April 28, 2025 | New Delhi

USISPF President and CEO Mukesh Aghi spoke in Mumbai at #IMECSummit2025 on the economic potential and growth of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

Organized by the Vishwamitra Research Foundation, Dr.Aghi laid the case for the IMEC as a powerful corridor of connectivity, across rail, roads, and ports, and one that connects like-minded partners and counters the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Dr. Aghi made the case for IMEC as a powerful opportunity to enhance connectivity, collaboration, and sustainable growth through strategic infrastructure development, efficient capital deployment, and integrated trade linkages.

IMEC has the potential to build a strong foundation for partnerships rooted in shared prosperity and purpose.

The discussion was moderated by Sanjeev Krishan of PwC India and other panelists included The Hon. Steven Ciobo, Ahmed El-Safty, Afaq Hussain, Alok Agarwal.

The underlying message is that IMEC is a platform for an enduring and successful partnership.

April 25, 2025 | New Delhi

USISPF’s U.S.-India Tax Forum had the honour of appearing before the Select Committee of the Indian Parliament, chaired by Shri Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda, on the transformative Income-tax Bill 2025.

We extend our sincere thanks to the Honourable Chairperson Shri Baijayant Panda, and the esteemed members of the Select Committee for this invaluable opportunity. Their openness to dialogue and commitment to reform exemplify the spirit of collaborative policymaking needed to drive India’s economic future.

The Indian Parliament stands as a powerful symbol of the nation’s democratic ideals and progressive vision. Engaging with 20 distinguished parliamentarians in such a historic setting made the conversation especially meaningful as we collectively explored ways to strengthen a taxpayer-centric framework.

We are proud to support this landmark initiative aimed at simplifying tax language, reducing compliance burdens, streamlining dispute resolution, and enhancing the ease of doing business in India.

Throughout the discussion, there was a strong, shared commitment to building a transparent, inclusive, and growth-oriented tax system-one that thoughtfully balances economic advancement with public welfare.

We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this pivotal moment, helping shape outcomes where policy, business, and the public good converge.

April 24, 2025 | New Delhi

USISPF in partnership with Silverado Policy Accelerator, convened a closed-door roundtable in New Delhi focused on enhancing U.S.-India Collaboration on critical minerals.

The session featured addresses from Lekhan Thakkar, Joint Secretary, National Security Council Secretariat; Dinesh Mahur, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Amy Schedlbauer, Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs, U.S. Embassy India.

Participants deliberated on the opportunities and challenges in building resilient critical mineral supply chains, as well as the potential for integrating critical minerals into a broader trade framework.

The roundtable brought together a diverse group of industry leaders from across the value chain, policy makers from the Government of India, representatives from the U.S. Embassy, and leading think tanks. The discussion was moderated by Mahnaz Khan and Ripu Bhanjan Singh.

April 23, 2025 | New Delhi

USISPF President and CEO, Dr. Mukesh Aghi spoke at Ananta Aspen Centre’s India-US Forum (IUF) on a panel titled “From Market to Maker: India’s $500 Billion Electronics Ambition.”

Dr. Aghi touched on how India stands at a critical inflection point
in its economic trajectory against the backdrop of global trade being reshaped and the quest to restore resilient supply chains in an era of friendshoring and nearshoring.

As India advances in its ambition to become a global manufacturing hub, what are the challenges and opportunities for the country?

How can India compete with other markets with speed, scale, and systems-level coherence?

India has a young and vibrant demographic dividend, and its strides in AI, machine learning, and big data position it as a global hub for data-driven technologies, such as semiconductors.

Dr. Aghi was joined by

1. Josh Foulger, President, Electronics ZETWERK
2. Chantal Lakatos, Managing Director, Government Affairs, Lam Research
3. Sunil Vachani, Chairman, Dixon Technologies India Limited
4. Sushil Pal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITy)
5. Ishtiyaque Ahmed, Programme Director- Industry/MSME, NITI Aayog

The session was moderated by Virat Bhatia, Managing Director, Apple, India.

April 22, 2025 | New Delhi

USISPF organized a roundtable on the sidelines of the India-US Forum on defense industrial cooperation.

The discussion focused on strengthening U.S.-India defense and the defense acceleration ecosystem and leveraging technological advancements to boost defense ties.

Shri. Vishwesh Negi, Joint Secretary, International Cooperation, Ministry of Defence of India, and Doug Beck, Director, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), co-chaired the session that was attended by startups, investors, primes, and government officials from both sides.

April 21, 2025 | New Delhi

USISPF hosted an exclusive roundtable discussion titled “The Future of Technologies,” led by USISPF Board Member, Mr. Prabhakar Raghavan, Chief Technologist at Google.

We were delighted to be joined by Sh. S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and key stakeholders from the industry.

This closed-door session convened a small group of influential leaders to explore key themes shaping our digital era, touching on advancing resilient and inclusive digital infrastructure, navigating the rise of next-generation technologies like edge AI, and addressing the societal implications of AI on knowledge, work, and trust.

As innovation outpaced regulation, the conversation reflected on the delicate balance between technological progress, ethical responsibility, and global governance.

Our member insights contributed to this thought-provoking dialogue.

April 16, 2025 | New Delhi

USISPF and Startup Policy Forum have signed an MoU to enhance and strengthen India’s start-up policy landscape. Since their inception, both organizations have worked to promote start-up growth and strengthen India’s commercial and innovation ecosystem.

This partnership aims to fructify this mission, leveraging the strengths of both organizations, accelerating the growth of India’s start-up ecosystem, and helping start-ups scale.

The MoU also envisions fostering a deeper U.S.-India innovation partnership and facilitating a connection for global investors with start-ups to help channelize capital into unicorns and the burgeoning start-up scene in the country.

April 7-9, 2025 | New Delhi

USISPF’s Col. Baljinder Singh spoke at the Indian DefSpace Symposium 2025, which was held at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi.

Col. Singh addressed U.S.-India space collaboration during a broader panel discussion.

The symposium brought together esteemed dignitaries and stakeholders from the Indian Armed Forces, DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, ISRO, various government ministries, academia, global missions in India, and the private sector investing in space.

Discussions focused on the progress achieved in the Indian space sector, collaborations with international space agencies, and developments in the military and commercial aspects of the space domain.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 | 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM | New Delhi

USISPF hosted a closed-door roundtable titled “The Evolving Semiconductor Landscape,” which brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, and global stakeholders for an in-depth discussion on advancing India’s semiconductor ambitions.

As India’s semiconductor market continued its rapid ascent—projected to grow to over $100 billion by 2032—participants explored strategic partnerships, investment opportunities, and policy interventions aimed at strengthening India’s position in the global value chain.

USISPF had the honor of welcoming John Neuffer, President and CEO of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), and Mary Thornton, Vice President for Global Policy at SIA, who shared valuable insights on global trends and opportunities for U.S.-India collaboration in the technological domain.

This roundtable marked another key step in advancing India’s vision of becoming a leading global hub for semiconductor and electronics manufacturing.