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You
are heading the chamber in unusual times. First, there was liberalisation
and now the post - blast sanctions?
The United States is our best customer despite the sanctions. The business
volume can increase. It is good that the government is showing a willingness
to listen. The commerce minister and the industries minister are speaking
together. The role of the Indo- US chamber is to facilitate increasing
exports to the US. Our priority areas are software, gem and jewellery
especially diamonds, leather products and organic chemicals.
How
has the sanction affected you ?
Businessmen don’t like sanctions and restrictions. For reasons best known
to them the government has gone ahead with the nuclear testing. The effect
of the sanction will be felt only a year from now. Indians can live with
just the very minimum and they have done it all along. The question is
whether we want to live that way any more. Can we do better. In that context,
every billion dollar that we don’t get is a lot money. Every little help
for India is welcome.
What
is the volume of trade between India and US ?
The import surplus was $3.6 billion and the exports $7.3 billion. The
trade surplus is 3.7 billion.
Where
would you like the USA to Invest more, Infrastructure or get-rich products
like Coca Cola ?
I won’t differentiate. The US is a free enterprise country. It is for
those people to decide what they want to do. We should not be differentiating.
They are interested in infrastructure, power, telecom, financing services
and insurance. One sector, which can really develop, is Information Technology.
We can develop software. It could be a seamless operation. Nasscom is
doing a good job. Meanwhile, the US can give us more visas. The free movement
of people is what we want. We have concerns with regards to customs clearance.
Why are we not able to clear to clear customs in eight hours. We also
need to take a look at the exit policy. We need a policy where we can
close an industry without hassles. We should learn to market ourselves.
Let’s compare ourselves with China. China has a human rights problems.
They are not party to WTO. They don’t use the English language the way
we do. We have rule of law. But China keeps telling the US they love them,
they need them and they get MFN status.
Isn’t
it here that your chamber would be able to do something?
Yes, we are telling the US that they are our No.1 trading partner. Our
government has done what it has done and your government according to
your laws have imposed sanctions. But let’s do what we can without OPEC,
or EXIM bank coming into the picture. We are reinforcing the message that
we want to do all forms of business with them. We are also doing a little
bit of match - making between medium and small industries in India and
the US.
Which
areas would you like to be further liberalised ?
Opportunities across the board : Telecom, roads, ports, power-generation.
Decision should be taken fast and we want transparency in the decision-making
process and not case-by-case decision. We want the cases to move faster.
You tell us the rules by which both of us can play. The US is also really
concerned about patents and intellectual Property Rights, which they feel
are not being respected in India.
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