Statement from U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on U.S.-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today made the following statement on the elevation of the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue to a Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, reflecting the two countries’ commitment to strengthening commercial and economic ties. Secretary Pritzker will chair the new Commercial components of the Dialogue. 

Secretary Pritzker is currently part of the U.S. delegation in India with President Obama. In addition to accompanying President Obama for his official meetings, Secretary Pritzker is meeting with senior Indian officials to discuss the business and investment climate in India and focus on the opportunities for U.S.-India cooperation on a wide range of commercial and economic issues. She participated in a meeting with U.S. and Indian business leaders focused on deepening commercial and economic ties between the two countries. 

Tomorrow, Secretary Pritzker will chair a SelectUSA discussion with Indian CEOs interested in increasing their investments in the United States.  

“Our relationship with India has been a central component of America’s rebalance to Asia, and as the last two days have demonstrated, over the years India and the United States have systematically forged an indispensable partnership that is about shared values and shared interests,” said Secretary Pritzker. 

“But we have a lot of work still to do, and we have committed to confronting these political and economic challenges together. In particular, Prime Minister Modi and President Obama recognize the importance of deepening the economic and commercial ties that bind the people of our two great nations together. 

“To mark this moment of renewed partnership, the United States and India are expanding the U.S-India Strategic Dialogue, which will now become the U.S.-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, or S&CD. This agreement establishes a framework that will strengthen our relationship and create new avenues of cooperation between our governments, our businesses and our peoples. The new commercial element of our most important bilateral dialogue will focus on our shared priorities of growing our economies, creating good jobs, and strengthening our middle class and I look forward to leading this renewed effort with Secretary of State John Kerry. 

“While we use this dialogue to produce concrete results, we will also use the dialogue to ensure that the United States and Indian businesses – small, medium and large – are in a position to capitalize on abundant opportunities that exist in both of our countries. We’ll also use the dialogue to promote more trade and investment between our two nations and to identify new opportunities for economic and commercial cooperation that will improve the lives of both our peoples. And we’ll continue to use this dialogue to address the many strategic and political challenges that the U.S. and India must face together in the years ahead.”