India is a better place to do business than China, according to U.S. Ambassador David Milford. It’s true that the notorious Indian bureaucracy remains a stumbling block. But continuing reforms and the rule of written law is making the country more business friendly and supportive of individual rights.
Those are just a few reasons why the United States is now India’s largest trading partner ($42 billion last year alone) and the largest foreign investor in India. Meanwhile, Indian firms are now becoming worldwide companies. The Tata Group, planning to produce a mass-market car to sell at $2,500, also bought the Land Rover and Jaguar automobile lines from Ford. It has recently invested several billion dollars in major manufacturing projects in the United States.
And Tata has also opened up two “call centers” in Ohio and Florida. That’s right -- an Indian firm is hiring Americans to man the phones.
India still has a long way to go. Its educational system needs greater input from international colleges and universities, but that’s illegal. And the financial structure is monopolistic and non-competitive. Still other reforms are required across the board. Hopefully, pending bills before Parliament will lead to reform in all of these critical areas.
After a week in India, I can claim only a superficial set of impressions about this complex society, and the important bilateral relationship between the U.S. and India. But it’s enough to convince me that if India continues on its reform path, it will become a very important player on the international scene, and a vital advocate for freedom around the globe.
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