India has had the most successful G20 Summit ever: US Ambassador Eric Garcetti

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Tuesday said India has had the most successful G20 Summit ever and underlined that India and US could work together in a number of areas more closely. 

“India has had marvellous growth, its rapid rise, its leadership in the world today has demonstrated the most successful G20 in the history of that organisation,” Garcetti said at the 20th India US Economic Summit organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce. 

India currently holds the year long presidency of the G20 and the Leaders’ Summit was held in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.  

Highlighting the close relations ship between India and the US, he also said the two countries should work closely together on more ambitious goals that could help create a preferred geography and a frictionless relationship between the US and India.  

“Not just settle for another deal, not just settle for, as we've done just in the last few months, bringing down the retaliatory tariffs and the trade disputes between our countries. That's not good enough. I think we need to close our eyes and dream of what this relationship can be like even more than we would imagine today,” he said. 

While noting that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows from the US in India creates more jobs than anywhere else in the world, the US Ambassador said the relationship is now changing and there are two-way flows of investments. 

“A lot of Americans are just waking up that FDI from India are creating jobs in America….the investment flows are two ways. India isn’t a back office, it’s a front office,” he said, adding that the US wants India to be one of its top three markets. 

The two countries can collaborate more in sectors such as agriculture, commercial space and defence. While congratulating India for its successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, Garcetti said, “We are not going only in the skies together as government to government but also in commercial space. How can we match a company in India with a company in US that are both startups that can come up with something together…” 

There are also tremendous opportunities in training of workforce for sectors like semiconductor manufacturing in India, he further noted. 

Meanwhile, responding to a question from reporters on a possible visit by US President Joe Biden for India’s Republic Day celebrations, Garcetti said the invitation has been made but the President’s schedule had not been confirmed so far. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Biden to be the chief guest at the 2024 Republic Day Parade on January 26. 

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