India, US Share 'Ambitious Horizons', Writes PM Modi In An Op-Ed

Washington: Writing about a "growing convergence" between India and the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pitched the mega reform Goods and Services Tax (GST) to American business in a signed article in the Wall Street Journal. PM Modi is on a visit to the US and will meet President Donald Trump today.

"The logic of our strategic relationship is incontrovertible. It is further underpinned by faith in the strength of our multicultural societies that have defended our values at all costs, including the supreme sacrifices we've made in distant corners of the globe," the Prime Minister writes, and also, "I expect the next few decades to be an even more remarkable story of ambitious horizons, convergent action and shared growth."

"The logic of our strategic relationship is incontrovertible. It is further underpinned by faith in the strength of our multicultural societies that have defended our values at all costs, including the supreme sacrifices we've made in distant corners of the globe," the Prime Minister writes.

He has described the two countries as "mutually reinforcing engines of growth and innovation" in an "uncertain global economic landscape" and has noted that "bilateral trade, which already totals about $115 billion a year, is poised for a multi-fold increase. Indian companies are adding value to the manufacturing and services sectors in the U.S., with total investments of approximately $15 billion and a presence in more than 35 states, including in the Rust Belt. American companies have likewise fueled their global growth by investing more than $20 billion in India."

With India's biggest tax reform set to be launched later this week, PM Modi writes that the "transformation of India presents abundant commercial and investment opportunities for American businesses."

"The roll-out of the Goods and Services Tax on July 1 will, in a single stroke, convert India into a unified, continent-sized market of 1.3 billion people. The planned 100 smart cities, the massive modernization of ports, airports, and road and rail networks, and the construction of affordable housing for all by 2022 - the 75th anniversary of India's independence - are not just promises of great urban renewal within India. These plans also showcase the enormous fruits of our relationships with enterprising U.S. partners-worth many billions of dollars over the next decade alone-together with concomitant new employment opportunities across both societies," he writes.

He has listed defence as an area of convergence, saying, "Both India and the U.S. have an overriding interest in securing our societies, and the world, from the forces of terrorism, radical ideologies and nontraditional security threats. India has four decades' experience in fighting terrorism, and we share the U.S. administration's determination to defeat this scourge."

The two countries have partnered on "global good," PM Modi writes, adding that, "Whenever India and the U.S. work together, the world reaps the benefits - be it our collaborative efforts to find affordable vaccines for rotavirus or dengue, our joint studies of gravitational waves, observations of distant planets, establishing norms for cyberspace, providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the Indo-Pacific region, or training peacekeepers in Africa."

India's partnership with the US, the Prime Minister writes, extends "far beyond the Beltway and the Raisina Hill. That partnership has become our privileged prerogative and our promise for our people and our world."

On Sunday PM Modi met top American CEOs and said India's growth presents a "win-win partnership for India and US both." He meets President Trump in Washington today, there first meeting since the latter took office. As PM Modi landed in the US, President Trump called him a "true friend" with whom he had "important strategic issues to discuss". The two leaders will spend around five hours together today, first holding bilateral discussions and delegation-level talks, followed by a reception and a working dinner at the White House.