President Obama cautioned Indian and U.S. business executives Monday that increasing economic growth must benefit India’s middle class while adhering to clean-energy standards.
At a business forum in New Delhi, Mr. Obama outlined steps to boost trade between the two nations and said both sides should ensure that their growth is spread evenly among their workers.
“We need to make sure that economic growth in both our countries is inclusive and sustained,” Mr. Obama said. “Growth cannot just be measured by the aggregate. It can’t just be measured by the bottom line on a balance sheet. Growth, in the end, has to make people’s lives better in real, tangible and lasting ways.”
Mr. Obama urged Indian officials to engage in “environmentally sound” growth.
“One of the great potentials for India, and one of the necessities for the world, is that we find ways to lift people out of poverty and provide them power in ways that are sustainable and allow you to leapfrog over some of the dirty development strategies of the past directly into the clean strategies of the future,” the president said.
He also noted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has enlisted business leaders to help him sweep streets in a cleanliness campaign. Mr. Obama commented wryly, “We might have to try that in the United States.”
SEE ALSO: U.S., India reach agreement on nuclear power
As Mr. Obama sought to enhance his rapport with Mr. Modi, China registered its displeasure. Chinese state media belittled Mr. Obama’s efforts to create closer ties with India.
“The shortened three-day visit is more symbolic than pragmatic, given the long-standing division between the two giants, which may be as huge as the distance between them,” read one commentary in Xinhua, the Chinese state press agency. “Three days are surely not enough for Obama and Modi to become true friends.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited with Mr. Modi in India in September, pledging to invest in Indian railways and nuclear power. Mr. Obama announced on Sunday that the U.S. and India had reached an agreement to boost U.S. investment in commercial nuclear power in India.
Mr. Obama, whose administration is often criticized by business leaders for imposing costly regulations, pledged to cut red tape in the U.S. to encourage Indian entrepreneurs to expand in America.
“We have to keep working to make it easier to do business together in both of our countries,” Mr. Obama said. “We need to be incentivizing trade and investment, not stifling it.”
Among the U.S. business executives in the audience were David Cote, CEO of Honeywell; Robert Iger, chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company; Daniel Roderick, president and CEO of Westinghouse; Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott and Ajay Banga, CEO of Mastercard.
SEE ALSO: John McCain: Iran ‘on the march’
“This prime minister got elected on the idea of creating a million jobs a month and improving the quality of life of his people, and we think there are three ways to do that,” Mr. Banga told reporters. “And U.S. companies bring capital, technology and IT people to help in all three: manufacturing, tourism, and infrastructure.”
The U.S.-India trade relationship is worth about $100 billion per year, and represents a little more than 1 percent of total U.S. exports. By comparison, trade between China and the U.S. reached more than $560 billion last year.
“The U.S.-India economic relationship is defined by untapped potential,” Mr. Obama said. “We’ve got to do better.”
Earlier Monday, the president raised some eyebrows in India when he was spotted on television chewing gum as the guest of honor at the country’s annual Republic Day parade.
The Times of India called it “an ungainly sight” as television cameras caught Mr. Obama chewing gum during the parade and removing his wad as Mr. Modi tried to explain part of the festivities to him.
“This is not the first time that Obama has been spotted chewing gum during an important function,” the Times commented. “Though there was a lot of commentary on social media on his chewing gum at a formal ceremony.”
Author Shobhaa De commented on Twitter, “Barack bhai working his jaws overtime and chewing gum! At least it isn’t gutka. But seriously — gum during a formal parade?”
“Bhai” is loosely translated as “brother;” gutka is a form of smokeless tobacco. Mr. Obama is known to chew nicotine gum frequently.
The parade featured a display of Russian-made military might, beginning with an overflight of Russian MIG helicopters. Later, a squadron of Russian-made T-90 tanks, painted a light yellow-green and a dark green, rolled down the street.
An Indian television announcer told the audience that the tanks have a maximum speed of 60 km/hour. Mr. Obama reached an agreement with Mr. Modi on Sunday to renew a 10-year defense cooperation pact between the two nations. White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Mr. Obama wasn’t bothered by the display of Russian military power during the parade, calling it an example of “Cold War context.”
“The United States is quickly moving towards surpassing Russia as a defense exporter to India,” Mr. Rhodes said. “So that balance has shifted over years. India obviously has a longstanding defense relationship with Russia, but our relationship is on the upswing. We’re very confident in the increasing defense ties, even though we recognize there’s a longstanding and legacy relationship with Russia.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.