Stating that the U.S. was excited and committed to improve economic relationship with India, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk on Monday urged the Indian Government to improve climate for luring liberal investments into India, including the IPR regime.
“We would also like to see more improvement and openness in the investment environment for U.S. businesses in India.
“There is room for improvement by India and we have conveyed to the Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand Sharma. There is concern over the present Intellectual Property Right (IPR) regime and how it works. Present trade between the two countries is the tip of the iceberg.
Seeks greater access
“We want India to be among the top ten trading partners of the U.S. from the present 17th position. We look for improvement in the healthcare, education, information technology and environmental systems. The U.S. has sought greater access to financial services, goods and services areas,” he told journalists at a briefing here. Referring to the concerns expressed by the Indian side on the H1-B visas issue, Mr. Kirk said the U.S. administration was working closely with the U.S. Congress to address the concerns on this issue.
Talking about the IPR regime, Mr. Kirk said it was saddening that India had been on the U.S. watch-list for the last 14 years. Business partners should play but the rules. India needs to work on the IPR issues and its administration in order to generate confidence among investors from the U.S.
