India, US keen to revive economic engagement

India and the US expect to have a “high pace of engagement” in the next three months which would continue till the end of the year. During this time, interactions on commerce and defence are expected to take place, people familiar with the development said.

Efforts are on to finalise dates for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US sometime this year, they said.

The focus during the next six months will be on a number of processes that have been pending for a while.

India and the US have given enough signals in the recent past to indicate that they are keen to engage, move forward and get relations back on track. Modi spoke to President Barack Obama on the day the results to the Lok Sabha elections were announced while Secretary of State John Kerry was the first foreign interlocutor to call on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Besides, the fact that the US is keen to engage came through during the recently concluded visit of US Assistant Secretary of State, Nisha Biswal, who came with the message that the US Government is “extremely keen” to engage with the Indian Government at a pace and direction which India will be comfortable with.