India and US natural partners with 'limitless potential': Sergio Gor (IANS Exclusive)
Washington, June 27
US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, has described India and the United States as natural partners with "limitless potential", saying the Trump administration is working to deepen cooperation across technology, defence, investment and emerging sectors while building on the close personal relationship between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In an exclusive interview with IANS at the White House, Gor reflected on his first six months in India, saying the country's diversity, economic dynamism and growing partnership with the United States had reinforced his optimism about the future of bilateral ties.
"I actually just got back from India yesterday, and in those six months, it's been an extraordinary time," Gor said. "I've travelled all over the beautiful country, and I've met some incredible people all over the place."
The US Ambassador said India's diversity remained one of its greatest strengths.
"What I love about India is every hundred kilometres you have an incredibly different area," he said. "You have a different history, you have a different background in that area, different languages, different dialects. The diversity of it is just absolutely incredible and something that's unmatched."
Gor said cooperation between the two countries now extends across virtually every major sector.
"You can look at any sector in the United States, and India can work together and take that level up to the next level," he said. "Whether that's something in the pharmaceutical industry, whether that's IT, whether that's defence cooperation, you name it."
He also highlighted growing commercial ties, pointing to major investments flowing in both directions.
"Amazon was just there. They announced a 40-plus billion dollar deal in India this week," Gor said. "Whether it's Microsoft or Google, every one of those individuals is going over there. At the same time, a lot of Indian companies, a lot of Indian ingenuity is coming to the United States."
Gor said attracting investment to the United States had been one of his priorities as Ambassador.
"All the embassies around the world compete to bring investment back into the United States," he said. "We were very proud that our Embassy in India was number one."
"We announced over 20 billion in one year of new investments that the Embassy was involved in."
"We do have limitless potential," he added.
The US Ambassador also praised the close working relationship between Trump and PM Modi, describing it as an important foundation for bilateral ties.
"He is incredibly dynamic. He's incredibly hands-on, and he's results-driven," Gor said of PM Modi. "In a way, I see a lot of similarities between him and President Trump, because they both love being hands-on and getting things done."
"They think alike. They want to deliver."
Looking ahead, Gor said his priorities included concluding the bilateral trade agreement, expanding defence cooperation and advancing initiatives such as Pax Silica.
"Every single week I tell my team, what is it that we're going to achieve this week and deliver," he said. "That's something I'll continue building upon."
India and the United States have steadily broadened their strategic partnership over the past two decades, expanding cooperation beyond defence and security to include technology, critical and emerging technologies, semiconductors, clean energy, education and investment. The relationship has become one of Washington's most important partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I'm cautiously optimistic about this. Sergio Gor seems genuinely impressed by India, which is nice to hear. But let's be real - there's a big difference between diplomatic talk and actual action. The US has a history of wanting India as a counterweight to China, but what do we get in return? Visa delays for Indian professionals still haven't improved much. I hope the trade deal addresses H-1B issues too.
Amazing to see our PM Modi being praised by world leaders! 🇮🇳 The way Trump and Modi work together is inspiring. India's diversity is indeed our strength - the Ambassador's comment about experiencing different cultures every 100 km is so true! But we should also ensure that this partnership benefits small businesses in India, not just big corporations. Looking forward to more concrete outcomes.
I've lived in both countries, and this partnership is crucial for global stability. The Indo-Pacific region needs strong US-India ties to counter China's aggressive expansion. However, I'm skeptical about the investment numbers - $20 billion in one year sounds impressive, but how much of that actually goes to Indian startups and infrastructure? We need transparency in these deals. Also, what about climate change cooperation? The article mentions clean energy but briefly.
Bahut achha! Very positive news for India-US relations. I appreciate that the Ambassador really took time to travel across India and understand our culture. But I have one concern - whenever US politicians praise Modi ji, it often leads to increased scrutiny of Indian democracy by Western media. The Ambassador should also speak up against unfair criticism of India's internal matters. Other than that, this is a win-win partnership!
D We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.