NEW DELHI– Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday as part of an eight-day trade mission aimed at deepening economic ties between India and the United States.
Reynolds, who is leading a high-level delegation of agricultural and business leaders, said the visit builds on the groundwork laid during her first trip to India in 2024. “Our visit to India last year kicked off a number of relationships between Iowa and Indian businesses and trade associations and furthered conversations on investing in Iowa and market access for certain Iowa agricultural products,” she noted. “I look forward to further solidifying those relationships and establishing new connections on which to build.”
Jaishankar posted about the meeting on X, saying he and Reynolds discussed “India-U.S. economic ties and its potential.”
The delegation includes Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, alongside representatives from Iowa’s business and farm sectors. Their schedule in India features meetings with Indian industry leaders, roundtable discussions with the U.S.-India Business Council, the U.S. Soybean Export Council, and the U.S. Grains Council.
Reynolds and Naig are also set to speak at DialogueNEXT, a symposium organized by the World Food Prize Foundation, and participate in a business panel hosted by the Sehgal Foundation, known for its rural development work. A partnership agreement with the state of Maharashtra is also on the agenda.
The Governor is additionally expected to meet senior Indian officials, as well as representatives of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai.
Her office said the mission underscores Iowa’s interest in expanding export opportunities and strengthening ties with one of the world’s largest emerging economies. (Source: IANS)
