Ahead of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s trip to the United States, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with key American diplomats on Monday. They talked about important topics between the two countries and other global issues. Jaishankar will be in the U.S. from December 24-29, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). During his visit, he will discuss these important matters with his American counterparts.
On the day before Jaishankar’s trip, Misri had meetings with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Deputy Secretary for Management Richard Verma at the State Department. India’s Ambassador to the U.S., Vinay Mohan Kwatra, was also there. Verma expressed excitement for the continued growth of U.S.-India relations, highlighting a foundation of trust, shared values, and overall prosperity.
Earlier that day, Verma had a gathering with Indian think tank experts and U.S. officials to discuss progress in trade, defense, cultural ties, and global cooperation.
Verma shared interesting facts about U.S.-India relations:
– Trade between the two countries has grown from USD 20 billion in 2000 to USD 195 billion in 2023, and it’s expected to pass the USD 200 billion mark in 2024.
– Defense trade has risen from zero to USD 24 billion in the same time.
– The number of Indian students studying in the U.S. has jumped from 54,664 in 2000 to over 330,000 in 2023.
– The Indian diaspora in the U.S. went from 1.9 million to over 5 million people.
– The Biden-Harris administration has hired a record 130 Indian Americans for senior roles.
– India is now the U.S.’s top partner for military exercises, and the U.S. sends the most money back to India.
– One out of every five ‘unicorns’ (startups valued at over $1 billion) in the U.S. has Indian founders or co-founders.
There are plans to open two new Indian consulates in Los Angeles and Boston, and the U.S. is also planning to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.
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