Top US leaders stress strong India-US relationship vital for global peace

Top bipartisan American lawmakers and political leaders hailed the India-US ties and contributions of the Indian diaspora, saying the partnership is "vital" for peace and stability around the globe and called for further strengthening bilateral ties.

The Consulate General of India in New York hosted a special reception here Saturday to commemorate the 77th Republic Day of India.

Consul General of India in New York Binaya Srikanta Pradhan and Deputy Consul General Vishal Harsh welcomed the dignitaries at the reception.

The reception was attended by government officials, leaders from business, academia and culture, several prominent members of the Indian-American community, members of the diplomatic corps and guests from various spheres of life.

Addressing the gathering, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer underlined that the Indian community in his state is "our fastest immigrant community in Delaware, as it is in many places across the country."  He recalled the immigrant journey of the parents of Delaware's Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, the first Indian-American to hold the position in the United States.

"The immigrant experience here and the opportunity to embrace freedom, embrace education and build wealth not just for yourselves but for American communities across our country is something really so enmeshed in the Indian-American community," he said.

Meyer is slated to visit India in March, leading a business delegation to Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.

US Representative Nick LaLota, Republican from Suffolk County, described the growing Indian community as the "third I" on Long Island in New York, after the Italian and the Irish communities.

LaLota cited the example of Indian-American entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Bolla Oil Corporation Harry Singh, who came to the US "with nothing but has built an empire of hundreds of gas stations" across Long Island, personifying the hard working spirit of the Indian-American community.

US Representative for New York's 17th Congressional District Mike Lawler said the relationship between the US and India is cherished and "one that we need to continue to foster.

"When you talk about the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy, that partnership is vital for peace and stability around the globe," he said.

Lawler, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the relationship between India and the US is paramount to the work of the committee.

"I fundamentally believe that India is the most important country when it comes to the United States' ability to ensure peace and prosperity around the globe. As we move forward, the relationship between the United States and India must be paramount, and we must get that relationship back on track and moving in the right direction," he said amid applause from the guests.

Lawler recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to a joint session of the Congress at the United States Capitol in 2023, describing it as a "momentous" occasion, where "we saw the rock star vibes that he (Modi) has. People were ecstatic to see and to hear from the Prime Minister and we want to continue to build that relationship and to strengthen it."  He further said that from Delaware to New Jersey and New York, "we have a large and vibrant Indian-American community...We want to ensure that our Indian-American community continues to grow, continues to thrive economically, that we continue to promote and celebrate the many cultural contributions of the Indian-American community."  Lawler also presented proclamations to Pradhan for efforts to fostering a strong US-India relationship.

Congresswoman Laura Gillen, in her remarks, recalled the earlier years she spent in Kolkata working for Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity.

"I developed a deep love for India, a deep love for the Indian people. That love I carry forward now, not only building the relationships with our incredibly vibrant Indian-American community here in the United States, the immigrants who made our country better, who are serving us as engineers, doctors, in technology, in all the fields," she said.

Gillen expressed gratitude to the Indian-American community, saying there is "bipartisan interest" in making sure the relationship between the United States and India is strong.

New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar underlined the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi and the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru.

She also highlighted efforts to declare Diwali a school holiday in the city of New York, saying that "now cities and states across the nation are following our lead" in declaring the Diwali holiday.

Edison Mayor Sam Joshi, who was re-elected to the post in the November 2025 elections, said that as he commenced his second term in office, "I am openly, unapologetically Indian...While I never take on national or federal issues, I will not shy away from the fact that the United States needs to have better relationships with India."  Joshi added that the strong Indian-American community across the country, including those in business, entertainment, healthcare, life sciences, government, "have enough clout and juice to start making a national push on this" and "all of us collectively need to put our heads together" to ensure a stronger relationship between India and the US.

Pradhan, in his remarks, said that India-US relations are anchored on a comprehensive global strategic partnership manifested in the multi-faceted collaborations in every sphere of human endeavour and backed by bipartisan political support in both the countries.

Ahead of the India-AI Impact Summit to be hosted later this month in New Delhi, Pradhan listed bilateral collaborations in the field of Artificial Intelligence, including the recent MoU signed to set up the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence at IIM Ahmedabad.

Indian-American philanthropist and Grammy-winning artist Chandrika Tandon, an alumna of IIM-A and her husband Ranjan Tandon have set up the AI school with an endowment fund of Rupees 100 crore.

Pradhan described the Indian-American community as a "strong pillar" of support for growth of the bilateral collaboration.

He said the American leadership attending the reception are "strong advocates of India-US partnership and stand by the Indian diaspora in their respective constituencies."  "I believe that the India-US relationship is at the point of inflection, driven by the people of our two countries. It will only get better and better in the coming time," he said.

The celebration featured vibrant cultural performances, including Bhangra presentation and soulful instrumental renditions. It included a dedicated pavilion on 'Make in India' and display of 'One District One Product' initiatives as well as a curated range of Indian textile products, showcasing India's artisanal traditions and regional craftsmanship.