Mumbai : Is the post-COVID world ready for a steadier round of Indo-US collaboration? This question was among some of the highlights of the evening’s ‘Advantage India’ webinar on bilateral investment between the two nations today. Organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC), the webinar saw industry doyens and Minister of Commerce, Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal address the future for the two nations.
“The very bedrock for the relationship between India and US is that it’s between two democracies – the world’s oldest and the world’s largest democracy… We both deeply believe in the rule of law, national interests and respect each other’s national interests”, said the minister.
The webinar kickstarts a bilateral investment series, as an address to global investors. Alongside Goyal, it saw Kaku Nakhate, President and Country Head, Bank of America, Ramesh Nair, CEO and Country Head, India- JLL, Chris Franzen, General Manager, Grand Hyatt Hotels and members from Team IACC, talk about mutual investment opportunities within these nations.
Naushad Panjwani, Regional President, West India Council, IACC talked about how international dynamics have changed over the years. “The world is changing and changing in a way none of us had imagined. Trust, values, ethics and governance are now at the centre stage. Over the centuries, the trade model has evolved from conquering to colonisation to competition & cartels. And now it is time for COLLABORATIONS”, he said.
“The US is now the largest merchandise trading partner for India, and we’re extremely delighted by it. The time is ripe to further expand the exchange between US and India at the political, business and people to people levels”, Panjwani added.
In what can be construed as a rebuttal against a neighbouring nation, the union minister emphasised how India cannot afford to remain dependant on ‘low cost, low quality’ products and needs self-reliance, built alongside investment from global partners. Here, he invited investments, trust and collaboration with countries in North America, South America and Europe.
The Atmanirbhar plan, he shared, was about building this competitive advantage through skilled domestic workforce and availability of certain raw materials. As an example, he shared that sectors like steel, oil and gas, medical devices and manufacturing can benefit and develop through global collaborations.
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