INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
USIBC recommended restructuring and re-energising the US-India Health DialogueThe US-India Business Council on Tuesday recommended a slew of
big ideas to the new Biden Administration to strengthen the India-US partnership, including reconstituting the existing US-India Trade and
Commercial dialogue and creating a new digital partnership under the headship of Vice President Kamala Harris
US India Business Council (USIBC), on the occasion of India's 72nd Republic Day, also recommended to the Biden Administration to restructure
the US-India Strategic Energy Dialogue to include Climate and Sustainable Growth and create a US-India Scholars Endowment to support higher
education exchanges.The ideas also include reimagining and reconstitute existing US-India Trade and Commercial Dialogues into a single
US-India Strategic Trade Dialogue, creating a new US-India Global Digital Partnership to be headed by Vice President Harris, and
restructuring the US-India Health Dialogue to expand the mandate and include private sector participation, according to the USIBC
The recommendations reflect USIBC's long standing view that the natural partnership between the two nations can be leveraged to strengthen
both countries' economic recoveries and create a foundation for economic growth and job creation in the years ahead, it said.USIBC president
USIBC said it stands ready to support the Biden administration on work to develop the economic policies that will transform the two
economies and create millions of high-quality jobs at home and abroad.The US and India share a common set of values, robust democratic
systems, and cultures of entrepreneurship, as well as long-standing people-to-people ties that make the two countries natural partners, it
India-US commercial relationship has seen fast-paced growth over the past decade, with bilateral goods and services trade growing 12.6 per
over the next four years, as resolution of regulatory issues for both US and Indian companies opens the door for more expansive growth, the
In its submission, the USIBC recommended that the new USISTD be co-chaired by the US Secretary of Commerce, the US Secretary of State, and
the US Trade Representative, who would invite the Government of India to name similar counterparts.The USISTD should focus on reducing trade
USIBC has also recommended the two sides set up an expert group consisting of senior officials, industry representatives and academic
thought leaders to build a document for discussion under the USISTD
The USIBC, in collaboration with an India-based counterpart, can partner with the US and Indian governments to launch this expert group, it
said.Proposing the creation of a US-India Global Digital Partnership (USIGDP) to facilitate discussions between critical stakeholders across
government and industry, USIBC said that following the model of the National Space Council, the USIGDP should be headed by Vice President
Harris, who would delegate critical elements of the discussion to relevant departments or agencies.Through discussion with the Government of
India, appropriate counterpart(s) within the Prime Minister's Office could be identified, it said
The US and India are leaders in the digital economy, which powers a vast share of global innovation, trade and investment, and STEM job
Observing that the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped global health discussions and priorities, USIBC recommended restructuring and
re-energising the US-India Health Dialogue to create a forum that can tackle important policy issues in a post-pandemic era
To create a sustainable and resilient recovery, the US-India Health Dialogue should promote economic, trade, health, and social
collaboration between the two governments and private sector institutions from both countries, it said.Noting that the US-India Strategic
Energy Dialogue is a dynamic platform for discussion, but in recent years has moved away from climate goals, USIBC said that with the
appointment of US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, it is an opportune time to reintroduce climate into the existing
This discussion could be co-chaired by Special Presidential Envoy Kerry and the US Secretary of Energy and would leverage expertise from
government, industry, US National Laboratories, and research institutions.
