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Their discussion also included the regional situation in India's neighborhood. Congresswoman Ros-
Lehtinen welcomed India’s positive contribution to Afghanistan’s reconstruction and viewed U.S.-India
partnership as having an important role in contributing to Afghanistan’s progress and wellbeing.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen invited Ambassador Rao to visit Florida, and conveyed her interest in
continuing to remain in touch with Ambassador Rao.
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US corporates preparing 'agenda for progress' for UP
India-focused American companies are developing the "agenda for progress" for Uttar Pradesh with the
objective of its all-inclusive and dynamic growth, the US India Business Council (USIBC) has said. The
"agenda for progress", tailored made for the state, is being prepared at the request of Uttar Pradesh
chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.
It would be developed within the first 100 days of the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh by
USIBC, which is the apex body of American companies doing business in India. "Once Yadav fine tunes
the agenda, USIBC will launch a major high-level executive mission to Uttar Pradesh to begin
implementation," USIBC president Ron Somers said.
"I look forward to working with this forward-thinking chief minister to help achieve his goal of creating
jobs and prosperity for the people of this great state," said Somers, who had met Yadav within the very
first week of him taking over as the chief minister. Somers said he discussed the development priorities
for the state, where American investment would be welcome.
These areas include farming best practices; agricultural development, food processing, water
development for drinking, irrigation, and treatment; connectivity - including by air, by roads, and via the
internet.
Other areas include health care development, vocational skills development; manufacturing - with an
emphasis on Job creation and energy and power development. "American companies are keen to invest
in all these sectors - so long as the business environment is welcoming," he said.
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U.S. Schools Want a Part of the Huge Indian Education Market
As India takes small steps toward overhauling its lumbering higher-education system, U.S. colleges and
universities want a part of the action. Until now, U.S. involvement in the Indian higher-education system
has been limited to a largely advisory role. But now a new chapter is being written and the authors are
the Obama and Singh administrations.
U.S. universities are looking for new markets and new students. Indian officials, faced with surging
domestic demand for high-quality, university-level training, say their current higher-education system
needs massive revamping and upgrading to prepare its population to compete effectively in the global
economy.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and India's Minister of Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal
launched a higher-education partnership late last year in Washington.
U.S. institutions have begun working to capitalize on this new era, with universities such as Purdue,
Michigan State, Pennsylvania State, Illinois, Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Rutgers and the New Jersey Institute
of Technology (NJIT) setting up joint-degree and student-exchange programs or planning for them.
Americans are looking to partner with willing Indian counterparts. The internet is providing the
technological backdrop for such budding collaborations as university officials in both countries use the