“Affordable healthcare, affordable vaccines and affordable medicines are key focus areas”
STAFF REPORTER / NEW DELHI
Indian Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu today said that “India-US relations have come a long way emerging as the most important bilateral partnership built on sheer democratic values. “Five Ts namely Tradition, Talent, Trade, Technology and Trusteeship defines this partnership between the two countries”, said Sandhu at the PAFI 8th National Forum, 2021.
Ambassador Sandhu further highlighted five important points which make the Indo-US partnership significant. India-US relation, he said, is people-driven and people-centric, creates huge positive advantages for the world as it brings with it global good, for instance, collaboration in times of need for medicine, PPE etc. during the pandemic, is not dependent or influenced by any third country, it has been able to emerge from every crisis stronger and better and finally, there is currently no area of human endeavour where India and the US are not collaborating with each other.
Considering that both the countries have true potential and a lot more can be achieved, Ambassador Sandhu stressed upon five priority areas i.e. healthcare cooperation, energy partnership particularly renewable energy, knowledge and education partnership technology and innovation cooperation including cyber, digital and start-ups and defence and strategic partnership. Healthcare, to be specific, affordable healthcare, affordable vaccines and affordable medicines, are focus areas of President Biden.
Ambassador Sandhu also pointed out that, “The Indian diaspora is one of the biggest bridges between India and the US. The diaspora, several Indo-US associations, industry bodies came together to help during the second wave in India earlier this year. They also play a crucial role in business relations.”
In his opening remarks, Mr. Ishteyaque Amjad, Past President and Managing Committee Member, PAFI and Group Global Head – Corporate Affairs, Godrej Group welcomed the speakers citing how the relationship between India and US has grown over the years. Mr. Ajay Khanna, Forum Chairman & Co-Founder, PAFI and Group – Global Chief Strategic & Public Affairs, Jubilant Bhartia Group and Ms. Vinita Sethi, Treasurer, PAFI and SVP & Chief Public Affairs, Apollo Hospitals Group thanked Ambassador Sandhu for sharing his insights.
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