Page 64 - Us India Relations

Ram temple event Highlights: Nadda gets invite, to visit after Jan 22

As the Ram temple consecration draws closer, Delhi government has announced that it will organise a three-day Ramlila program starting Saturday, January 20

US eyes more Indian tourists in coming yrs, number expected to rise to 2mn

The NTTO expects visitors from India to go up to 2 million by 2027

Walt Disney, Mahindra group officials join USISPF Board of Directors

Walt Disney and Mahindra group officials have joined the Board of Directors of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum, which the organisation said is testimony to the success story of American companies in India and a growing presence of Indian conglomerates in the US. The two officials are Dorothy Attwood, senior vice president of Global Legal, Policy and Compliance for The Walt Disney Company, and Amarjyoti (Amar) Barua, Executive Vice President (EVP) of Group Strategy at the Mahindra Group to the Board of Directors, the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) said in an announcement. Attwood, in her current role, is responsible for the company's international legal and government affairs functions around the world, outside of the US, and leads strategic public policy initiatives as well as ESG and Sustainability globally across all business segments. Attwood also leads the Privacy Legal Department and the Government Ethics and Compliance Group enterprise-wide. Barua

Ram Mandir consecration ceremony: Temples across US gear up for festivities

Hundreds of temples dotted across the United States are gearing up to celebrate the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya next week, with thousands of Indian Americans likely to attend a series of events beginning this week. Ayodhya is re-emerging from destruction and neglect, epitomising the eternal nature of Sanatana Dharma. The upcoming consecration at Ram Lalla Mandir after 550 years is bringing immense joy to the city and nearly a billion Hindus across the world, Kalyan Viswanathan, president of the Hindu University of America said in a blog post. The consecration ceremony at the Ayodhya temple wiil be held on January 22. The construction of Lord Ram's temple at Ayodhya Dham, after a wait of 500 years, marks an important day of faith and celebration for Hindus worldwide said Kapil Sharma from the Shri Sita Ram Foundation in Texas, which has organised Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Pran Pratishtha celebration at its temple in Houston. The celebration will begin with the Sundarkand, ..

'US re-engagement with China have no implications on ties with India, Quad'

The United States' re-engagement with China should not be seen as having any implication on the strong ties it has with India and its commitments to the QUAD grouping, a top US official said on Wednesday. The US has been re-engaging with China at various levels after months of no contact with military as well as political leaders, which had triggered concerns about a possible confrontation between the two countries. The official said the re-engagement is primarily aimed at having better bilateral relations, especially on the economic and business front, which both countries believe is important. But it should not be seen as having any consequences on the US' strong relations with India and QUAD, which remains very important at strategic level for the US, the official added. The four-nation bloc QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia, has often been seen as a counterbalance to China in the Indo-Pacific. The idea for QUAD was first moo

US-India ties not based on convenience and calculation, says Eric Garcetti

He said that the foundation of the bilateral ties is built on four Ps -- peace, prosperity, planet and people

'Crossed $200 bn in trade': USISPF President points to strong India-US ties

Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO of USISPF emphasized collaborative efforts in areas such as engines, quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and space partnerships

US to India: Ensure personal computer import rules don't hurt trade

The DGFT clarified that the present monitoring would apply to five specified products and not to all other items, such as desktop computers

India to press for social security pact at Trade Policy Forum meet with US

New Delhi will raise issues of visa delay, exports of pharma goods and marine products

India to seek greater market access for mangoes in TPF meet with US on Fri

India will raise a number of issues with the US such as inking social security pact, and greater market access for mangoes in America during the Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meet here on Friday, an official said. The official said India will also raise issues pertaining to delay in visa; increasing exports of table grapes, pharma goods, and marine products like wild caught fish and shrimp; reinstating the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) status to India; and export control regulations for high-tech products and technologies. The 14th TPF meet will be co-chaired by US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal here. Social security, or totalisation agreement, is a long-pending demand of the country, as it will provide social security to Indian professionals in America. This would eliminate dual social security deduction, both in the home country and in the nation where an employee works. Under this, an expatriate in either country need not

Rodtep, personal computer imports on table at India-US trade policy forum

Trade policy meet may also take up issues like GSP, non-tariff barriers

USISPF joins Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit as partner organisation

The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) on Tuesday announced its association as a partner organisation with the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 from January 10th to 12th, 2024, in Gandhinagar."USISPF is honoured to lead a delegation comprising over 35 Fortune American companies, including Salesforce, Abbott, Blackstone, HSBC, UPS, Micron, Cisco, SHRM, and others. These companies also have plans to increase their investments in Gujarat. The delegation will be led by Lal Karsanbhai, President and CEO of Emerson, and co-led by USISPF President & CEO Dr. Mukesh Aghi," the USIPF stated in an official release.At the summit, the focus areas will include leveraging India's burgeoning momentum in the hi-tech manufacturing space, particularly in avenues of semiconductors and chip manufacturing, as well as critical areas of the energy transition, chemicals and industrial manufacturing, aerospace, and defence."The companies are also eagerly exploring opportunities to build on ..

