Diaspora in US has changed image of India: PM

Washington, Nov 23 : Crediting the Indian diaspora with changing the image of India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has acknowledged the contribution of the over 2.5 million strong Indian community in America in building better ties with the US.

"Our relations at the people-to-people level are of great significance," he said in an interview with CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" here Sunday when asked if the relationship between Indian society and American society was actually now stronger than that between the two governments.

"The fact that there is a large community in the United States, people of Indian origin, the way they have flourished, the way they have contributed to the growth of the American economy, I think has changed the image of India," he said in the interview that coincides with his arrival in the US.

He noted that "there is hardly a middle class family in India who doesn't have a son, a son-in-law, a brother or a sister, or a sister-in-law in the United States".

"I think that's a great incentive for our two countries to look to further development of our relationships," the prime minister added.