AMCHAM co-hosted a U.S. industry interactive roundtable with a Congressional Delegation led by William “Mac” Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman, House Armed Services Committee. Other delegates included Representative Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Representative Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), HASC, Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX), HAC-D and other officials, on May 27th in New Delhi. AMCHAM’s Defense Committee members met with the delegation ahead of their meeting with Government of India officials and briefed them on pertinent issues like policy gaps in the Indian DPP, difficulty in ease of doing business and offset challenges. These points were raised to update the delegation on the issues that they could discuss on behalf of U.S. industry.

Chairman Thornberry said in the Indo-Pacific region the U.S. faces a near-term, belligerent threat armed with nuclear weapons and also a longer-term strategic competitor especially in the PACOM area of responsibility. Meeting all these challenges in the region was possible only because of the relationship with allies with whom the U.S. share common interests. He noted that one of the provisions of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2019 will be to rename the U.S.-Pacific Command to be renamed as Indo-Pacific Command.