India a key ally of US in rivalry with China: US ambassador to India

Washington supports New Delhi's emergence as a leading global power, US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said in an interview. The North American country is investing locally and joining hands with allies such as India to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region while competing with China, he said.

Pointing to the situation in Ukraine, the diplomat said the war has demonstrated to the world that developments in one region directly affect security elsewhere and partnerships around the world are crucial to addressing interconnected challenges.



"We are investing domestically, aligning with partners, including India, and competing with the People's Republic of China," Garcetti said. He was responding to a question on how India and the US can work together to bolster nations in the region that are under threat from an expansionist China.

"These actions will strengthen the international system and help the region meet its mounting challenges," he said. These include not just economic coercion and other measures by adversaries but also the climate crisis, global health security, natural disasters and governance challenges, the ambassador said.

Enhancing India's Defence Capabilities

In the interview ahead of the 2024 Nato summit in Washington DC that will focus on Ukraine and Transatlantic security, Garcetti said the military alliance's partnerships across the globe, including the Indo-Pacific, are crucial to addressing shared and interconnected hazards.

"Given today's threat environment, Nato benefits from exchanging expertise and experiences with partners in the Indo-Pacific," he said.

India is a key US ally in ensuring peace and security in the region.


"The US supports India's emergence as a leading global power and as a vital partner in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific that is connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient," Garcetti said.

Responding to a question on India's public stand against joining Nato, the ambassador said that individual members of the grouping are offering India advanced military technology and expertise to enhance defence capabilities and strategic security through bilateral agreements and joint exercises.

"Nato member states individually contribute to India's technological advancement by providing access to cutting-edge research, innovation, and collaboration in sectors such as cybersecurity, space exploration, and information technology," he said.

Garcetti said India and the US have launched the Indus-X programme under the Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) umbrella, when asked about possibilities for collaboration in defence and security. This is a defence innovation ecosystem designed to pair startups together to quickly tackle challenges through innovative and collaborative ideas.

In seven months of its launch, the initiative has identified winners of joint challenges. One of the winning companies, PierSight, has showcased innovation in oil spill detection. He added that Penn State University and the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM Foundation) are also developing workshops under Indus-X to strengthen technology transfer from academia to start-ups.