Relation With India Is Rock Solid With Challenges: U.S. Lawmaker

Washington: India-U.S. relationship is "rock solid" but there are challenges in the field of economic ties that must be addressed quickly, a U.S. lawmaker has said.

Congressman Joe Crowley, Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans said this in his address at a fund-raising gala for Pratham, a Mumbai-based not-for-profit organisation.

"India U.S. relationship is rock solid as long as we make sure, we mind the gaps. Our security relationship is strong and is growing stronger. Our trade relationship is broadly balanced. Our people to people ties could hardly be stronger. And the exchange of ideas between the two countries is almost faster than the internet itself," he said.

"But still the gaps are there. One set of challenges that has raised its head in the past six months is in the realm of commercial ties. There are barriers to U.S. investment in India. We hope continue to see those barriers addressed. We do not want commercial issues to undermine the progress that has been achieved elsewhere," Crowley said.

In his key note address, Arvind Subramanian, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and the Center for Global Development, agreed with Crowley on the increasing frustration in the Congress and the companies over Indian economic policies and the pace of reforms.