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India is confident to work with whichever candidate becomes the next US President, says Foreign Minister Jaishankar 

by T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman
0 comments 6 minutes read

India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has expressed that India is prepared to work with the next President of the United States, from either political party, whether it is former US President Donald Trump or Vice-President Kamala Harris. 

Speaking at the launch of Indiaspora Impact Report on August 13, 2024, in New Delhi, Minister Jaishankar emphasized, “The American system will throw up its verdict… I’m not saying this just as a formality, but if you look over the last 20 odd years… we have every confidence that we will be able to work with the [next] President of the United States, whoever he or she that will be.”

He also spoke about the strength of Indian democracy and its electoral processes, noting, “Our elections are real in many ways… we continuously pass those tests… this is a country where you will always see people supportive of democratic processes all over the world.” 

When asked about his outlook on global affairs, Minister Jaishankar responded “I’m an optimistic person and generally tend to think of solutions to problems rather than the problems which come out of solutions.” 

India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar addressing the gathering during the launch of Indiaspora Impact Report on August 13, 2024, in New Delhi. PHOTO: X@DrSJaishankar

He offered a bleak outlook for the next five years citing ongoing issues in the Middle East, Ukraine, Southeast Asia, the lingering effects of the pandemic, and disruptions of various kinds including climate change. Despite these challenges, he expressed optimism about India-US relations highlighting a strong willingness and ability on both sides to work together. 

Commenting on the impact of technology, he said, “Technology actually has eroded so many lines, the domestic line and the external line, the efficiency line, and the privacy line… The intensity of it, how deep it gets into our lives, the speed of it, I think all of which actually makes for a very different case for relationships.” 

Therefore, he mentioned there is a need to reassess and strengthen various global relationships considering current challenges including climate, technology, economic dependency, and globalization challenges.

About the strength of the Indian diaspora in the United States, he said “In America, people see members of the diaspora do well. They associate it with their image of India, and that then shapes their views about India,” while adding “It is true all over the world, but I would say, it is particularly true of the United States. Because the United States, in many ways, is a very unique society. Because it has immigration from so many different sources, it has a way of using its immigration flows to also create a kind of a foreign policy metrics.”

“H1B did as much as the end of the Cold War to shape India-US relations,” he stressed. 

About the uniqueness of Indian diaspora in comparison with other ethnic groups in the United States, he pointed out “I don’t think any other major diaspora flow kept as deep a connect with the land of origin as the Indians did…”

According to him, a lot of people belonging to other diasporas left their countries due to political, economic, or societal tensions, but highlighted that this was not the case for India and its diaspora members. Instead, the bond between the Indian diaspora members and their homeland has only gotten stronger, making it unique and powerful. 

He went on to say he believes that digital collaboration will be crucial for global relations in the next five years, particularly in areas like the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Guests at the launch of Indiaspora Impact Report on August 13, 2024, in New Delhi. PHOTO: X@DrSJaishankar

 “AI is actually going to require very trusted human relationships for AI collaborations actually to advance internationally,” he said. “So I would argue that actually, perhaps more than ever before today, the Indian diaspora can create that level of comfort and trust in very, very critical areas, which I think has the ability to propel our relationship to the next level.”

While discussing about the dual citizenship for American citizens of Indian origin, Jaishankar emphasized, “It’s far more complicated. Because this part of the world has a different history. It’s not realistic to transpose, let us say, the American template out here,” noting “I would be more focused on the effectiveness and the efficiency rather than the formality of it. So, if I can find ways by which the diaspora can work, travel, operate, relate easily, that to me would be much more important.”

“So, I don’t think it’s as simple as that to make it easy and give dual citizenship,” he added. 

Regarding how the youth of both countries view the US-India relationship, he suggested that “common sense yardsticks,” such as trade, investment, technology, education, tourism, and culture should be used to gauge the expectations. 

“Use these yardsticks and map the relationships. I think you make a very strong case for a very strong India-US relationship,” he observed while expressing that youth tend to have clearer perspectives compared to older generations, who often get caught up in complex issues. 

At the event, US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, praised Indiaspora for its exceptional work and in strengthening global bonds among Indians, stating that “Indiaspora would be a unicorn if we had a valuation,” due to its significant impact.  

Founder of Indiaspora, MR Rangaswami recalled, “When the pandemic happened, the Indiaspora community, in one month raised $15 million for relief, and we also raised a million dollars for the food banks all around the United States.”

He shared that through the India Philanthropy Alliance, launched in 2023, he raised $1.4 million in its first year, and $5.5 million this year, as part of the Annual India Giving Day initiative. 

Founded in 2012, Indiaspora, a non-profit organization, is a network of professionals including doctors, lawyers, tech CEOs, venture capitalists, philanthropists, and academics. It has presence in multiple countries including US, UK, Canada, Singapore, UAE, and Australia. 

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