Three questions for Kaine about India
Why is India important to the United States?
My recent visit to India left me more convinced than ever that the growing partnership between the United States and India will be a leading force for security, democracy and prosperity in the 21st century. Since both countries signed the U.S-India civil nuclear deal, the relationship has grown by leaps and bounds. The breadth of our cooperation ranges from counterterrorism and cyber security, to space exploration and clean energy. But it is not just our bilateral cooperation that defines the relationship; it is our potential as global partners to build a safer and more prosperous world based on common values. Fifty years from now, this relationship will directly affect the strategic and economic interests of the United States and the lives of everyday Americans in Virginia and across the country. And it is important we get it right.
India is projected to become the world’s most populous nation and third largest economy by 2030. Bilateral trade in goods and services between the U.S. and India reached nearly $100 billion in 2013, increasing fivefold since 2001. Virginia exports alone amount to more than $250 million. India holds more military exercises with the U.S. than any other country, and bilateral defense trade has reached nearly $10 billion, with billions more in the pipeline. More than 100,000 Indian students annually attend American universities, contributing to our economy, and the U.S is now the largest source of tourists to India.
More than 100,000 Indian Americans call Virginia home, making valuable contributions as doctors, professionals and entrepreneurs. According to the 2014 Pew Global Attitude Survey, when Indians were asked what country could be India’s leading ally, the U.S. came in at number one. We should embrace that role and continue to make India a leading partner as we confront 21st-century challenges.
What should U.S. policy toward India be?
During Prime Minister Modi’s September visit to Washington, he and President Obama outlined an ambitious vision for deepening cooperation, encapsulated in the Hindi saying chalein saath saath — forward together we go. I view the following areas as holding the greatest potential for cooperation:
• Defense/Counterterrorism/Cyber: Security cooperation has grown between the two nations at a tremendous pace over the last decade, but the full potential has yet to be realized.
• Space/Technology Cooperation: NASA’s collaboration with India on the Mars Orbiter Mission is the latest example of our two countries working together in space. Our policy makers and scientists should set an even more ambitious agenda: Assist India’s manned spaceflight program, with the goal of sending the first Indian astronaut to space onboard an indigenous craft by 2020.
• Energy: India is on its way to becoming the world’s third-largest energy consumer, and there are many exciting opportunities for our researchers and businesses to ensure access to clean and sustainable energy — from nuclear to solar. American nuclear companies are eager to build power plants in India, but we first need to ensure adequate legal protections are in place for American industry. We should also explore ways to facilitate additional liquefied natural gas exports to India, which would generate American jobs and bolster India’s energy independence.
What was your biggest takeaway from your trip?
My biggest takeaway was the strength of our people-to-people ties and common democratic values. In New Delhi, I met the extraordinary inhabitants of the Sanjay Gandhi slum, who showcased their collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development to improve sanitation practices and access to clean water. In Mumbai, I had dinner at Café Leopold, which was targeted by terrorists in the 2008 attack. I was profoundly moved by the stories of the owners — they and their patrons showed incredible courage and resilience, refusing to be intimidated and reopening for business less than a week after the attack. During my visit to Mani Bhavan, a former house of Mahatma Gandhi now converted to a museum, I learned about Gandhi’s life and his ideals of non-violence and peace. During a time of growing conflict around the world, his universal message remains relevant today. My meetings with American companies and the chairman of the Tata Group, a major Indian company, underscored the extent to which our private sectors drive the relationship. Tata employs more than 4,700 Americans across 44 states, including Virginia.
These experiences reminded me that even more so than our aligned strategic interests, it is our common democratic values and people-to-people ties that underpin our partnership. We are the world’s largest and oldest democracies. Both our constitutions begin with “We the people.” And together, we can be a partnership for security, democracy and prosperity in the 21st century.
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