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Diaspora’s success redefines US perception of India

Even though Indians are just 1 per cent of the American population, they are more than 10 per cent of the Fortune 500 CEOs, a report by Meenakshi Iyer

The rapid rise of Indian-Americans from politics to administration, entrepreneurship to technology, medicine to hospitality, science to academia has put the global spotlight like never before on the high-achieving four million-plus strong diaspora.

The community happens to be the most educated with the highest median income in the US, with an average household earning of $123,700 — making them the top earners in the US among other Asians in the country.

As the profile of the Indian American community — now the second-largest immigrant group in the US — has grown, so too has its economic, political, and social influence, according to a recent Carnegie Endowment study.

In 2010, only 18 per cent of Americans saw India as “very important” to the United States, according to The Chicago Council survey.

Now, India is perceived by Americans as their seventh favourite nation in the world, with 70 per cent of people viewing India favourably in 2023, says a Gallup survey.

Much of how America views India today can be attributed to the success of this community, which according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has played a significant role in the all-round development of the nation they live in and also strengthened the India-US relationship.

The fifth largest economy of the world, India today is seen in the US as a strong bilateral partner sharing common democratic values with broad-based and multi-sectoral cooperation in sectors like trade and investment, defence and security, education, science and technology, cyber security, etc.

American businesses heavily rely on highly-skilled workers from India to fill the gaps in IT and engineering sectors via the H-1B visa programme. These visa holders create prospects for US citizens, by enabling companies to invest in domestic operations instead of sending jobs abroad.

As US Ambassador Eric Garcetti recently said: “India is a place where dreams become reality every day. Our counties have so much in common. Indian dreams and American dreams are two sides of the same coin.”

Addressing the 2019 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, then Foreign Minister late Sushma Swaraj had noted that while the Indian diaspora started migrating centuries ago, it was the migration of the educated, highly-skilled and dynamic young Indians that brought laurels to India.

The dominance of Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, and Parag Agarwal in the IT sector has strengthened the image of India in the US as a technology powerhouse and a source of quality human resources.

With US Vice President Kamala Harris sitting atop the political ladder, the US House of Representatives has five Indian Americans — Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal and Shri Thanedar.

PM Modi at the State Department Luncheon with VP Kamala Harris, at White House, in Washington DC.

There are close to 60 Indian-American CEOs in Fortune 500. Even though Indians are just 1 per cent of the American population, they are more than 10 per cent of the Fortune 500 CEOs with the likes of Laxman Narasimhan (Starbucks) and Raj Subramaniam (FedEx).

The US now has 20,000 Indian-American professors and at least a third of companies in the Silicon Valley that come for funding, and have an Indian American co-founder, according to Indiaspora founder M.R. Rangaswami.

According to foreign policy experts, it is the success of this community, which has dramatically changed the US perception of Indians and India, with its ability to spread Indian soft power, lobby for India’s national interests, and contribute economically to their mother country’s rise.

As part of “soft diplomacy”, Indian-Americans played a pivotal role in the fructification of the historic Indo-US nuclear deal in 2005.

The community also urged the political establishment — right from the Oval Office down to statehouses — to send aid worth at least half-a-billion dollars to India during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Jaishankar, Blinken wear colourful, printed shirts at East Asia Summit

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken were seen wearing colourful, printed shirts while attending the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Jaishankar and Blinken had attended the13th EAS Foreign Ministers’ meeting on Friday in the Indonesian capital.

The External Affairs Minister had shared a photo on Twitter with the Secretary of State in which Jaishankar wore a blue printed shirt, while Blinken’s was in the shades of brown, blue and white.

In his tweet, Jaishankar said: “Pleasure to meet Sec Blinken. Followed up on PM Narendra Modi’s  recent visit to the US. Also exchanged views on Ukraine, Myanmar and Indo-Pacific.”

While speaking at the meeting, Jaishankar said that India firmly supported the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and its implementation through EAS.

“There is great synergy between the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) proposed by India and AOIP,” he added.

He said that Quad will always complement ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms as AOIP contributes to the vision of the Quad.

Quad is an informal strategic forum comprising of four nations, namely the US, India, Australia and Japan.

