Representatives of the Indian-American community see the understanding reached between the respective Governments over food security and public procurement at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as ‘one irritant’ out of the way of stronger trade ties.

Robinder Sachdev, India Affairs chief of the United States-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), said it is a good signal, though the nuances are yet to be disclosed.

“Prior to this, while taking up bilateral issues, including IPR, technology transfer, and defence between the two countries, the ‘WTO’ component was always there. Now, this aspect, we hope, is removed,” he told BusinessLine .

The new Indian Government had not gone ahead with the commitments made by the previous regime at the WTO’s Bali meet. Asked how far India would have moved to break the impasse, he said both sides would have made compromises. “Remember, each has to answer its domestic constituency. And the impasse at the WTO, though a global issue, was having an impact on bilateral ties.”

India’s proposal on food security will now be placed before the WTO General Council when it meets next month.

USINPAC represents over 3.2 million Indian-Americans and was actively involved in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent US visit. On the role bodies such as USINPAC play in breaking such logjams, Sachdev said: “We don’t play any direct role here. The talks are more Government-to-Government. But, we do bring forth concerns on the trade front and help in making the US Government understand the thoughts of the Indian side.”

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