On 17^th January 2018, AMCHAM held an interactive discussion with Ambassador Alice Wells, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asia Affairs, U.S. Department of State, at the U.S. Embassy, New Delhi. Mr. Robert Garverick, Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs and Environment, Science and Technology, U.S. Embassy, introduced the visiting delegates and Ms. Ranjana Khanna, Director General CEO, AMCHAM welcomed the participants. Mr. Phil Shaw, Chairman – Defense Committee and NEB Member, AMCHAM and Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin India, gave an update on the defense partnership. Ambassador Alice Wells spoke about growth in U.S. – India defense partnership, its importance both bilaterally and multilaterally, with the recent announcement of the formation of the quad. The two plus two dialogue, to be hosted in Washington D.C., would provide further opportunity for the defense sector.

This meeting aimed at gaining an understanding of the concerns of U.S. defense companies operating in India. Ambassador Wells highlighted the necessity for U.S. companies to focus on capacity building to support the Indian government’s Make in India. This interaction brought out the need for both B2B and B2G interactions on the side-lines of dialogue. The importance of cyber-defense initiatives and its possible inclusion in the forthcoming cyber dialogue was also discussed.