One of the primary objectives of the Quad is to work for a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

Jaishankar further added that India affirms ASEAN’s centrality in the Indo-Pacific and advocates the strengthening of the EAS.

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‘Education is cornerstone of bond between India-US’

Jill Biden, in Washington DC, gave details on the State dinner that will be hosted for PM Modi at the White House by her and President Joe Biden…reports Asian Lite News

US First Lady Jill Biden, on Wednesday, said that education is the cornerstone of the bond between India and the United States.

First Lady Jill Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, and attended the ‘Skilling for Future’ event where she said, “Education is the cornerstone of the bond between India and the United States. Students from both countries are learning and growing alongside each other, discovering the people that they want to become and building a better world together. Working side by side, our nations can create a safer, healthier, more prosperous future for everyone.” She also stated that to make the economies of both nations strong, India and the US need to invest in young people who are the future. She highlighted the importance of providing young people with the opportunities they deserve.

“We are bringing together our entire administration, including agencies like NSF to partner with employers, unions, schools and local governments so we can ensure that students have what they need to pursue these careers. That’s the Biden education pathway. It starts with free, high-quality, universal free school and creates a high school experience that prepares students for their next steps,” the First Lady of the US said.

“After years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expensive as we jointly tackle the global challenges…You work to ensure that all Indians, especially girls have the opportunity to pursue education and gain the skills they need for a modern workforce. It is exciting to be able to show you some of the innovative programs our schools and businesses are creating for the students here,” she added.

Earlier, addressing the event, PM Modi said that India and the United States partnership will serve as the driving engine behind sustainable and inclusive global growth.

“To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On the one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world’s biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth,” he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi arrived in Washington DC and received a ceremonial welcome as well as a Guard of Honour at the airbase. PM Modi will, later on, attend the state dinner to which he was invited by US President Joe Biden and the first lady.

After concluding the event, Jill Biden, in Washington DC, gave details on the State dinner that will be hosted for PM Modi at the White House by her and President Joe Biden.

She said that tomorrow night, guests will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron-coloured flowers at every table, the colours of the Indian flag.

Meanwhile, guest Chef Nina Curtis gave details on the State Dinner and said, “We are very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the international year of millet. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu.” (ANI)

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India-US joint ‘Yudh Abhyas’ to be held in Uttarakhand

The schedule will include all operations related to peacekeeping and peace enforcement…reports Asian Lite News

The 18th edition of the India-US joint training exercise “YUDH ABHYAS 22” will be held in Uttarakhand this month.

‘Yudh Abhyas’ is conducted annually between India and the US with the aim of exchanging best practices, tactics, techniques and procedures between the armies of the two nations.

American soldiers from the 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division and Indian soldiers from the Assam Regiment will be participating in the exercise, the defence ministry said on Tuesday. The training schedule will focus on employment of an integrated battle group under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate. The schedule will include all operations related to peacekeeping and peace enforcement.

The troops from both the nations will work together to achieve common objectives. The exercise will also focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations. The troops will practice launching swift and coordinated relief efforts in the wake of any natural calamity, informed the ministry.

In order to derive full benefit from the professional skills and experiences of both the armies, a Command Post Exercise and Expert Academic Discussions (EAD) on carefully selected topics will be carried out. The scope of the Field Training Exercise includes validation of integrated battle groups, force multipliers, establishment and functioning of surveillance grids, validation of operational logistics, mountain warfare skills, casualty evacuation and combat medical aid in adverse terrain and climatic conditions.

The exercise will involve exchanges and practices on a wide spectrum of combat skills including combat engineering, employment of UAS/Counter UAS techniques and information operations. It will facilitate both armies to share their wide experiences, skills and enhance their techniques through information exchange, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) in October 2021.

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India under no global pressure to shun Russian oil: Puri

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri meets with US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm.

In a bilateral meeting with US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm, Puri said that the Indian government has a moral duty to provide energy to its citizens and it will continue to buy oil from wherever it has to, reports Asian Lite News

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said that India is under no pressure to shun Russian oil.

In a bilateral meeting with US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm, Puri said that the Indian government has a moral duty to provide energy to its citizens and it will continue to buy oil from wherever it has to.

Have I been told by anyone to stop buying Russian oil? The answer is a categorical No,” Puri told reporters in Washington.

