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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                           SEPTEMBER 11, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 24

                     FM Sitharaman’s US Outreach Puts

            Finance, Business and Diaspora at Centre

               From G20 financial diplomacy to meetings with American business leaders and engagement

                   with the Indian community, Nirmala Sitharaman’s US visit underlines the expanding

                                   economic and strategic ties between India and the United States

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            cial intelligence, financial services and
                                                                                                                  supply chains are increasingly inter-
            CHICAGO / NEW YORK, NY
                                                                                                                  connected in New Delhi’s economic
                   nion Finance and Corpo-                                                                        diplomacy.
                   rate Affairs Minister Nirmala                                                                      At the Consulate General of In-
            USitharaman’s       engagements                                                                       dia, she addressed members of the
            in the United States have brought                                                                     Chicago-based Indian community, de-
            together several strands of India’s                                                                   scribed by the Ministry as a “vibrant
            economic diplomacy — from global                                                                      Indian diaspora community”.
            financial governance and cooperation                                                                      The  engagement  was  significant
            against  illicit  finance  to  investment,                                                            not merely as a community outreach
            advanced technology, manufacturing                                                                    exercise but because the Indian dias-
            and diaspora outreach.                                                                                pora  has  become  an  important  link
                On the sidelines of the G20 Fi-                                                                   between the two economies. Indi-
            nance  Ministers  and  Central  Bank                                                                  an-origin professionals, entrepreneurs,
            Governors (FMCBG) Meeting in                                                                          investors and business leaders have
            Asheville, Sitharaman held a brief                                                                    established a substantial presence
            meeting   with  Financial  Action                                                                     across sectors of the American econ-
            Task  Force  (FATF)  President  Giles   Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with Marsh Re Strategy Head and Corporate   omy, creating networks that connect
            Thompson. The Ministry of Finance                                                                     capital, technology, skills and markets
            described it as a “brush-by meeting”   Development Devanshu Dhyani, in New York on Thursday. (@FinMinIndia X/ANI Photo)  between the two countries.
            but did not provide details of the is-                                                                    Sitharaman’s nine-day visit to
            sues discussed.                   the company’s engagement with India.  mension of the US-India economic   Canada and the United States, which
                The interaction with the FATF     At a meeting with ADM Exec-   relationship was highlighted during   began on August 25 and concluded on
            chief  assumes  significance  given  the   utive Vice President and Chief Fi-  Sitharaman’s meeting with Shield AI   September 2, thus comes at a moment
            organisation’s role in setting global   nancial  Officer  Monish  Patolawala,  Co-founder and President Brandon   when India-US economic ties are ac-
            standards to combat money laun-   Sitharaman discussed the company’s   Tseng.                         quiring greater strategic importance.
            dering,  terrorist  financing  and  other   long-standing presence in India and   This marks a significant evolution   The challenge for New Delhi is to
            threats  to  the  international  financial   opportunities to expand cooperation   in the economic relationship between   convert the breadth of these discus-
            system. For India, engagement with   in agriculture, food processing, nutri-  the two countries. While trade and in-  sions into concrete investment, tech-
            the FATF is also part of a broader ef-  tion and sustainable supply chains.  vestment remain central,  technology,  nology partnerships, manufacturing ca-
            fort  to  strengthen  financial  transpar-  The Finance Minister highlighted   defence manufacturing and strategic   pacity and stronger supply-chain links.
            ency, address illicit flows and ensure   opportunities  to  strengthen  linkages   supply chains are increasingly becom-  The opportunities are consider-
            that its financial system remains close-  with Indian farmers and expand re-  ing part of the bilateral economic con-  able. With bilateral trade expanding
            ly aligned with international standards.  generative and sustainable agriculture   versation.         and American companies looking at
                Sitharaman’s participation in the   while  making  greater  use  of  India’s   India’s growing importance as a   India as both a market and a potential
            G20 meeting placed these concerns   capabilities in  food  processing,  inno-  commercial destination was also at   production and technology base, eco-
            within a much wider discussion on the   vation and emerging technologies.  the centre of Sitharaman’s meeting   nomic diplomacy is increasingly be-
            global economy. The G20 remains an    An important part of the discus-  with Hyatt President and CEO Mark   coming an essential component of the
            important forum for India to press   sion was India’s ambition to become a   S. Hoplamazian.          wider India-US strategic partnership.
            for greater coordination on financial   global hub for some of ADM’s oper-  She highlighted India’s improving   Sitharaman’s meetings in Ashe-
            stability,  development  financing  and   ations, including exports, technology   connectivity and infrastructure and   ville and Chicago suggest that India’s
            reforms to international economic in-  and treasury functions. The Ministry   pointed to the emergence of Tier-II   economic engagement with the Unit-
            stitutions at a time when global trade   pointed to GIFT International Fi-  and Tier-III cities as new centres of   ed States is being pursued on several
            and investment flows are facing con-  nancial Services Centre as a potential   economic activity and travel. The Fi-  fronts  simultaneously  —  in  global  fi-
            siderable uncertainty.            platform  for  international  financial   nance Minister also drew attention   nancial institutions, corporate board-
                Her Asheville engagements also   and treasury operations.       to opportunities in spiritual, cultural,  rooms and the Indian-American com-
            included meetings with senior interna-  That  pitch  reflects  a  broader  ef-  wellness, medical, nature and experi-  munity.
            tional officials and American business   fort by New Delhi to position India   ential tourism.            The message is clear: India wants
            leaders. She held a brief interaction   not simply as a large consumer market   Taken  together,  these  meetings   to be seen not simply as a destination
            with UK Chancellor of the Exchequer   but as a location from which multina-  show the breadth of the economic   for American business, but as a part-
            John Healey, while an earlier meeting   tional companies can manage regional   agenda India is pursuing in the Unit-  ner in shaping the next phase of global
            with 3M Chairman and Chief Execu-  and global operations.           ed States. Agriculture, manufacturing,  finance,  technology,  manufacturing
            tive Officer William Brown focused on   The technology and defence di-  hospitality, defence technology, artifi-  and trade.

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