US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Saturday highlighted that India sees its future with the United States and the United States sees its future with India, emphasising that commerce, technology, people and security are central to this vital partnership.
He was speaking at the two-day ‘US-India Defense News Conclave: Stories of US-India Defense and Security Partnership’ conclave organised by the US Mission to India, in partnership with CUTS International, and in collaboration with the United Service Institution of India (USI) and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) in New Delhi.
“We know that heads think the same and hearts feel the same but need to know if our feet are aligned too,” he said, delivering the keynote address at the final conclave of the series of the US-India Defense News project, titled ‘Dialogues on Deliverables to Deliveries’ that concluded with insightful discussions and a forward-looking agenda for the US-India defense partnership.
Noting that India-US ties are deep and broad, the US envoy affirmed that Americans’ enthusiasm for India has not died down a bit.
“When the two largest democracies come together, it reflects how much we value principles as the guiding light for peace in the world,” he underscored.
“We (United States) are with you (India) for the long haul and our leaders have pledged to go further in terms of technology, defense, start-ups, tech and space. We want India to be a place we come to, to fix our ships, to find great jobs, and to know each other’s systems and training,” he noted. “Do not take this relationship for granted, take this as marriage that requires effort,” the Ambassador cautioned.
This event was a culmination of a series of sessions that were designed to foster meaningful discussions on the US-India defense partnership that aimed to bring industry experts from both countries and generate awareness about the growing partnership in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, among the traditional and online media professionals across India.
The event kicked off with a welcome session and an inaugural session, followed by the first session, ‘Celebrating India-US Defense Ties: The Most Consequential 21st Century Partnership,’ that explored the historical evolution of the strategic relationship, current initiatives, and future growth areas.
The second day of the conclave began with remarks by the Defense Attache of the US Embassy Rear Admiral Michael Baker who said, “The best method to deter war is having the capability and capacity, interoperability, will, and political resolve to win - which India and the United States have.”
The ‘Fourth Pillar of Democracy: Informed View of US-India Defense Relations,’ panel with renowned journalists covering the defense sector from key national media outlets emphasised the role of media in shaping public perceptions, countering misinformation, and sharing success stories of bilateral defense collaborations.
The final session, ‘The Road Ahead: Indo-US for the Global Good,’ outlined the next steps for the partnership, including overcoming challenges, promoting joint production and technology collaboration, and working within multilateral frameworks like the Quad.
In her closing remarks, Gloria Berbena, Minister Counselor for Public Diplomacy at the US Embassy New Delhi highlighted the need for more such conclaves saying that, “We launched this series of conclaves to try to help demystify aspect of our military and security relationship...recognizing that unless what we are doing and trying to achieve in this area is clear and understandable for the average Indian and American citizen, in addition to those who think and work in this sector every day, we are not doing our jobs well. And ultimately, we are not serving our publics and our democracies well. Our security partnership must be as transparent as possible, and be open to scrutiny and discussion.”
Each session was moderated by defense experts and featured distinguished panelists ensuring comprehensive and insightful discussions on strengthening the U.S.-India defense and security partnership.
