India-US December dialogue to boost commerce: Prabhu
Mumbai, Sep 21 : Stressing the critical importance of the United States as a strategic trade partner for India, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday a vital India-US Strategic Commercial dialogue will be held in New Delhi in December which will help boost commercial ties between the two nations.
"The US Commerce Secretary and a high-level delegation from the US will come to have detailed discussions with their Indian counterparts to strengthen the commerce tie-up and chart the future agenda for both nations," Prabhu said.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the annual convention of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC), here on the theme "Indo-US Economic Relations: Building a Durable Partnership".
Prabhu said India has identified key industries and sector where it can work in tandem with the US and utilise their high-end technology.
In this connection, he said the government will unveil the new industrial policy soon.
"A key thrust in the proposed policy, which will replace the Industrial Policy of 1991, is to reduce regulatory hurdles and encourage adoption of technologies of future such as robotics and artificial intelligence," Prabhu added.
Referring to the US sanctions on steel and aluminium importing countries, he said India responded in a measured way by not levying any retaliatory duties and instead had positive discussions with the US counterparts on the issue.
He stressed the role of organisations like IACC which play a vital role in boosting trade and commerce ties between the two countries.
Addressing the gathering, US Ambassador to India Kenneth I. Juster said India could seize the strategic opportunity, through trade and investment, to become an alternative hub for the US business in the US-Pacific region.
Juster stressed that further opening India's market to US trade and investment would spur the collaboration between the two countries on many emerging technologies that will drive and protect our economies, including those related to advanced manufacturing, cyber security and artificial intelligence.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs, Law & Justice P.P. Chaudhary said cooperation in the field of science and technology between the scientific communities of both countries is a pillar of vibrant India-US relationship.
"American cooperation in this field will catalyse India's start-up ecosystem. This area is also the key driver for innovation and job creation in both the countries and hence, it needs to take the centre stage", he said.
The Minister added that collaboration in information technology, nano-and gene-editing technology will have positive impact on the education sector and the knowledge generated through mutual cooperation needs to be capitalised to fuel innovation and to create entrepreneurial class.
Expressing that both India and the US are fully committed to clean energy, Chaudhary said India looks forward to full implementation of the civil nuclear energy partnership and collaboration between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd and Westinghouse Electric Company for setting up six nuclear power plants in India.
Once operational, these nuclear power plants would go a long way in resolving the country's energy woes and help conserve the environment.
Now celebrating its golden jubilee, the IACC meet was attended by its President Vasant Subramanyan, US Consul-General in Mumbai Edgard D. Kagan, IACC Executive Vice President Lalit Bhasin, and IACC officials Nanik Rupani, Rajyalakshmi Rao and Madhulika Gupta.
The IACC, founded in 1968, has 12 branches in India with 2,400 members working towards the objective of promoting business, trade and economic ties between the two countries by facilitating collaborations, joint ventures, marketing tie-ups, strategic alliances and other initiatives.
Besides Mumbaithe , IACC operates from 12 locations including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Kochi, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Varanasi and Patna.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Punjab: Blast near army cantt area in Amritsar, hours after explosion in Jalandhar
Chandigarh (PTI): An explosion occurred near the army cantonment area in Khasa late Tuesday night in Punjab's Amritsar, the second such incident which took place around three hours after a blast outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar.
According to the police, an investigation into both blast incidents is currently underway, and no injuries have been reported.
The first explosion happened around 8 pm in Jalandhar, while the second blast occurred at approximately 11 pm in Amritsar.
Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim stated that police received reports of a loud sound at around 11 pm on a road in Khasa. "Our teams arrived on the scene immediately," he said.
Preliminary inspections indicated that someone had thrown an explosive device towards the boundary wall, leading to the explosion, according to the SSP.
ALSO READ: Trump pauses Project Freedom, claims great progress for final agreement with Iran
Police mentioned that a piece of a tin sheet covering the boundary wall had fallen as a result of the blast.
Following the explosion, a team of forensic and bomb disposal squad visited the site to collect samples.
Amritsar Rural Superintendent of Police Aditya S. Warrier, who also visited the scene, confirmed that further investigations are ongoing. Police added that a team of army officials also assessed the situation, after which the area was cordoned off.
CCTV footage from the vicinity shows the explosion occurring at night. A local villager reported that his family was awakened by the loud sound and came outside their home to see what had happened.
Before the Amritsar explosion, a blast took place outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday, causing panic in the area.
CCTV footage captured the explosion, which resulted in a cloud of smoke. An unidentified man was seen running for cover following the blast.
The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged a traffic signal pole and windowpanes of a nearby shop. Locals recounted that the scooter, which was parked outside the BSF headquarters, Punjab Frontier, caught fire shortly after a loud sound. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who regularly delivers parcels in the area.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, one of Gurpreet's relatives said that the scooter caught fire as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed to reporters late Tuesday that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She stated that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses nearby reported hearing a loud sound following the explosion.
On April 27, an explosion occurred at a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu in Patiala. Police had arrested four members of a pro-Khalistan terror module, backed by Pakistan's ISI, for the blast.
In light of these incidents, opposition parties have condemned the AAP government for its handling of the situation.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, over the recent blasts.
"Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day, May 5: Jalandhar outside BSF headquarters and Sri Amritsar Sahib Army area, April 27: Rajpura rail track. Continued intelligence failures and the collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern. Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the state Home Minister, is busy with mimicry and cheap politics. He has forfeited the right to remain in office," Badal said in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed the Mann government over the two blasts.
"Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar, this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action," Warring said in a post on X.
