Indo-US ties can get a leg-up if India grows at 9-10 pc: Kant

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant today highlighted the need for India to grow at 9-10 per cent every year for at least three decades, which he said can be instrumental in taking Indo-US ties to the next level.
"It is possible to provide greater momentum, greater fillip to Indo-US relationship if India continues to grow rapidly. India is growing at about 7.5 per cent per annum. It's an oasis of growth in the midst of a very barren economic landscape," Kant said at an event organised by American Chamber of Commerce in India.
"But the challenge for India is to grow at 8-9-10 per cent per annum, year after year, for three decades or more. And only when we grow at those rates, our (Indo-US) relationship will get strengthened."

Kant also spoke about the importance of taking several measures for India to grow at this clip and wants the US to do its bit for imparting greater momentum to the bilateral ties.
The economy grew at 7.6 per cent in 2015-16.
Another pre-condition for such growth is to make India very easy and simple place to do business, Kant stressed.

"We need to make things very very easy, and this government is very determined to do this... We have done away with a number of approval processes at the central level," Kant added.
He was of the view that though Indo-US relationship has done "very well" during the past one year, it is yet to be fully tapped and can be taken to far greater heights.

Kant acknowledged that the more the market opens up, the greater the scope for manufacturing expansion, calling upon the US to roll out a red carpet to the Indian service sector and software companies.
"While I advocate free trade for India, I must say while India is becoming more and more open, the US should also open its services sector for Indians to go and work there. There can't be a half-way house," he made it clear.
Kant said India needs to realise that we are living in a globalised world and it has to be integral part of the global supply chain.

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Verma said 2015 was a defining year, as both the countries set aside their differences for mutual progress.
"Let us hit the pause button and see how far we have come. Both the countries did a great job by coming together at the Climate Change Summit in Paris last year. Besides, 2015 saw Indo-US bilateral trade scale new heights. Soon the two countries will hit the USD 108 billion-mark (in terms of trade)," he added.
The ambassador also pointed out that last year 1.1 million US visas were issued to the country.
"Around 38 government-to-government dialogues are in progress between India and the US," Verma said.