Noting that the country was on track to have the largest economy by 2050, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake said, "India is a rising giant whose influence is being felt not only in the Indian Ocean, but in the Americas, in Africa, the Middle East, and in Central Asia."
"Its rise – fuelled by a young, optimistic, dynamic, educated population – will be one of the great stories of our time," Blake said in his remarks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank.
"Our strategic relationship can make the world more secure and democratic, while our commercial partnerships can produce novel products that meet the needs of the 21st century consumer and create millions of new jobs in each of our countries," he said.
"Our people, our businesses, our diverse, intertwined knowledge-based societies will support the next chapter of the US-India partnership," he said in his speech.
Blake said the global strategic partnership between the United States and India is founded on shared values and exceptional people-to-people ties.
"But we must remember that this is a long-term project. Neither country can take the relationship for granted. We need to work together to ensure that the spirit of President (Barack) Obama and Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh's November 2009 summit is carried forward through concrete steps," he said.
"Such achievements will build the political support in Washington and Delhi, as well as Mumbai and Manhattan, to think more ambitiously about what we can achieve, and where our partnership will go in the rest of the 21st century," he said.
Blake said the ties between the two countries are poised to expand more in coming months.
