NARASIMHAN KASTHURI
SAN FRANCISCO, NOV 15
Senior leaders from Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC), US officials, ministers, thousands of delegates, business leaders, and journalists from across the Asia-Pacific region converged in San Francisco for a week from November 11 to 17 to participate in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW).
Held a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of Commerce @SecRaimondo on the sidelines of the IPEF Ministerial Meeting and discussed the growing India-US commercial cooperation & business engagement.
An MoU on “Enhancing Innovation Ecosystems through an Innovation Handshake” was… pic.twitter.com/TCIiXPQkmo
— Piyush Goyal (मोदी का परिवार) (@PiyushGoyal) November 15, 2023
During AELW, US President Joseph R Biden will welcome APEC economic leaders to highlight the strength and resilience of the US economy, our longstanding economic ties with the Asia-Pacific, the surge of job-creating investments from APEC economies into the United States in recent years, and the role of the US economy in driving growth and innovation in the Asia-Pacific and globally.
- Goyal participates in the Investors Round Table organized in collaboration with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum and Indiaspora
- President Joe Biden will chair the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting from November 16-17
Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, who is on a visit to the US, attended the IPEF ministerial meeting in San Francisco. He met with Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry to discuss enhancing trade and cooperation between the two nations. He visited the local facilities and will be addressing several meetings, including the ICAI one.
India joins US & 12 other Indo-Pacific Economic Framework For Prosperity (IPEF) partners to ink the #IPEF Supply Chain Resilience Agreement, a first-of-its-kind international agreement that will:
💪Fortify & strengthen global supply chains
🌎 Foster adaptability, stability &… pic.twitter.com/dqFLQZOSuu— Piyush Goyal (मोदी का परिवार) (@PiyushGoyal) November 14, 2023
Earlier on November 13, Goyal participated in the Investors Round Table organized in collaboration with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum and Indiaspora.
Delighted to participate in the third in-person Ministerial meeting of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).
📍San Francisco, USA pic.twitter.com/b94clLt9pI
— Piyush Goyal (मोदी का परिवार) (@PiyushGoyal) November 14, 2023
The event was attended by venture capitalists and entrepreneurs from a wide spectrum of industries in the US, including from the domains of energy, manufacturing, logistics, and technology, among others.
Co-chaired the industry roundtable titled, 'Decoding the Innovation Handshake: US–India Entrepreneurship Partnership' along with @SecRaimondo.
CEOs of various Information Communication Technology (ICT) companies, startups & investors in the critical and emerging technology space… pic.twitter.com/zDXaT7AcrL
— Piyush Goyal (मोदी का परिवार) (@PiyushGoyal) November 15, 2023
In an interactive session held in San Francisco as part of the first leg of the tour in the US, the Union Minister held wide-ranging discussions with the participants and highlighted the various steps taken by the government of India to improve the ease of doing business. He has so far held various bilateral meetings with his counterparts of various countries.
“…highlighted how the country offers promising opportunities for investors, thanks to the unique combination of our demographic dividend, manufacturing capabilities & conducive business environment,” Goyal posted on X, contending that India is an attractive investment destination for the world.
The Commerce and Industry minster kicked off his US official tour with a visit to the the Tesla Factory Unit in Fremont and interacted with the senior executives of the Tesla group.
In a post on X Goyal said that the US electric car maker is on its way to double its component imports from India.
He said that he is “delighted” to see Indian engineers and finance professionals working in senior positions and contributing to Tesla’s journey to transform mobility.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk had in June this year said that he was planning to visit India next year, adding that he was confident that the electric carmaker will be in India and will do so “as soon as humanly possible.”
AELW in San Francisco concludes a productive series of meetings that were held in Honolulu, Hawaii (December 2022); Palm Springs, California (February); Detroit, Michigan (May); and Seattle, Washington (August). Delegates from each of the 21 member economies will take part in high-level meetings and side events with key stakeholders covering a wide range of topics, including: supply chain resilience; science, research, and innovation; critical and emerging technology; clean energy; high-standards infrastructure; women’s economic empowerment; and inclusivity.
Key ministerial and leaders’ meetings will be held throughout the duration of AELW. US Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen chaired the APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting on November 12 and 13. US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and the US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai co-chaired the APEC Ministerial Meeting on November 14 and 15. President Joe Biden will chair the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting from November 16-17 and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will chair the ABAC Dialogue.
Other US dignitaries include Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, who will support minister-level discussions on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, who will lead discussions on climate issues with APEC member economies and Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez, who will deliver the U.S. intervention at the APEC Ministerial Meeting and provide opening remarks at the APEC Ministerial lunch on Anti-Corruption. He will also meet with industry leaders to discuss the clean energy transition, the Mineral Security Partnership, and emerging technology.
These meetings will lay the groundwork for continued cooperation in APEC following our host year and will play a crucial role in solidifying this year’s APEC theme of “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All” for years to come.
The US will also be passing the APEC host year responsibilities to Peru as the host of APEC in 2024.
(Narasimhan Kasthuri was a veteran journalist with The Hindu and Financial Express covering business, IT etc. Now, in the US West Coast, he covers technology for NE. He can be contacted at @narasimhan.kasturi@yahoo.com, Mobile: +1 (650) 793-0056)
