New Delhi (TIP): India looks forward to closely working with the new US administration and other stakeholders around five immediate baskets of cooperation, India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu told The Tribune in an interview. Speaking after the February 18 Quad summit, Sandhu outlined cooperation in healthcare and pharma as the first item on the wish list. This also includes ensuring affordable medicines and vaccines. Like Covid cooperation, the second area — digital space; information and communication sectors — was also discussed in the Quad under the rubric of emerging technologies. The third is the energy sector, including LNG, renewable and solar, that will help in the fight against climate change. Equally important are advanced partnerships in education and knowledge partnership; and cooperation in strategic and defence areas, including in the Indo-Pacific. “We look forward to building on the momentum to strengthen our existing partnerships across diverse sectors,” he said.

He said industries in both countries were working together to chart out reliable supply chains in next-generation defence technology and to undertake joint R&D, manufacturing, innovation and experimenting in new domains. Both sides can offer a lot to each other in critical and emerging technologies such as AI, big data analytics, robotics, quantum computing, block chain and Internet of things. “In recent years, we have cemented traditional areas of cooperation, while simultaneously exploring new horizons. Today, there is no area of human activity that the partnership does not touch — from nanotechnology to space and Indo-Pacific to Covid vaccine manufacturing and delivery,” he observed. “The visit of US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to India will enable the two sides to review ongoing cooperation and provide new momentum to our defence ties,” he said.

India remained committed to the bilateral trade target of $500 billion and hopes to re-engage with the US on trade and tariff issues. “In coming days, once senior officials of the Biden administration take their positions, intensive discussions can be expected on trade issues,” he added.

Sandhu was hopeful that the brakes on immigration and easier work visas would also be revisited by the new administration. “We remain engaged on issues related to movement of Indian professionals, who bring in value to the US economy,” he said. There is a strong sense of commitment and determination among the political leadership of both India and the US to take the bilateral strategic partnership to the next level. The Ambassador, however, did not take questions on the farmers’ agitation and allegations in New Delhi about the increased activity of US-based Khalistanis.          Source: The Tribune