Aditya-Khedekar/SarvamAI-VLM-dataset huggingface dataset:
INDIA NEWS

PUBLISHED BY PRESS & INFORMATION, EMBASSY OF INDIA, WASHINGTON, DC

3 INDIA-U.S. RELATIONS: 2000

March 2000

IN THIS ISSUE

Past U.S. Presidential Visits
to India (Photos)

India-U.S. Space Coopera-
tion: Reaching for a new
frontier

Bilateral visits of Heads of
State/Government

India-U.S. Economic & Trade
Relations: A Growing
Partnership

India-U.S. Science &
Technology Relations —
Harnessing the Potential .... 6

Indian American Commu-
nity: A Story of
Achievements

Internet Guide to India

“..India and the United
States are natural allies
in the quest for a better
future for the world in the
21st century.”

— Prime Minister Vajpayee
September 28, 1998

“..(India) is a great
democracy that has pre-
served their democracy, |
must say, against enor-
mous odds. And we have

an enormous common
interest in shaping the
future with them, and I’m
looking forward to it.

— President Clinton
February 1, 2000

Google

President of the United States
Bill Clinton to visit India

President Clinton's visit to India is the
fourth by a US President. Earlier vis-
its were by Presidents Dwight
Eisenhower (1959), Richard Nixon
(1969) and Jimmy Carter (1978). From
the Indian side, Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru visited in 1949,
1956 and 1961, President Radha-
krishnan in 1963, Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi in 1966, 1971 and 1982,
Prime Minister Morarji Desai in 1978,
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985
and 1987 and Prime Minister
Narasimha Rao in 1994. President
Clinton’s visit is taking place at a time of warming of relations
between the two countries, and reflects the common desire of
both countries to move towards a new, broad-based, forward-
looking, politically constructive and economically productive part-
nership. The threat of terrorism faced by both countries from the
same source has added a new dimension to India-US cooperation.

India — U.S. Relations

Over five decades, the relationship between the world’s two larg-
est democracies has witnessed periods of ups and downs. Natural
affinities between the two countries, characterized by pluralistic
and open societies, common language, good track records of de-
mocracy and common commitment to the rule of law and basic
freedoms, did not yield the desired results because of differing
positions during the Cold War.

Successive American Administrations concerned with the need to
contain communism did not view India’s leadership of the Non-
aligned Movement very favorably. The US alliance with and mili-
tary support to a country hostile to India was also a cause of
friction. The dominance of the state sector in the Indian economy
was viewed in the US as inefficient and wasteful, and detrimental
to its own interests. The Indian economy nevertheless benefited
considerably during this period from US food aid (PL-480) and

See CLINTON VISIT, Page 2
CLINTON VISIT
(Continued from page 1)

economic, scientific and technological assistance
that, among others, made the Green Revolution
in the mid-1960s possible.

The end of the Cold War in the 1990s, coinciding
with the liberalization of the Indian economy,
saw a steady improvement in India-US relations
with the Clinton Administration identifying India
as one of the 10 major emerging markets. The
last few years have witnessed a number of high-
level exchanges, unprecedented in the history of
bilateral relations, as well as a commencement
of a “strategic dialogue”, which were expected to
culminate in a US Presidential visit to India in
1998.

The nuclear tests of May 1998 caused a tempo-
rary setback to the relationship. The US imposed
wide-ranging economic sanctions under the 1994
Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act (Glenn Amend-
ment) besides terminating all forms of defense
cooperation, including IMET. The US has, none-
theless, recognized the need to engage India in
an effort to address its own concerns and to
normalize relations.

Following ten rounds of talks from June 1998
between External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh
and Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott,

normalcy has been restored to the bilateral rela-
tionship, although some issues still remain to be
resolved. President Clinton's forthcoming visit to
India is an opportunity for both countries to
build a new relationship between the world’s
two largest democracies in the 21st century based
on their common strengths, values and interests.

