma spoke about the importance of educational and cultural exchanges as part of our bilateral relationship. The U.S.-India program is jointly funded by the U.S. and Indian governments, illustrating how important the program is to both countries.

Ambassador Verma also spoke with regional business leaders at the Rajasthan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI). Underlining the growth in U.S-India trade, Ambassador Verma noted, "Bilateral trade has reached USD 103 billion, and is on the way to USD 500 billion. The two countries have agreed on new deals in defense and energy; and we are working hard on increasing bilateral investment flows between our two nations."

Ambassador Verma was honored to meet Mr. D. R. Mehta, Founder and Chief Patron of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), also known as the Jaipur Foot organization. Verma visited the BMVSS facility where he saw firsthand the remarkable Indian-American partnership to build low-cost innovative prosthetics that are changing people's lives.

Finally, Ambassador Verma announced that Jaipur-based Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) will be holding a North India-wide symposium on state competitiveness in Jaipur this November. Working with the Embassy, CUTS will bring together experts to investment from American states, and from throughout India, to share experiences and strategies for attracting investment, and build a more competitive business environment in North Indian states.

An Embassy press release said that it looks forward to deepening and broadening its partnership with Jaipur and Rajasthan across all sectors: more two-way trade and investment, along with greater collaboration in health, science, and clean energy.