US needs to know much more about India: Summers

New Delhi, Mar 23 (UNI) Harvard University President Lawrence H Summers said even though many agreements have been signed between India and the US, ties between countries depend much more on closer contact between the people of the two countries.

Once students from the US started coming to India in large numbers just as students from India were studying in US, it would restore a sort of balance between the two countries, he said at an interactive meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here.

''We in US need to understand India much more than we do and by setting up centers of studies in India, I am hoping for establishing much better ties with India,'' he said.

''Very few students from the US are studying in India and I am hoping that in the next ten years there would be a much better two way traffic between Harvard and India in terms of students and faculty exchange programmes,'' he added.

India and the US were natural partners because we believe in democracy, speak a common language, are fighting terrorism and share common political commitment, Mr Summers said in response to a question by CII Chief Mentor Tarun Das.

He said that India had reasons to be proud of its achievements in the economic field and if India and China could maintain their current rate of growth in the coming decades, it could bring about paradigm shifts in the balance of power in the world.

Asked by NDTV Senior Editor Vikram Chandra to compare the growth of China and India and if India would overtake China in future, Mr Summers responded by saying that he was very wary of making long term predictions.

However, sounding a note of caution about India's growth, he said a rising sensex, progress in software and growth rate should not be the sole criteria for judging a country's progress and the focus should be more on inclusive growth. "Excessive exuberance would be irrational,he added.

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