Bilateral trade between the two countries has
exceeded US $12 billion in 1999. There was a
decline in FDI inflows from the US in 1998 (US
$349 million as against US $719 million in 1997),
which could be attributed not only to the impact
of the economic sanctions on the general invest-
ment climate in India, but also to the South East
Asian turmoil and the slowdown in the Indian
economy. There was an upward trend in 1999,
with FDI inflows in the first four months of the
year itself amounting to US$ 186 million. The
waiver of sanctions and the opening up of the
insurance sector in India are likely to further
increase FDI inflows into India in the near future.

Some of the areas in which the two countries are
well placed to launch a new era of cooperation
are science and technology, energy, environment,
infrastructure development and information tech-
nology. Apart from the two governments, co-
operation is also being intensified between
professional societies and business and trade
representatives of the two countries.

Past U.S. Presidential Visits to India

isenhower on arrival
in New Delhi, December 10, 1959 with
Prime Minister Nehru, Vice President
Radhakrishnan, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, and
President of India Rajendra Prasad.

President Dwight

2 INDIA NEWS « March 2000

Google

President Richard Nixon addressed a state
banquet in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in
New Delhi, August 1, 1969; Prime Min-
ister Indira Gandhi is to the right of the
President.

Prime Minister Morarji Desai welcomes
President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter on their
arrival in New Delhi, January 1, 1978.
India-U.S. Space Cooperation:
Reaching for new frontiers

In the early 1960’s, the United States had offered substantial assistance to India in setting up an
Equatorial Rocket Launching Station at Thumba (TERLS). Subsequently, India dedicated this facility
to the United Nations in 1968. Since then, scientists from various countries have launched more
than 3000 sounding rockets for research purposes.

During 1975-76, under a collaborative bilateral agreement, an experiment, Satellite Instrumental
Television Experiment (SITE) was conducted. Under this agreement, a U.S. satellite, ATS-6, beamed
educational programs to direct reception television sets to 2400 far flung villages exposing them
to a new and immensely powerful medium of television.

Anuradha, an Indian experiment for cosmic ray studies was part of NASA's third Spacelab mission.

The Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) and Survey of India have made use of data received
from NASA’s MAGSAT Satellite for research and analysis.

India has also participated in Guest Investigator Program of NASA’s Einstein and HEAO-B X-ray
astronomy satellites.

The United States supplied samples of lunar material collected by its lunar probes to India for
research purposes.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding between India and U.S. signed in 1977, India received
data from LANDSAT satellites.

Under a commercial arrangement, Space Imaging of Denver, CO markets the Indian Remote
Sensing satellite imageries of panchromatic resolution of 5m — which until recently has been the
best available in the public domain.

In 1997, NASA & NOAA of United States and Indian Space Research Organization & the Depart-
ment of Science and Technology of India have agreed to share meteorological data from India’s
INSAT satellites. Under this agreement, collaborative research in the area of earth & atmospheric
sciences will also be undertaken.

Bilateral visits of Heads of State/Government

From United States From India

. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - October 1949

. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - December 1956
. Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - March 1958
. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - November 1961

1. President Dwight D. Eisenhower - December 1959 1
2
3
4
5. President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - June 1963
6
7
8

2. Vice President Lyndon Johnson - May 1961
3. Vice President Hubert Humphrey - February 1966

4. President Richard Nixon - July 1969
. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - March 1966
. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - November 1971
. Prime Minister Morarji Desai - June 1978

9. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - July 1982

10. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi - June 1985

11. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi - September 1987

12. Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao - May 1994

5. President Jimmy Carter - January 1978

6. Vice President George Bush - May 1984

INDIA NEWS ¢ March 2000 3

Google
CLINTON VISIT
(Continued from page 1)

economic, scientific and technological assistance
that, among others, made the Green Revolution
in the mid-1960s possible.

