India to Maintain Strong Ties with US After Election, Affirms Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed confidence that India will collaborate effectively with the next US President, regardless of who wins the upcoming election. He made these remarks during a panel discussion at an event in New Delhi. The US presidential election is scheduled for later this year.

Jaishankar emphasised India's policy of not commenting on other countries' elections, hoping for reciprocal respect. "The American system will throw up its verdict, and I am not saying just as a formality, but if you look at the last 20 odd years, maybe a little bit more, for us, we have every confidence that we will be able to work with the President of the United States, whoever he or she will be," he said.

India-US Relations and Global Challenges

The minister highlighted the importance of India-US ties in addressing global challenges. He noted that climate events are causing significant disruptions worldwide. "So, if you connect all these dots and ask me what do I see, I see frankly, a very, very challenging scenario. Which for me is a very big case for India-US ties," he added.

Jaishankar also discussed the need to re-evaluate international relationships in light of current global issues. "Today, it is necessary to go back to the drawing board and look at different relationships and say in this very tough scenario, with these challenges, how does one rework every relationship to get the optimum out of it," he stated.

Impact of Indian Diaspora

The panel discussion also touched upon the role of the Indian diaspora in the US and their contribution to India's growth story. Jaishankar shared an interesting historical perspective on the increasing number of Indians in America over the decades. "When Prime Minister Nehru first went to America, there were 3,000 Indians; when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi went, it was 30,000; and when Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi went, it went into 300,000; and when Prime Minister Modi went it was 3.3 million," he said.

He described the US as a unique society due to its diverse immigration sources and how it uses these flows to shape foreign policy. "In that the diaspora for India has been a positive factor," Jaishankar noted.

Economic and Political Forecast

When asked about his view of the world over the next five years, Jaishankar provided a grim forecast. He cited ongoing conflicts in regions like the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as economic challenges such as trade difficulties and foreign exchange shortages. "If I were to give a five-year forecast, it would be very grim," he said.

He stressed that solutions must be found quickly in today's fast-paced world. "There is a problem; you don't have an answer in the next 48 hours; you are irrelevant to that problem," Jaishankar remarked.

India's Democratic Process

Jaishankar also spoke about India's robust democratic process during his response. "We like elections in this country; we are holding them permanently," he said. He emphasised that Indian elections are genuine tests of candidates and systems and that India continuously passes these tests.

The event where Jaishankar made these remarks was the launch of the Indiaspora BCG Impact Report in New Delhi. The discussion largely centred around the Indian diaspora's role in supporting India's growth story.

In conclusion, Jaishankar's comments reflect India's confidence in maintaining strong ties with the US regardless of election outcomes while highlighting global challenges and the significant role of the Indian diaspora.