NEW DELHI– Veteran diplomat and former Indian Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, has joined the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) as an Advisor to the Board and will serve as Chairman of the USISPF Geopolitical Institute.
In his new role, Ambassador Sandhu will provide strategic guidance to USISPF’s initiatives involving the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the Indo-Pacific Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), and the I2U2 alliance (India, Israel, United States, and United Arab Emirates).
During his tenure in Washington, Sandhu played a pivotal role in deepening India-U.S. relations and worked closely with USISPF before concluding his 35-year diplomatic career in February 2024.
“I am delighted to join the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum as Chairman of its Geopolitical Institute,” said Sandhu. “I’ve had the opportunity to work on and follow the India-U.S. relationship for over three decades. It has evolved into a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, grounded in shared values and interests, and strengthened by vibrant people-to-people ties between our two nations.”
He also emphasized that USISPF has been instrumental in fostering closer connections among governments, industries, innovators, and academic institutions across India and the United States.
With a growing focus on the Indo-Pacific region, Sandhu is expected to help guide USISPF’s work within the Quad—an alliance of four democracies: India, the U.S., Japan, and Australia—on initiatives such as defense cooperation, vaccine diplomacy, energy partnerships, and emerging technologies.
He will also focus on expanding infrastructure, strengthening supply chains, and advancing economic corridors through IMEC and I2U2—both of which gained momentum during his ambassadorship.
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office over a decade ago, India and the United States have expanded their collaboration across sectors such as energy, advanced technologies, education, space, and defense.
“The most important strategic partnership of the 21st century—between Washington and New Delhi—requires deft diplomacy and thoughtful statecraft,” said Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO of USISPF, a non-profit, non-governmental, and non-partisan organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with a presence in New Delhi.
“New Delhi has always sent its brightest diplomats to Washington, but few bring the depth of experience that Ambassador Sandhu does. In his first posting in Washington as First Secretary (Political), he built critical relationships on Capitol Hill with both Democrats and Republicans, even during the challenging period of U.S. sanctions under the Clinton administration.” (Source: IANS)