The end of the Cold War in the 1990s, coinciding
with the liberalization of the Indian economy,
saw a steady improvement in India-US relations
with the Clinton Administration identifying India
as one of the 10 major emerging markets. The
last few years have witnessed a number of high-
level exchanges, unprecedented in the history of
bilateral relations, as well as a commencement
of a “strategic dialogue”, which were expected to
culminate in a US Presidential visit to India in
1998.

The nuclear tests of May 1998 caused a tempo-
rary setback to the relationship. The US imposed
wide-ranging economic sanctions under the 1994
Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act (Glenn Amend-
ment) besides terminating all forms of defense
cooperation, including IMET. The US has, none-
theless, recognized the need to engage India in
an effort to address its own concerns and to
normalize relations.

Following ten rounds of talks from June 1998
between External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh
and Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott,

normalcy has been restored to the bilateral rela-
tionship, although some issues still remain to be
resolved. President Clinton’s forthcoming visit to
India is an opportunity for both countries to
build a new relationship between the world’s
two largest democracies in the 21st century based
on their common strengths, values and interests.

Bilateral trade between the two countries has
exceeded US $12 billion in 1999. There was a
decline in FD! inflows from the US in 1998 (US
$349 million as against US $719 million in 1997),
which could be attributed not only to the impact
of the economic sanctions on the general invest-
ment climate in India, but also to the South East
Asian turmoil and the slowdown in the Indian
economy. There was an upward trend in 1999,
with FDI inflows in the first four months of the
year itself amounting to US$ 186 million. The
waiver of sanctions and the opening up of the
insurance sector in India are likely to further
increase FDI inflows into India in the near future.

Some of the areas in which the two countries are
well placed to launch a new era of cooperation
are science and technology, energy, environment,
infrastructure development and information tech-
nology. Apart from the two governments, co-
operation is also being intensified between
professional societies and business and trade
representatives of the two countries.

Past U.S. Presidential Visits to India

President Dwight Eisenhower on arrival
in New Delhi, December 10, 1959 with
Prime Minister Nehru, Vice President
Radhakrishnan, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, and
President of India Rajendra Prasad.

2 INDIA NEWS « March 2000

Google

President Richard Nixon addressed a state
banquet in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in
New Delhi, August 1, 1969; Prime Min-
ister Indira Gandhi is to the right of the
President.

Prime Minister Morarji Desai welcomes
President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter on their
arrival in New Delhi, January 1, 1978.
India-U.S. Space Cooperation:
Reaching for new frontiers

In the early 1960's, the United States had offered substantial assistance to India in setting up an
Equatorial Rocket Launching Station at Thumba (TERLS). Subsequently, India dedicated this facility
to the United Nations in 1968. Since then, scientists from various countries have launched more
than 3000 sounding rockets for research purposes.

During 1975-76, under a collaborative bilateral agreement, an experiment, Satellite Instrumental
Television Experiment (SITE) was conducted. Under this agreement, a ULS. satellite, ATS-6, beamed
educational programs to direct reception television sets to 2400 far flung villages exposing them
to a new and immensely powerful medium of television.

Anuradha, an Indian experiment for cosmic ray studies was part of NASA's third Spacelab mission.

The Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) and Survey of India have made use of data received
from NASA’s MAGSAT Satellite for research and analysis.

India has also participated in Guest Investigator Program of NASA's Einstein and HEAO-B X-ray
astronomy satellites.

The United States supplied samples of lunar material collected by its lunar probes to India for
research purposes.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding between India and U.S. signed in 1977, India received
data from LANDSAT satellites.

Under a commercial arrangement, Space Imaging of Denver, CO markets the Indian Remote
Sensing satellite imageries of panchromatic resolution of 5m — which until recently has been the
best available in the public domain.

In 1997, NASA & NOAA of United States and Indian Space Research Organization & the Depart-
ment of Science and Technology of India have agreed to share meteorological data from India’s
INSAT satellites. Under this agreement, collaborative research in the area of earth & atmospheric
sciences will also be undertaken.

