Friday 17 / January / 2025
Washington DC: India Global Forum (IGF) on Thursday marked its official launch in the United States with a high-profile delegation of Indian business leaders engaging in exclusive, closed-door discussions with members of the incoming administration and key US stakeholders and policymakers.
The landmark initiative comes at a pivotal moment, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration, underscoring the growing alignment between the world's two largest democracies, the IGF said in a press release.
The event provided a platform for candid and informal conversations on the shared priorities and challenges shaping US-India relations, with a particular focus on geopolitics, security, defence, and economic cooperation. Topics included President Trump's populist approach, electoral shifts in the US, and the influential role of the Indian diaspora.
The dialogue also addressed the US economic landscape, exploring opportunities in digital infrastructure, technology, innovation, and foreign investment, while highlighting ways to strengthen bilateral collaboration.
"Democracies work best when democracies work together," remarked Manoj Ladwa, Founder and Chairman of India Global Forum, in his opening address to the gathering. "Today, we are here not just to discuss policies or trends but to actively shape the synergies between India and the United States - two of the world's greatest democracies, working together to navigate a complex and rapidly changing global landscape," the release added.
The event was attended by Jacob Helberg, the Designated Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment in the new administration besides other key policymakers.
Discussions were guided by a lineup of prominent voices including Ajit Pai, the former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission of the United States, who shared his observations from working under President Trump's first administration, noting how Trump 2.0 will have different implications for big tech, crypto, and regulation, as well as his personal insights on the newly created DOGE agency.
Adding a broader geopolitical lens, Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of ORF America and author of Vishwa Shastra: India and the World, discussed improved cooperation between the US and India, what to expect under a Trump presidency, and India's strategic priorities, the release said.
Decision Desk's Scott Tranter joined the IGF Business Delegation to do a deep dive into the data behind the 2024 elections and his predictions for key policy trends over the next four years.
Speaking on natural synergies on defence procurement, energy, and global supply chains, a former National Security Official in the first Trump administration spoke about how the US and India could push the envelope to strengthen bilateral ties.
