India's ambassador to the United States Nirupama Rao said that India would work to protect its business interests in the context of a proposed U.S. legislation against outsourcing call centre works to countries, including India. She said India would draw up appropriate strategies after studying the U.S. bill.
The bill, U.S. Call Center and Consumer Protection Act, was tabled in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday by Democrat Congressman Tim Bishop of New York.
Ms. Rao was speaking after addressing the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) here on Thursday on India's growing trade, political and strategic engagement with the U.S. The programme was hosted by KCCI Ladies' Forum.
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She said that India had not taken away jobs from the U.S. Instead, Indian investments had created 65,000 jobs in the U.S. last year. India-U.S. relations — anchored on business, trade and technological cooperation; peace and development efforts in countries like Afghanisatan and growing defence tie-ups — were at its best phase now. India looked to substantial U.S. investments in building infrastructure in the country. The U.S. is expected to be a major partner for India in finding investments of $1 trillion, over the next decade, in infrastructure here.
The U.S. Commerce Secretary, John Bryson, will visit India in March 2012, heading a delegation of U.S. business to specifically explore opportunities in infrastructure, said Ms. Rao. India-U.S. cooperation had extended itself to clean energy ventures and the recent memorandum of understanding between the two countries on exploring shale gas was a pointer in this direction.
India, looking to build what the ambassador called an ‘ever green revolution,' was looking to U.S. technology for meeting the demand for higher food production. India hopes to use space technology to get more accurate monsoon prediction and to create more efficient farm-to-market linkages.
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India-U.S. cooperation has also helped in addressing issues of global terrorism and maritime piracy, affecting trade between the two countries, said Ms. Rao.