Indian Diaspora in the US are true ambassadors of the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’

For India to emerge as a developed country, the role of the Indian Diaspora is very vital. This theme is being highlighted by senior Indian Ministers like Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. All of them have visited the United States officially over the last one month, the last being Mr. Goyal. He addressed last week the Indian Americans on a couple of occasions in the West coast of the United States, home of America’s IT consumer industries , many of whom are headed by those with Indian roots.

Mr. Goyal, who also heads the Ministries of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, has said that Indian Diaspora in the US are the true ambassadors of the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (world is one family). He complimented the Indian community for their phenomenal value creation in the US and for giving back to India by contributing and supporting through partnerships, newer technologies and newer ideas. He said this while addressing the Community reception in San Francisco.

Speaking about the initiative, ‘India-US startup SETU’ (supporting entrepreneurs for transformation and upskilling), which was launched by the Minister in San Francisco, Mr. Goyal said it will act as a bridge between Indian and American companies and will support entrepreneurs in transforming, upskilling and leveraging on the success stories of the Indian Diaspora in US.

Mr. Goyal observed that some good ideas of startups don’t take off for lack of mentorship, guidance, funds. Urging those present to participate in this initiative, he said it is an opportunity for Indians in the US to give back to the country by providing support to bright minds in India.

Mr. Goyal said under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the country is making every effort to become Atmanirbhar. He said that the government is giving a thrust to exports, there is a focus on greater cohesive working within the Government, several initiatives have been taken to encourage investments into India and the government is encouraging newer modes of transport and ethanol blending in petrol. He also spoke about semiconductors policy, Production Linked Incentive Scheme for 13 sectors to promote large factories with global scale of operations.

Mr. Goyal said India is offering support to companies who want to invest in India. He highlighted that India offers a huge market potential which makes it very attractive for investment, adding that there are benefits of economies of scale and availability of a large talent pool.

Observing that there is a lot of interest globally to work with India, Mr. Goyal said that India’s focus is on better trading arrangements with the developed world. Our Free Trade Agreements rest on India’s national interest, he said and pointed out that active negotiations are going on with several countries on FTAs.

Urging the Indian Diaspora to use ODOP (One District One Product) products for gifting on festivals and other occasions, Shri Goyal said this would provide livelihood to millions of weavers and artisans in India.

Shri Goyal said that India is changing for the better, it’s much more confident today, much more self-reliant and continues to aspire for more. He sought the cooperation and participation of the Indian diaspora in India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation in the next 25 years.

Speaking later at the Luncheon Engagement with Indian diaspora at San Francisco, Mr.Goyal said while the Indian Diaspora in US has been very professional and innovative in their approach, they have simultaneously maintained the strong connect with Indian culture and value system, thus keeping the soul of India alive. He was speaking Referring to the unique positioning of the Indian Diaspora serving as the connect between India and abroad.

Mr. Goyal called upon the Diaspora to convey to the world about the tremendous business opportunities that India, a country of 1.3 billion aspirational market, offers.

Highlighting that India has a vibrant Start-up ecosystem today, Mr. Goyal recalled that when Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi launched the ‘Startup India’ in 2016, it was a recognition of the growing importance of innovation, of young talent experimenting with new ideas, coming up with new solutions.

Observing that a lot of the start up ideas that are developed in India have the cosy comfort of a large domestic market and may not have engaged with the rest of the world as much as they could, Mr. Goyal emphasised on the need to have more opportunities for our Indian Startup ideas to reach out to the global market and added that there can be no better place than Silicon Valley to go global.

Recognizing the need for international engagement to expand, Mr. Goyal noted that no country in the world has become a developed without significantly expanding engagement with the rest of the world. We need to engage with the world otherwise we will miss the bus, he added. The Minister said the Government is playing a role of facilitator between Indian Start ups and Investors based in the US, and urged them to connect with each other to take this dialogue to a new level.

The Amrit Kaal till 2047 when we celebrate 100 years of India’s Independence, Mr. Goyal said, is going to be the defining period of India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation and bringing prosperity to every single person residing in India. The Indian diaspora has a very important role to play in this journey because they recognise talent, new ideas and innovation, guide and support and finance them. The Indian government is looking forward to continuous effort and engagement to bridge India and the United States in terms of businesses and people to people contact, he added.