Pittsburgh_Patrika_October_2015

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 21, No. 1, October 2015
US-India Ties:
US Ambassador to India Addresses at CMU
Richard Verma, the US Ambassador to India addressed a gathering at
Carnegie Mellon University’s Rango’s Hall on September 23. Ambassador
Verma grew up in Johnstown as the son of a professor at University of
Pittsburgh’s Johnstown campus.
Highlighting the southwest Pennsylvania’s importance to India, he
remarked at the outset that Indian businesses’ investment in this region is
next only to that in the Dallas region in Texas, where it is the highest.
Ambassador Verma credited the Indian immigrants here for fostering
relations between the two countries with shared goals of using higher
education at the University of Pittsburgh,
Carnegie Mellon and others
to achieve the American dream.
He elaborated on why the US and
India are natural partners and why
India matters right now for the
US’s geopolitical and strategic interests.
The large middle-class and
the number of people below 25,
Mr. Richard Varma, US ambassador to India, with
Dr. Subra Suresh, President of Carnegie Mellon
University during his visit in September 2015.
Source: The Graphics Arts Department of the
University.
he said, make India very vibrant
and attractive to the US on many
dimensions.
After looking to the West for decades
even after the collapse of the
Soviet Union, India has shifted its gaze toward its own neighborhood as it
wants to anchor itself as using as tools its history, culture, entertainment,
higher education, technology, trade, and its geostrategic considerations.
He said the US and India were already cooperating in clean energy,
Space, health, education, and knowledge initiatives, and others. He briefly
touched on each topic and the endeavors already under way.
“The world’s largest democracy and the oldest democracy are natural
allies, and together we can bring peace and harmony to a large part of
the world.” he declared.
During the address, Dr. Subra Suresh, president of CMU, said this
year largest numbers of students from India attend CMU in both graduate
and undergraduate programs. He also announced the $35 million gift from
Tatas for a new facility, the Tata Consultancy Services Building, to foster
higher education and cutting-edge research at the university.
— By Premlata Venkataraman •
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