CISTP Hosts Talk by Nagesh Singh About India-U.S. Relations

Posted April 20, 2016

On March 31, Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy (CISTP), along with the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) hosted Nagesh Singh, the consul general of India stationed in Atlanta, Georgia.

During his talk, Singh spoke about India-U.S. relations and the history of the partnership between the two nations. He touched on the developmental history of India and its path to becoming a developed nation, as well as a trusted partner of the U.S., and noted that India has come a long way in improving the living standards of its population, but still has a long way to go in reducing inequality while still continuing sustainable economic growth. Currently, 25 percent of India’s population is in abject poverty, yet experiences a high GDP growth rate above 7 percent.

According to Singh, India has continued to move ahead democratically and continues to address its socio-political and socio-economic problems through discussion and compromise among the more than 1,700 political parties that participate in its government. The consul general was firm in his assertion that, despite the faults and challenges that India faces, the country is persistent in addressing them with inward-looking solutions and a strong, fruitful partnership with the U.S.

Singh spoke at length about the evolution of the India-U.S. relationship and cited two central issues as being the most critical in improving India-U.S. relations. The first is the dual convergence in addressing security and terrorism threats. The second and possibly most important consideration is the presence of over 3.5 million Indian-Americans living in the U.S. Since the first Bush Administration and the Clinton Administration, bipartisan support for India-U.S. relations has prevailed. India and the U.S. have partnered in development efforts and aid to developing countries in areas such as skills development, disaster relief, and women’s rights. However, the biggest cooperation efforts have been in the defense sector, and Singh contends that this relationship will continue to grow steadily.

He concluded by stating that the benefits from the India-U.S. partnership have extended to Asia, Africa, and Latin America and that this relationship could one day be a global source of security and prosperity.