US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visited India from March 8-11
The India-US Commercial Dialogue held on Friday saw both sides signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing a semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership. The Dialogue, co-chaired by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and visiting US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, was held in New Delhi after a gap of three years. Secretary Raimondo also led a high-level Business delegation of US CEOs for the CEO Forum. CEO Forum is also focusing on shared strategic priorities in an outcome-oriented way. The CEO Forum was itself also re-launched in November 2022. The Commercial Dialogue is a part of ongoing efforts to strengthen US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. During the Dialogue, Goyal and Raimondo acknowledged that the bilateral goods and services trade has almost doubled since 2014, surpassing $191 billion recorded in 2022. Both sides welcomed further steps to enhance their commercial collaboration and tap into market potential across multiple sectors, and also enable an environment for investment by small and medium-sized industries (MSME) and startups. According to India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Secretary Raimondo applauded the steps undertaken under the National Infrastructure Pipeline and PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. They welcomed the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET). The Ministers also noted India’s interest in partnering with the United States in developing a secure pharmaceutical manufacturing base and diversifying supply chains for critical and strategic minerals (including rare earths). KEY OUTCOMES OF COMMERCIAL DIALOGUE * Both Ministers recognized that small businesses and entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the U.S. and Indian economies and there is need to facilitate collaboration between the SMEs of the two countries and to foster innovation ecosystems that facilitate their post-pandemic economic recovery and growth. In this context, Both sides announced the launch of a new Working Group on Talent, Innovation and Inclusive Growth under the Commercial Dialogue. * This will further the cooperation on Start-ups, SMEs, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship including in digital and emergent technologies. This working group would also support the efforts under iCET, particularly in identifying specific regulatory hurdles that hinder cooperation and fostering of greater connectivity between our innovation ecosystems (including tech start-ups). * Re-launched the Travel and Tourism Working Group to continue the progress from before the pandemic and to also address the many new challenges and opportunities to create a stronger travel and tourism sector. The activities of this working group also support SMEs as travel & tourism sector comprises SMEs such as hotels, restaurants, travel agents, handicrafts and so on. * Launched Standards and Conformance Cooperation Program (Phase III) to be carried out in partnership between ANSI (American National Standard Institute) from the US side and BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards from Indian side in furtherance of standards cooperation * External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Secretary Raimondo launched “strategic trade dialogue” focusing which will address export controls, explore ways of enhancing high technology commerce, and facilitate technology transfer between the two countries. * US side to send a senior government official-led Clean Energy and Environmental Technology Business Development Mission to India in 2024. The trade mission would be an opportunity to further foster U.S.-Indian business partnerships in grid modernization and smart grid solutions, renewable energy, energy storage, hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, and environmental technology solutions. * Both sides also pledged to work together in the Global Biofuels Alliance and in the development and deployment of hydrogen technologies * Announcement regarding U.S.-India Energy Industry Network (EIN) as a broad platform for facilitating U.S. industry involvement in the Clean EDGE Asia initiative, the U.S. government’s signature initiative to grow sustainable and secure clean energy markets throughout the Indo-Pacific region. EIN will be a platform to discuss opportunities in the Indian energy sector and Indian companies will also be able to participate in the activities under the EIN (roundtable discussions, webinars, and other activities. The India-USA Commercial Dialogue is a cooperative undertaking encompassing regular government-to-government meetings to be held in conjunction with private sector meetings, with an aim to facilitate trade, and maximize investment opportunities across a broad range of economic sectors.