Kamal Nath

Chicago, Feb. 19: In a rare example of proactive Indian diplomacy, Union commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath will take America’s outsourcing bull by its horns here today in anticipation of the issue developing into political football during this year’s US presidential and Congressional election campaigns.

Backed by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), Kamal Nath will unveil India’s story on investing in America at a spectacular event attended by more than 50 Indian industrialists who are seeking tie-ups with US businesses.

There is symbolism in India unveiling in Chicago its message that globalised business is a two-way street: this is the home town of Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama who is raising the pitch in his campaign about American jobs going overseas. Campaigning for the party primaries taking place in Wisconsin and Hawaii today, Obama spoke repeatedly yesterday about the perils of American jobs being sent abroad by US corporations.

The Tatas, Ranbaxy, HCL America, Mahindra USA, Satyam Computers, Essar Group, Wockhardt USA, Thermax, ITC Kitchens of India, Bharat Forge America and Jet Airways are among the companies, which will celebrate their investments in the US at the presentation of “Investing in America: The Indian Story” here today.

According to estimates here, investments by Indian companies in the US last year rose by a phenomenal 500 per cent taking the total to $10.5 billion resulting in job creation in America.

It is a story that has received little publicity here so far and can counter the campaign against outsourcing of American jobs to India.

Susan Schwab, US Trade Representative (USTR) and leading lights of America’s corporate sector will attend the proactive Indian presentation.

A meeting of the India-US Trade Policy Forum, set up in 2005 during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the White House and the first ever summit of small and medium enterprises in both countries will provide the setting for today’s presentation.

The Bush administration, which is perceived here to be supportive of outsourcing, will be represented at today’s meetings by the USTR.

Banashri Bose Harrison, minister (commerce) at the Indian embassy in Washington, who is in charge of today’s multiple initiatives, said that when the two ministers, “commercial CEOs of both countries meet face to face, the exercise adds vigour to the official process”.

“Investing in America: The Indian Story” will travel to several cities in the US as a roadshow, to which state legislators, mayors and Congressmen will be invited to hear what is really the Indian side of the outsourcing debate.

Ranjana Khanna, Ficci’s US-based assistant secretary general, said the idea is that these roadshows will culminate in a high power reception on Capitol Hill in July when America’s presidential campaign is in high gear.

Khanna said there has been a “lack of communication to impress upon the American public mind the benefits of globalisation.”

USIBC president Ron Somers, who was to have been the master of ceremonies at today’s presentation, has been stuck in New Delhi because of flight delay as a result of reconstruction of the capital’s international airport.