JOIN USUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s special envoy for cities and climate change, Michael R Bloomberg, on Monday called for a stronger economic partnership between Washington and New Delhi through relaxed US immigration measures for Indian students and businessmen.
Addressing the “Renewable energy-invest 2015: First renewable energy global investors meet and expo” here, Bloomberg said: “If it were up to me, our federal government would fix our immigration system so that Indians who study in the US could stay in the US and give back to our economy...Indians who want to do business in the US should easily be able to get visas.”
In view of India’s potential as the world's fastest-growing economy, Bloomberg said the US is confident of the country’s future, adding that President Barack Obama’s January visit to India was of special interest to business leaders back home.
Bloomberg also met Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and discussed various urban development issues including the “Smart City” project.
Bloomberg Philanthropies has earlier agreed to assist the Ministry in organising a “city challenge competition”, where cities will be given scores based on urban reforms they have carried out, their impact and what they propose to do in four key areas: “Swachh Bharat” for sanitation), Make in India for easy business, good governance with modern accounting systems and rationalisation of property taxes as well as e-governance.
Cities that score the highest will then be picked for the Smart City project.