Ram Mandir 'gives Hindus a reason to celebrate': NYC Mayor Eric Adams

When asked about the opening of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and what it meant to the Hindus of New York City, Adams said that the opening is 'extremely important'

USTR Tai to visit New Delhi next week for US-India trade policy forum meet

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai is scheduled to travel to New Delhi next week and will co-chair the ministerial-level meeting of the United States-India Trade Policy Forum with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Ambassador Tai will travel to India from January 12-14 and begin her trip with a meeting with Goyal. She is also scheduled to meet Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar later. On January 13, Tai will meet with civil society representatives, business leaders, and stakeholders to discuss the Biden-Harris Administration's engagement and commitment to fostering closer ties between the two countries. Tai's visit marks the first trip to India in the new year by a senior Biden administration official. Tai and Goyal will co-chair the 14th ministerial-level meeting of the United States-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF). During this year's meeting, Tai and Goyal will discuss a broad set of issues to enhance the resiliency of the trade relationship, including ...

India-US trade policy forum to discuss social security pact, visa issues

India will flag issues such as proposed social security agreement, visas, and promoting agri trade in the meeting of India-US Trade Policy Forum (TPF) during January 13-14, a top government official said. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai will be here for a meeting with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. It will be the 14th ministerial-level meeting of the India-US TPF. India is seeking social security of totalisation agreement with the US. "There are issues pertaining to table grapes. The US also has certain issues. Social security agreement and mobility are our main focus areas," the official said. Under the agreement, an expatriate in either country need not contribute to the social security schemes of the host country. It will benefit a number of Indians, particularly from the IT sector, who are working in America and paying social security but are unable to get any benefit out of it. The last meeting was held in Washington in January 2023. India in that meeting

Hindu Temple defaced with pro-Khalistan graffiti in California's Hayward

A Hindu temple in Hayward, California, has been defaced with pro-Khalistan graffiti. This incident at Sherawali Temple comes weeks after the Swaminarayan temple in Newark, California was defaced by anti-India graffiti.The Hindu American Foundation has reported that Sherawali Temple in California was defaced with pro-Khalistani graffiti. It has also shared a picture of the defacement.In a post shared on X, the Hindu American Foundation stated, "#Breaking: Another Bay Area Hindu temple attacked with pro-#Khalistan graffiti. The Vijay's Sherawali Temple in Hayward, CA sustained a copycat defacement just two weeks after the Swaminarayan Mandir attack and one week after a theft at the Shiv Durga temple in the same area. HAF is in touch with temple leaders and in contact with @AlamedaPD & @CivilRights."The Hindu American Foundation also highlighted the importance of installing working security cameras and alarm systems, considering the rising threat from Khalistan supporters.Taking to

US Pentagon fact sheet: 'Decisive year' for open, stable Indo-Pacific

The Pentagon plans to bolster India's defence modernization, including by advancing the priorities outlined in the 'Roadmap for US - India Defence Industrial Cooperation'

Pentagon on 2023: Modernising scope of military engagements with India

The US has modernised the scope of its military engagements with India and bolstered its defence modernisation plans, the Pentagon has said, as it highlighted the groundbreaking achievements and cooperation with allies in 2023 aimed towards peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Amidst China's aggressive moves in the South China Sea, the Pentagon said it is deploying cutting-edge military capabilities right now, developing the capabilities needed to maintain deterrence in the Indo-Pacific in the future. Throughout 2023, the United States has worked alongside allies and partners to deliver groundbreaking achievements for peace, stability, and deterrence in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, the Department of Defence said in a fact sheet on a Decisive Year in the Indo-Pacific region. Citing individual country examples, the department said it is also supporting allies and partners as they invest in their own capabilities by bolstering India's defence modernisation

Visa, agri, GSP likely to figure in India-US trade policy forum meet in Jan

Issues about visas, promoting agri trade and resumption of benefits under the American generalised system of preferences (GSP) are expected to figure in the meeting of India-US Trade Policy Forum (TPF) in January here, an official said. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai will be here for a meeting with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Both sides will discuss ways to increase trade and investments between the two countries during the two-day meeting from January 13, 2024. It will be the 14th ministerial-level meeting of the India-US TPF, the official said. The last meeting was held in Washington in January 2023. India in that meeting highlighted the delay in the issuance of business visas to people from India. New Delhi is also keen on restoration of its beneficiary status under the US GSP programme. The previous Trump administration in the US revoked the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) from India in 2019. The GSP allows eligible developing countries to expor

Indian judiciary has 'no jurisdiction' in Nikhil Gupta case: Czech

India's judicial authorities have "no jurisdiction" in the case involving Nikhil Gupta, Czech justice ministry spokesperson Vladimir Repka has said, days after his family approached the Supreme Court seeking its intervention in the matter. Gupta, charged by the US government of involvement in a conspiracy to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil, has been in a jail in Prague since he was detained in the Czech Republic around six months ago. The US has approached the Czech government for Gupta's extradition and proceedings relating to it are underway. "Any judicial authorities of the Republic of India have no jurisdiction in the matter in question, the case is under the jurisdiction of the competent authorities of the Czech Republic," Repka said. A family member of Gupta, 52, approached the Supreme Court last week pleading for issuing direction to the Indian government to intervene in the extradition proceedings and ensure a fair trial in the case. The US federal prosecutors have