INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Union Minister Piyush Goyal described the United States "as a natural ally of India".New Delhi: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday
said that close partnership between India and the United States is central to a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region
looks at India as a reliable and trusted partner and a driving force in the world economy."He also lauded USIBC for its efforts to build
strong India-US business ties for the last 46 years.Mr Goyal stated, "India-United States relationship had developed to a global strategic
partnership, based on our convergence on bilateral, regional and global issues and added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President
Joe Biden have been proactive in deepening our relations."On PM Modi's visit to the US last month for Quad Leaders' Summit, the Minister
termed the first in-person meeting with the President Biden as "extremely fruitful".Mr Goyal said that the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted
that supply chains should not be based only on cost but also on trust.Expressing concern over the rise in trust deficit in post-Covid world,
he called for a resilient India-United States relationship
Mr Goyal said that India is currently negotiating FTAs (free trade agreements) with nations like Australia, UAE, EU and UK and added that
the country has been focusing on strengthening 24 sectors where it has competitive and comparative edge.Mr Goyal mentioned that India is now
the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world.He also stated that "India had leapfrogged from 'Make in India' to 'Make in India for the
world' and the country is strengthening its domestic industry to offer quality with cost-competitiveness."He also described the United
States "as a natural ally of India" and said that with a shared vision, the two nations can become true partners.
