WASHINGTON D.C. - The
U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum’s Private Sector
Advisory Group (PSAG) held its first meeting in New York, NY,
on September 24, 2007. U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab and
India’s Minister of Commerce and
Industry Kamal Nath met with the PSAG’s members, all leading trade experts, to
discuss ways in which the PSAG could help to inject strategic, policy-related
ideas into the Trade Policy Forum.
Ambassador Schwab and Minister Nath asked the group to
examine where we want to be over the next two to five years and to provide
recommendations on the incremental steps we can take to overcome obstacles and
enable unfettered trade and investment.
The Private Sector Advisory Group is uniquely poised to
support the two governments in the effort to strengthen the bilateral trade and
investment relationship and, in the process, to deepen the bond between the
United States and
India.
“The U.S.-India economic partnership is the strongest it
has ever been, and trade has played a vital role in that development,” said
Ambassador Schwab. “Results have been achieved by the Trade Policy Forum’s
government-to-government dialogue. I look forward to taking on board the
Private Sector Advisory Group’s recommendations for intensifying trade and
investment flows in coming years.”
“The Private Sector Advisory Group provides an opportunity
on an institutional basis to identify areas of mutual interest impacting
bilateral trade,” said Minister Nath. “It is a unique arrangement, wherein
both sides will engage to evolve a set of core ideas that will provide impetus
to the bilateral trade and also promote transparency between the Trade Policy
Forum and the private sector.”
Members of the Private Sector Advisory Group in
Attendance
For the United
States:
Dr. C. Fred Bergsten, Director, Peterson Institute for
International Economics (Co-Chair)
Ambassador Carla Hills, Former U.S. Trade Representative,
currently Chairman and CEO of Hills & Co.
Mr. John J. Castellani, President, Business
Roundtable
Mr. Ron Somers, President of the U.S. India Business Council
For India:
Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Chairman, Indian Council for
Research on International Economic Relations (Co-Chair)
Mr. V. Govindarajan, Member Secretary, National
Manufacturing Competitiveness Council
Lt. Gen. (ret.) S.S. Mehta, Director General,
Confederation of Indian Industry
Mr. Habil Khorakiwala, President, Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry
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