Bodh Gaya: US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said on Monday that America and India need each other. “Regardless of the political leadership in the White House, the Indo-US relationship will continue to strengthen,” Garcetti told TOI in an exclusive interview in Bodh Gaya.
Asked about US President-elect Donald Trump‘s upcoming visit to India, Garcetti said, “Trump will come because India is hosting the Quad Leaders’ Summit in 2025. So, you will have the President of the US, the PMs of Japan and Australia, together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So that will happen in 2025. If the schedule holds, that means Trump will come in 2025.”
Asked whether Trump’s recent statements warning BRICS nations against dumping the dollar, as well as his threats of imposing a 100% tariff and denying access to the US economy, would affect US-India relationsGarcetti said, “I can’t speak to the new administration because it has not taken power yet.
Right now, I still work for the current US president, President Joe Biden. I think that we have shown that the fewer barriers we have, the more jobs we create, the more trade we have. Even when Trump was president, trade increased despite some trade disputes.”
On the topic of the “great friendship” between Modi and Trump, Garcetti said, “Look, I think that President Biden has been the most pro-India president in American history. I think Modi has been the most pro-American Indian Prime Minister in history. Every president wants to do better than the last one and there’s no doubt that Modi and President-elect Trump have a good friendship. But the US-India relationship doesn’t start from the top. It starts from the bottom. Every Indian has a relative in America. We have so many students. The number one source of international students in America is now India. We have trade, scientists and cultural exchanges. Our leaders reflect the demands of our people who want close relations.”
Garcetti also addressed concerns among Indian students regarding Trump’s “anti-immigrant” rhetoric and “America First” policies, which might make the US less welcoming. “Again, I can’t speak to policies that haven’t even started yet. What I will say is that we are very proud that Indians are the number one source of international students in the US. Our universities are better because of Indian students and many universities are working together. For example, recently Purdue University in the US and IIT-Hyderabad formed a partnership. We also have successful Biharis, like the CEO of the largest nuclear company, who was born in Bihar and is now in talks with the govt about helping produce nuclear power here. With students, I expect the trend to continue, so don’t be scared,” he said.
