USIBC Discusses Ways To Strengthen Business Ties With India

WASHINGTON: A top U.S. delegation has expressed interest in advancing India's agriculture economy and advance the long-term goal of enhancing the overall bilateral commercial partnership between the two countries.

"Our meetings this week were open, frank, and extraordinarily encouraging," said DuPont Pioneer president and mission Co-Lead Paul Schickler.

"The officials we met with at all levels in the Indian Government were interested in understanding how they can partner with industry to generate greater investment at every level of the farm-to-fork food chain. There is a real sense in New Delhi that the government is serious about the reforms that we have all heard so much about," he said.

The delegation organised by the US India Business Council (USIBC) were able to strengthen ties with government and corporate leaders and reinforce the US industry's position as a collaborator with shared interests in advancing India's agriculture economy and food industry, a media release said.

During the three-day mission, entitled "Reinvigorating the US-India Agricultural Partnership," members of the USIBC's "Food and Agriculture Executive Mission" met the Union Minister of Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh and Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal, among others.

The delegation also had fruitful discussions with the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

"The lines of communication are now wide open, and we have already been able to outline several areas for collaboration between the US and Indian private and public sectors that will build capacity and enhance private sector engagement in policy and regulatory decision-making," said Siraj Chaudhry, chairman of Cargill Foods India and Mission.

"We were also able to foster relationships with India-based partners and we look forward to the continued engagement which will advance the Executive Committee's long-term goal of enhancing the overall bilateral commercial partnership between these two great nations," he added.

In meetings with US and Indian Government officials, USIBC members discussed ways to partner with the Indian government to advance Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" initiative, which calls for greater foreign investment in production and manufacturing in India, a media release said.

The committee also discussed policies that the new government could pursue to enhance food safety, foster innovation, boost the competitiveness of local industry, and increase the speed at which new products are introduced to market.

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