India Needs To Revitalize Its Economy To Be Global Player: U.S.

WASHINGTON: India needs to revitalize its economy to reach the potential as a strategic power across the Asia region and across the globe, a top U.S. official has said.

"For India to be the power and reach the potential as a strategic power across the Asia region, across the globe, its first order of business will be revitalizing its economy," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing.

The United States, she said, has a deep interest in partnership with India in that quest and partnering with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in that quest.

"I think that Prime Minister Modi comes in with strong wind at his back from the business community and confidence from the investor community about the plans that he has outlined and the vision that he has outlined for India's growth," she told lawmakers. "We think that the U.S., that American companies will bring a tremendous amount of technology and support to be able to help that, and we look forward to doing that," she added.

"We also think that as India's economy rises, that India will be increasingly consequential player across the Asia region, and we think that that is aligned with our interests.