Bilateral visits of Heads of State/Government

From United States From India

. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - October 1949

. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - December 1956
. Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - March 1958
. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - November 1961

1. President Dwight D. Eisenhower - December 1959 1
2
3
4
5. President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - June 1963
6
7
8

2. Vice President Lyndon Johnson - May 1961
3. Vice President Hubert Humphrey - February 1966

4. President Richard Nixon - July 1969
. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - March 1966
. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - November 1971
. Prime Minister Morarji Desai - June 1978

9. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - July 1982

10. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi - June 1985

11. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi - September 1987

12. Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao - May 1994

5. President Jimmy Carter - January 1978

6. Vice President George Bush - May 1984

INDIA NEWS ¢ March 2000 3

Google
India-U.S. Economic & Trade Relations:
A Growing Partnership

India's economic reforms have generated a trade momentum between India and the U.S. that
grows every year. Starting in 1991, India has carried out sweeping changes in its national
economic policies to stimulate domestic and foreign investment in many sectors of the country’s
economy. The effect on trade and investment relations with the United States has been profound.

The U.S. is now not only the largest investor country in India, it is also India’s largest trading
partner.

The trade between the two countries in 1999 totaled US $ 12.79 billion reflecting an increase of
nearly 100% since 1992.

India - U.S. Bilateral Trade
(in US millions)

India’s Exports

India’s Imports

Turnover

Balance
(in favor of India)

Growth Rate

India’s exports to the U.S. have been growing since 1992 at an average rate of 13.7% in dollar
terms.

Imports from the USA have been fluctuating. The rate of growth declined by 0.6% in 1996,
increased by 8.9% in 1997, declined by 1.96% in 1998 and grew by 4.6% in 1999.

Trade composition

4

India’s exports to the US have been rising mainly on account of significant increases in the
exports of diamonds, textiles and ready-made garments, machinery, carpets, footwear and leather
products, dyes, iron and steel products, chemicals, edible fruit and nuts and spices, coffee and
tea.

Six items, namely, textiles and clothing, cut and polished non-industrial diamonds, carpets,
shrimp and prawn, footwear, leather goods and cashew nuts, account for about 75% of total
Indian exports to the US.

The chief items imported from the U.S. at present are machinery including project items, fertilizers,
aircraft and aeronautical equipment, and organic chemicals.

See PARTNERSHIP, Page 5

INDIA NEWS ¢ March 2000

Google

Ins

Oy

a>

ian
» the
iting
Inns
foun

ra:

PARTNERSHIP (Continued from page 4)

Institutional Framework for Trade and Investment

e Indo-US joint Business Council

The joint Business Council has become more active in recent years and has organized several
promotional events, apart from their annual meeting held alternately in New Delhi and in Washington.

U.S. Investments in India

e India’s gradual and steady integration with the global economy has led to a quantum jump in Indo-
US economic ties. USA continues to be the dominant investor in India in terms of Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) approvals, actual inflows and portfolio investment.

¢ Total FDI inflows between 1991 and April 1999 were $12.6 billion. US FDI inflows were about $2.3
billion between 1991 and April 1999. Like in FDI Approvals, US lead the FDI Inflows as well.

e The US investments in India accounted for 25% of all foreign direct investment (FDI) approved from
1991 - September 1999.

Foreign Direct Investment Approvals: 1991 - September 1999
(in US millions)

Country 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999* Total
USA 76 466 1100 1112 2138 2873 3769 869 711 13115
TOTAL

(All Countries) 218 1472 2815 4523 9719 10328 | 15248 | 7515 6340 | 58716

FDI Actual Inflows from US
(in US millions)

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999* Total
43 144 119 205 271 719 349 413 2264

(* Until September, 1999)

e The overall inflow-approval ratio is nearly 23%. This ratio is underestimated due to varying gestation
periods of approved projects, with greater delay in inflows from mega projects (which account for
almost half of the FDI approvals). Excluding mega projects, the inflow-approval ratio works out much
larger at 50%.

e Major industries attracting US investment are fuel (Power & Oil Refinery) and telecommunications.
The other major industries include chemicals, metallurgical industries and service industries. Most
of the leading Fortune 500 US companies have already started their operations in India.

