India could benefit from U.S. investment that is leaving China, says trade body chief

Modi government must become more transparent in policy-making and open for business, says Mukesh Aghi

The Biden administration’s moves to pull out troops from Afghanistan and Iraq mean there will be more American focus on dealing with China, and India could benefit from U.S. investment that is leaving China if the Modi government becomes more transparent in policy-making and “open for business”, said Indo-U.S. trade body chief Mukesh Aghi. However, he said there isn’t as much interest in concluding an Indo-US Free Trade Agreement as there was during the Trump administration and India must also put aside its hopes of having its “GSP status” restored, which was cancelled in 2019. Both sides must work on more deliverable goals. “If [India] makes GSP a central issue, and the U.S. side makes human rights, labour rights a central issue, then it’s a non-starter. Look at other bigger challenges we have,” Mr. Aghi, President and CEO of the Washington-based US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) told The Hindu in an interview.