Source: Bloomberg TV India
On the eve of Modi’s second visit to the United States, Carnegie’s Milan Vaishnav and Sandanand Dhune from the American Enterprise Institute discussed the outcomes of the U.S.-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, the BJP’s reform agenda, and the impact of upcoming state elections in Bihar. On U.S.-India cooperation, Vaishnav noted an increasingly convergent position regarding Pakistan. He also spoke of China, saying that whether or not the text of the joint statement has anything to say about China, the People’s Republic nonetheless looms large in the subtext of the U.S.-India relationship. On the economy, Vaishnav contended that India is trending in the right direction compared to other emerging markets, but not improving with the speed that most people hoped it would. A lot of reform, Vaishnav concluded, still needs to be done.