Piyush Goyal Says India-US Relations Will Grow Stronger Despite Political Changes
NEW DELHI — Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said Wednesday that relations between India and the United States will continue to strengthen regardless of political changes in either country, describing the partnership as vital to global economic and strategic interests.
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi, Goyal expressed confidence in the future of bilateral relations and said he did not foresee significant obstacles to reaching agreements between the two countries.
“In my view, the partnership between the two countries is highly substantive and consequential for the world, given that both are large democracies. It is important to remember that the relationship is not limited to trade. The United States is India’s largest trading partner, and I believe it will continue to be so in the years to come. By and large, I do not see any major obstacles to reaching agreements with the United States,” Goyal said.
He emphasized that cooperation between Washington and New Delhi extends well beyond commercial relations, encompassing defense, technology, supply chain security and people-to-people exchanges.
“The fact remains that India and the United States continue to enjoy a very close relationship and engage across multiple areas. These include joint defence exercises and cooperation to ensure open supply chains in technology, goods, and services. The India-US relationship is highly consequential and, I believe, will only grow stronger irrespective of changes in political thinking in either country,” Goyal said.
The minister attributed the durability of bilateral ties to shared economic, political and security interests, arguing that these priorities provide a strong foundation for continued cooperation.
“It is, therefore, a stable and resilient partnership, and I do not think the rest of the world needs to worry about it,” he added.
Goyal also highlighted India’s efforts to expand international trade relationships and secure greater access to overseas markets.
He said India has concluded preferential trade agreements with 38 developed countries over the past four to four-and-a-half years as part of a broader strategy to deepen global economic integration.
“Our objective is to open India’s markets to the world while ensuring that other markets are equally accessible to Indian businesses. Until 2014, India had preferential market access covering economies with a combined GDP of approximately $10 trillion. Today, our trade agreements cover economies representing around $70 trillion in GDP,” Goyal said.
The minister’s remarks underscored India’s commitment to expanding international commerce while maintaining strong strategic partnerships, particularly with the United States.
Goyal reiterated his confidence that shared economic and security priorities would continue to drive closer India-US cooperation in the years ahead. (Source: IANS)