“India will buy oil from wherever it has to for the simple reason that this kind of a discussion cannot be taken to the consuming population of India,” he added.

Since the start of the Ukraine conflict. India has sought to carve a middle path between Moscow and its Western critics and so far largely resisted Western pressure to cut its economic ties with the Kremlin.

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri meets with US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm.

The US is holding “deep talks” with India over the latter’s reliance on Russian arms and oil, according to media reports citing a state department official. The official claimed that Indian representatives are starting to look at other markets to meet their demands as they try to become less dependent on Moscow for oil purchases.

Notably, the European Union (EU) on Thursday (local time) adopted its latest package of sanctions against Russia over the illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

The EU adopted restrictive measures against an additional 30 individuals and seven entities, read the EU’s statement.

EU sanctions (8th package since the Ukraine war began) aim to force Russia to reduce prices & lose oil revenue. But at imports to the tune of 1.7 million barrels per day, the EU is still the biggest market for Russian crude.

Moreover, the EU is trying to determine the pricing of Russian oil through its insurance firms as Russia is the world’s largest oil exporter.

The European insurers rule commercial oil tankers by providing them with massive insurance. The EU sanctions ll forbid these insurers from providing services to Russian companies selling oil above the price cap.

A delegation led by India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri are having discussions with the US delegation led by energy secretary Jennifer Granholm.

Moreover, EU’s sanctions package on Russia will impact countries like India. EU is capping what other countries can pay for Russian oil. It bans the sale of oil above that price. This applies only to oil transported by sea. While, the EU members importing Russian oil by pipeline won’t be hurt by these sanctions.

Puri highlighted India is one of the largest oil importer and the demand is expected to rise driven by an increase in India’s per capita consumption of energy which currently stands at one-third of the global average. Puri further stressed that the fuel demand is expected to keep rising as the country’s economy grows.

It is pertinent to note that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also on several platforms had explained India’s decision to continue buying Russian oil. Recently, Jaishankar said PM Modi’s advice on the issue was to do what is best for the nation. “Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, petrol prices doubled. We had pressure from where to buy the oil but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government were of the view that we have to do what is the best for our nation,” Jaishankar said. (ANI)

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Ukraine crisis: Nirmala makes India’s stand clear with US

Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: “India certainly wants to be a friend but if the US also wants a friend, the friend can’t be a weak friend, the friend should not be weakened.” … reports Yashwant Raj

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India’s stand on the Russia-Ukraine war was predicated on the security challenges in its own neighbourhood and the US should understand that though it has a friend in India, that “friend can’t be a weak friend (and) the friend should be not weakened”.

On Friday, the Union Minister said she found that understanding in her interactions during her ongoing visit to the US for the Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group.

She met many US officials on the sidelines, including National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and other officials, over a dinner hosted by Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman meets with World Bank Group President David Malpass.

“India certainly wants to be a friend but if the US also wants a friend, the friend can’t be a weak friend, the friend should not be weakened,” Sitharaman told reporters at a new conference concluding her visit.

She added: “So we are taking decisions, we are taking calls, we are taking calibrated positions because we need to be strong where we are, given the geographical locational realities.”

These neighbourhood challenges included, as she laid out “tension” along the northern border with China that continued despite the Covid-19 pandemic, a western border with Pakistan that is “constantly at odds”, and the influx into India of military hardware sent to Afghanistan for counter-terrorism operations.

India has been under pressure from the US to take a more forceful position against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and cease or curtail trading relations, especially energy imports. A senior US National Security Council official went as far as to threaten India with “consequences”.

India has not condemned the invasion outrightly — and abstained on two votes in the UN Security Council — but it has made clear its disapproval of it.

New Delhi has called for the cessation of hostilities and for differences to be resolved through diplomatic channels. Further, it has invoked UN Charter’s cardinal principle of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations in a thinly disguised criticism of Russian aggression, and has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

India has condemned the massacre in Bucha though and supported a call for an independent investigation called by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

India has also cited its long relationship with Russia going back decades to the ertswhile Soviet Union — including its decisive intervention in 1971 to keep off the US — and reliance on military hardware exports in support of its less-than-shrill condemnation of Russia.

