The U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) will host the eighth edition of its Leadership Summit on Monday, June 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C, where U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick is set to deliver the keynote address, focusing on strengthening the strategic and economic partnership between the United States and India. 

Secretary Lutnick’s remarks will center on advancing the shared goal set by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach $500 billion in bilateral trade.

The Summit will also feature a fireside chat with Second Lady of the United States, Usha Vance. As the first Indian American to serve in this role, her participation symbolizes the deepening ties between the world’s oldest and largest democracies and underscores the strong people-to-people connection, according to a USISPF statement released on May 29, 2025.

As part of the event, USISPF will present the 2025 Global Leadership Awards to three distinguished business leaders: Arvind Krishna, Chairman, President and CEO of IBM; Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group; and Toshiaki Higashihara, Executive Chairman of Hitachi, Ltd. These leaders are being recognized for their significant contributions to advancing the U.S.-India-Japan economic partnership.

The USISPF statement noted that under Kumar Mangalam Birla’s leadership, “the Aditya Birla Group is the largest Indian greenfield investor in the United States, with investments exceeding $15 billion.” IBM, led by Arvind Krishna, “has accelerated global digital transformation through advancing cutting-edge research in AI, cloud, quantum computing, and blockchain, with India playing a pivotal role in its global R&D and talent ecosystem.”

It added that Hitachi, under Toshiaki Higashihara’s leadership, continues to expand its investments in infrastructure, mobility, and digital innovation, aligning closely with trilateral collaboration among the U.S., India, and Japan in sectors such as energy, transportation, and technology.

“This will be the first time that QUAD business leaders will be honored at the USISPF summit,” the statement noted. Other featured speakers will include, Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Ambassador of India to the United States; Senator Steve Daines (R-MT); Representative Rich McCormick (R-GA-07), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India; and Indian Americans Members of the USISPF Board. 

“USISPF was founded with the single goal of uniting the two most powerful and robust democracies,” said John Chambers, Chairman of USISPF and Founder & CEO of JC2 Ventures. “USISPF’s strength and reach reflect the growth, dynamism, and optimism inherent in the U.S.-India strategic partnership.”

“We are proud to welcome Secretary Lutnick, Second Lady Usha Vance, and recognize exemplary business leaders who have strengthened the U.S.-India-Japan corridor,” said Dr. Mukesh Aghi, President & CEO of USISPF. “These three leading democracies—together representing well over $35 trillion—are united by a shared commitment to strengthening supply chains and upholding a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”

Aghi added that Japan’s expertise in advanced engineering and manufacturing, India’s economic growth and engineering talent, and the U.S.’s innovation ecosystem and capital position the trilateral partnership to lead progress in critical sectors. “This summit celebrates that shared vision and momentum,” he said.

The 2025 USISPF Leadership Summit will convene senior government officials, diplomats, members of the U.S. Congress and Senate, business leaders, USISPF Board members, media, think tanks, and global thought leaders, all focused on advancing cooperation and celebrating the growing U.S.-India partnership.

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