US Ambassador Eric Garcetti on first year in India

US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, commemorated his one-year tenure in New Delhi by unveiling a video that reflected his journey and achievements.

Although the video initially seemed like a typical formal account of a diplomat’s first year in a new nation, Garcetti and his team infused humour while narrating the accomplishments of both countries.

Garcetti mentioned that during the past year, he had travelled to more than 22 states and Union Territories, spanning from Wagah to Kanyakumari and from Mumbai to Kohima. He added that he had made wonderful friends, received fantastic gifts, and enjoyed delicious food during his travels, all while acknowledging that it was a ‘banner year for trade’.

He further highlighted that nearly $200 billion worth of trade happened between the two nations.

In a lighthearted moment, while making a UPI payment for a mango, he exclaimed, “UPI ghazab hai!” which means “UPI is amazing!”

Delving into India-US defence collaboration, Garcetti noted a record number of military exercises last year aimed at “promoting peace and enhancing interoperability.”

“From the seabed to the stars, theUS-India relationship is reaching new heights, including all the way to space where this past year we made huge strides in NISAR, the first satellite that NASA and ISRO are making together. It will blast off later this year,” he announced.

Shifting focus to environmental sustainability, Garcetti praised joint efforts to bolster climate resilience and solutions, such as financing 10,000 new electric buses and establishing the largest solar manufacturing plant in southern India.

Regarding health cooperation, Garcetti acknowledged the collaboration between “brilliant minds” from the US and India in developing new vaccines for dengue and malaria.

He also commended efforts to streamline visa processing, highlighting a 75% reduction in wait times, a 60% increase in number of visas issued, and India becoming the leading source of international students, resulting in 1.4 million visas processed last year.