India-US ties important for India's development: Envoy

Calling the India-US relationship "an important factor in the future development of India", Ambassador S. Jaishankar says the relationship is awaiting "its next quantum leap patiently."

The Indian envoy was speaking Tuesday at the launch of the book "Reimagining India: Unlocking the Potential of Asia's Next Super Power" by McKinsey & Company at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

Jaishankar described the collection of 62 essays by "leading thinkers from around the world to explore the challenges and opportunities" faced by India as "a full spectrum effort, spanning a wide variety of issues and challenges."

"The issues of this book are the very debates of India's 16th general elections that are still unfolding," he said.

"And if you look at what our political parties are doing, they are actually asking the voters to reimagine India, locally, regionally or nationally."

"So whether it is the distribution of power or the nature of growth, vision or implementation, the material or intangible, this book represents much of today's internal Indian conversation," Jaishankar said.

Noting that "the overarching theme of the volume is of India's passage into modernity" the ambassador said: "Today, it is just as important to realise our shortcomings, as it is to wake up to how the world perceives us."

"At the end of the day, we will be judged by how we pass the twin tests of ambition and performance," he said.

"Finally, if we are reimagining India, perhaps we should also reimagine the India-US relationship," the ambassador said.

"It is an important factor in the future development of India. And it awaits its next quantum leap patiently."

"Since all successes need a sequel, in Hollywood as much as in Bollywood, McKinsey might wish to give this a thought," suggested Jaishankar.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)