USIBC Chairman Ajay Banga Thursday said that while India and the United States may have competing viewpoints on how to broaden and deepen bilateral economic and commercial ties, there’s no disputing the fact that there is one agenda - helping India-US relations fulfil their promise.
Addressing the USIBC annual leadership meeting and dinner Thursday in Washington DC, Banga, MasterCard President and CEO, said that the two countries want to broaden and deepen their economic and commercial ties as well as strengthen bilateral national security partnership.
“While we may have competing viewpoints on how to get there, there’s no disputing we have one agenda - and that’s helping India-US relations fulfil their promise. But today, there are cracks in this relationship,” he noted.
Banga said that he has written to President Obama two month ago outlining the agenda for progress and the issues that need addressing in the near term - by both countries.
This agenda should include a ‘hard look’ at Indian tax policy, aspects of which concern investors and must treat the serious challenges to US manufacturers of electronics and IT from India’s PMA policy.
“I - and many others - were genuinely heartened to learn that the implementation of this policy has been delayed, pending further study. Further study makes sense as it’s a well intended policy aimed at promoting domestic manufacture but one that in effect discriminates against foreign competition,”