Outlook

The improved performance of the Indian economy during 1999, continued emphasis on economic
reforms and liberalization and India’s technology sectors are the positive reasons for increased interest
in India as a destination for US investments and exports. Going by the current trends, the year 2000
should reach record levels of US FDI and Fil inflows into India.

INDIA NEWS ¢ March 2000 5

Google
Indian American Community:
A Story of Achievements

There are now more than 1.5 million peoples of Indian origin in America. They reflect the
multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual society of India.

Indian-Americans are represented in many fields including academics and entrepreneurs,
doctors and lawyers, engineers and financiers.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Indian-American median family income is $60,093 as
against the national median family income of $38, 885. The high income clearly reflects the
advanced educational levels achieved by the community.

More than 87% of Indians in America have completed high school while at least 62% have
some college education. As much as 58% of Indian Americans over the age of 25 hold a
bachelor’s degree or higher.

High levels of education have also enabled Indian-Americans to become a productive segment
of the U. S. population, with 72.3% participating in the work force.

Of these work force participants, 43.6% are employed in managerial and professional spe-
cialties.

Technical, sales, and administrative support occupations constitute another 33.2% of the
work force.

The remaining 23.3% of the population works in other areas, such as operators, fabricators,
laborers and precision production.

More than 5,000 Indian-Americans today serve as faculty members in institutions of higher
education in the U. S.

About 300,000 Indian-Americans work in technology firms in California’s Silicon Valley. They
account for more than 15% of high-tech startups in that region. The average income of
Indian-Americans in that region is estimated to be $200,000 a year.

Two Indian-Americans - late Har Gobind Khorana of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and late Subrahmanyan Chandrashekhar of University of Chicago - were awarded the Nobel
Prize, in medicine and physics respectively.

In deed, the NASA’s premier X-ray observatory was named the Chandra X-ray Observatory in
honor of the late Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Known to the world as Chandra, he was widely
regarded as one of the foremost astrophysicists of the twentieth century. The observatory was
launched into space in July 1999.

Dr. Kalpana Chawla added a new chapter to the history of the Indian-American community.
In 1997, She became the first Indian or Indian-American to fly in the US space shuttle. She
was part of the Space Shuttle Columbia Flight STS-87.

The estimated annual buying power of Indian-Americans in the United States is around
twenty billion dollars annually.

Indian-Americans are increasingly beginning to take a more direct role in political activities.
They have traditionally exercised the most political influence through their campaign contri-
butions, and are actively involved in fundraising efforts for political candidates on the federal,
state and local levels.

As a result of these activities, together with the growing commercial interest in investment in
India, the India caucus in the House of Representatives now numbers 118.

INDIA NEWS ¢ March 2000 7

Go gle
Internet Guide to India

News & Media

The Times of India
The Hindu

The Hindustan Times
India Today

Government

Parliament

President of India

Prime Minister of India
Government/Ministries/States
Election Commission of India

Economy & Trade

The Economic Times

The Business Standard ~~ °
The Reserve Bank of India
Indian Investment Center

History & Culture
History of India

Indian Languages

Indus Civilization

Recipes of various regions

Tourism
India Tourism Department

Non-Governmental Organizations
Comprehensive list of NGOs

Maps
Clickable map of India/States

http://www.timesofindia.com
http://www. hinduonline.com
http://www. hindustantimes.com
http://www. india-today.com/

http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/
http://alfa.nic.in/rb/president.htm
http://pmindia.nic.in/home.htm
http://indiaimage.nic.in/
http://www.eci.gov.in

http://www.economictimes.com
http://www. business-standard.com/
http://www. rbi.org.in
http://iic.nic.in/

http://www. historyofindia.com
http://www. indianlanguages.com/
http://www. harappa.com/
http://www.welcometoindia.com/

http://www.tourindia.com

http://www.indianngos.com/

http://www.mapsofindia.com

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