National Manufacturing Policy will help intensify US ties: Nirupama Rao

CHENNAI: Seeking to forge closer trade and economic ties between India and the US, Indian Ambassador to US Nirupama Rao today said the National Manufacturing Policy, which was recently cleared by the Union Cabinet, would pave the way for intensified commercial ties between the two nations.

"I am sure the scope for intensification our ties is going to be considerable and enormous. Now that the new Manufacturing Policy announced by the government of India, I think there is enormous potential to expand and diversify our export basket to US," Rao told business leaders at FICCI here.

Noting that India's exports to US were dominated by commodities, Rao, a former Foreign Secretary, said there was a need to lay more focus on manufacturing exports.

"There is a need to focus on manufacturing exports and we at the Embassy and at the Consulate will be happy to work with our industry to identify specific products which can be exported to the US. In fact, we will be happy to map the US market in terms of the exports that interest you," she said.

Recalling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's observation that Indo-US ties were a "unique blend of principle and pragmatism," she said the trade and economic cooperation between the two countries was mutually beneficial.

"India's trade and commercial engagement is at levels that have never been high as of today," she said.