Talk on US-India Relations by Consul General of India
Posted April 22, 2016
On March 31, the Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy (CISTP), along with the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) hosted Mr. Nagesh Singh, the Consul General of India stationed in Atlanta, Georgia.
During his talk, Mr. Singh spoke about India-U.S. relations and the history of the partnership between the two nations. He began the talk by touching on the developmental history of India and its path to becoming a developed nation as well as a trusted partner of the U.S. India has come a long way in improving the living standard of its population, but still has a long way to go in reducing inequality while still continuing sustainable economic growth. Currently, 25% of India’s population is in abject poverty, yet experience a high GDP growth rate above seven percent. According to the Mr. Singh, India has continued to move ahead democratically and continues to address its socio-political and socio-economic problems through discussion and compromise among the over 1,700 political parties that participate in its government. The Consul General was firm in his assertion that despite the faults and challenges that India faces, the country is persistent in addressing them with inward-looking solutions and a strong fruitful partnership with the U.S.
Mr. Singh spoke at length about the evolution of the India-U.S. relationship and credited two central issues as being the most critical in changing India-US relations for the better. The first is the dual convergence in addressing security and terrorism threats. The second and possibly most important consideration is the presence of over 3.5 million Indian-Americans living in the U.S. Since the first Bush Administration and Clinton Administration, bi-partisan support for India-U..S relations has prevailed. Since then, India and the U.S. have partnered in development efforts and aid to developing countries in areas such as skill development, disaster relief, and women’s rights. However, the biggest cooperation efforts have been in the defense sector, and Mr. Singh contends that this relationship will continue to grow steadily.
He concluded by stating that the benefits from the India-US partnership have extended to Asia, Africa, and Latin American and that this relationship could one day be a global source of security and prosperity.
Prior to being appointed as Consul General of India in Atlanta, Nagesh Singh has served as Joint Secretary/Officer on Special Duty to the Vice President of India (September 2012 – June 2015), Director (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) in the Ministry of External Affairs (February 2010– August 2012), Counsellor (UN Administrative & Budgetary Affairs) in the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York (June 2006 – February 2010), Private Secretary to the Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India (June 2003 – May 2006) and Under Secretary (Pakistan) in the Ministry of External Affairs (September 2002 – May 2003). He has also served as Second Secretary in Embassy of India in Dakar (Republic of Senegal), with concurrent accreditation to Cape Verde, Guinea, Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and The Gambia (July 2000 to August 2002) and Third/Second Secretary, Embassy of India in Paris (June 1997 – June 2000). He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1995. Nagesh Singh did his B.A. (Hons) in Economics from University of Delhi and Master’s in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics. He speaks Hindi, English and French.