Despite the threat of consequences, the Biden administration has acknowledged India’s reasons and assured Indian officials it understands but, as conceded by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during his recent visit for the 2+2 meeting, India lacks the same level of understanding outside the circle of officials and policy experts.

“Your neighbourhood is what you have, as a given,” Sitharaman said, adding, “You have to keep that in mind when you’re talking about relationships.”

While the Russia-Ukraine war has brought India challenges — such as dried up supplies of sunflower oil from Ukraine and fertilisers from Russia — the Union Minister said it has also presented opportunities.

Minister Sitharaman with Ambassador of India to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu and CEA to Government of India, Dr V. Anantha Nageswaran.

Sitharaman was most upbeat about the possibility of the lifting of WTO (World Trade Organisation) restrictions on Indian exports of cereals.

“The DG WTO (Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria) was also present,” she said, adding, “She was gracious enough to say — addressing me in the plenary — that you raise this issue, but we are looking at it positively and hopefully sort it out.”

Indian exports of foodgrains run into WTO regulations on state-subsidised products because of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) that the government offers to guarantee farmers an assured return on their produce. WTO rules tend to extend the same restrictions to agricultural produce outside the MSP programme.

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Modi, Biden Hold First In-Person Talks

US President Joe Biden said that ties between the US and India can help in solving “a lot of global challenges.”, reports Asian Lite News

Highlighting the importance of the business ties between the two countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told US President Joe Biden that there is much to be done in the field of trade.

This is the first meeting between the two leaders since Biden assumed office as US President in January this year. PM Modi said that the bilateral summit is important and noted that the seeds have been sown for an even stronger friendship between India and the US.

“There is much to be done in trade. Trade will be an important factor in India-USA ties in the coming decade,” PM Modi said in his opening remarks here at the White House here on Friday.

“Today’s bilateral summit is important. We are meeting at the start of the third decade of this century. Your leadership will certainly play an important role in how this decade is shaped. The seeds have been sown for an even stronger friendship between India and US,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi said US President is taking initiatives to implement his vision for bilateral relations. He further added this decade will be shaped by talent and people-to-people linkages.

“I am glad the Indian diaspora is making an active contribution towards USA’s progress,” Prime Minister said.

Covid-19, Quad and Climate change

During the meeting with US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him for his efforts in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and promoting Quad.

Biden

While meeting President Biden at the Oval Office of the White House, PM Modi said, “Soon after assuming the presidential office, the US President made unique efforts on COVID-19 pandemic, Quad and climate change and I think his efforts will make a larger impact in the coming days.”

PM Modi said, “This decade will be shaped by talent and people-to-people linkages. I am glad the Indian diaspora is making an active contribution towards the progress of the US.”

‘US-India ties can solve a lot of challenges’

US President Joe Biden on Friday said that ties between the US and India can help in solving “a lot of global challenges.”

Biden said: “Mr Prime Minister, we’re going to continue to build on our strong partnership”, as he sat down with Modi in the Oval Office.

In his opening remarks as he met PM Modi for bilateral talks, Biden recalled that in 2006, when he was US Vice President, he had said that India and the US will be among the closest nations in the world in 2020.

“I have long believed that the US-India relationship can help us solve a lot of global challenges. In fact back in 2006 when I was the Vice President, I said that by 2020 India and the US will be among the closest nations in the world,” Biden said.

Prime Minister in his remarks said that technology is becoming a driving force. “We have to utilise our talents to leverage technology for the greater global good,” he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signs the visitor book in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

Prime Minister Modi said that the US leadership will play an important role in shaping this decade.

“Today’s bilateral summit is important. We are meeting at the start of the third decade of this century. Your leadership will certainly play an important role in how this decade is shaped. The seeds have been sown for an even stronger friendship between India and USA,” PM Modi’s Office said in a tweet.

Reviewing the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between the two countries has been the agenda of the talks.

The meeting is taking place in the backdrop of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the issue is likely to figure in the discussions.

Since January, PM Modi and Biden have participated in three summits. Two of them were hosted by President Biden – the Quad virtual summit in March and the Climate Change Summit in April which was also held virtually.

On Thursday, the Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with United States Vice President Kamala Harris and Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan. (ANI)