BETHLEHEM, Pa. — India’s ambassador to the United States visited Lehigh University on Wednesday to discuss U.S.-India relations and global partnerships in higher education during a fireside chat with students, faculty and staff.
Vinay Kwatra spoke about the evolving relationship between the two nations and opportunities for collaboration.
“There is a certain historical context to the India-U.S. relationship, and in its journey of evolution, there have been times when India and the U.S. have not seen things in the same way as the other,” Kwatra said during the Nov. 5 event in the Harmon Boardroom at Clayton University Center.
The conversation was moderated by Richard Verma, a 1990 Lehigh graduate who served as U.S. ambassador to India during the Obama administration and is currently Lehigh’s inaugural President’s Distinguished Fellow.
Verma noted that the relationship between the two nations has evolved significantly, citing a 2016 address to Congress in which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the countries had “overcome the hesitations of history” — an allusion to decades when India and the U.S. maintained distance during the Cold War.
Kwatra has more than 36 years of experience in international affairs and diplomacy. Before his current role, he served as India’s foreign secretary, the country’s top diplomat, and held ambassadorships to Nepal and France. He also served as India’s permanent representative to UNESCO.
The ambassador highlighted the Indian American diaspora’s contributions to U.S. society, noting their presence in medicine, hospitality and technology.
Kwatra noted that Indian Americans are among the largest groups of doctors in the United States. “There are a large number of Indian origin, American nationals, who are contributing enormously to the community building and to the nation building in the U.S.”
During the question-and-answer session, Isaiah Sohn, a political science major and member of the class of 2026, asked which areas of cooperation — energy, trade or AI — offered the most significant potential for transformative growth.
“All three, because they are interlinked to each other in many ways,” Kwatra responded. He said India and the U.S. are working toward increasing bilateral trade from the current $200 billion to $500 billion by 2030.
On energy, Kwatra noted that India imports about 85 percent of its energy needs. Indian purchases of U.S. oil have increased 60 to 70 percent in the last 10 months, he said, with total purchases expected to double from $5 billion last year to about $10 billion this year.
Regarding AI cooperation, Kwatra said India and the U.S. have complementary capabilities across four key areas: compute power, data, STEM talent and use-case analysis.
“If you look at those elements of AI, you will find there is a high degree of natural convergence in terms of what India and the U.S. can do in the field of AI,” he said.
Rishabh Kumar, a financial engineering student and member of the class of 2026, asked how Indian students and professionals abroad can contribute to partnerships in areas such as AI, semiconductors and clean energy.
He cited India’s Semiconductor Mission as an example of collaboration between the two nations, with Indian American scientists helping to develop the manufacturing program focused on producing chips with 28- to 65-nanometer processes.
“Indian-American scientists based here were very helpful in contributing to the shaping, the conceptual orientation and how exactly we could best move forward,” Kwatra said. The program is expected to produce its first chips next year.
When asked about opportunities for U.S. students and faculty interested in studying or conducting research in India, Kwatra said, “We would welcome you with open arms if you decide to do so.”
He said Prime Minister Modi has focused on strengthening educational and research collaboration since taking office in 2014, with initiatives available at the district, state and national levels.
Looking ahead to India’s development goals, Kwatra said the country aims to transition from a developing to a developed economy by 2047, the 100th anniversary of India’s independence.
“Our target, very simply in broad brush terms, is we are a developing economy now. We want to be a developed economy by 2047,” he said.
The goal is to reach a GDP of $30 trillion to $35 trillion, up from the current $4.5 trillion, Kwatra said.
A student delivering closing remarks on behalf of the Lehigh University community thanked Kwatra for his diplomatic work. Avbeet Kaur, a computer science and business major and member of the class of 2028, said, “Beyond your formal role, we see you as a powerful symbol.
Thank you for skillfully representing our country and for enabling the environment that allows Indian students to pursue their education and take advantage of unparalleled opportunities here in the United States.”
The event was part of the Lehigh University-United Nations Partnership’s Ambassadorial Speaker Series, which has featured ambassadors from South Korea, Iraq, Sudan and other nations over more than a decade.
The LU/UN Partnership provides opportunities for more than 1,000 Lehigh faculty, staff and students each year to attend U.N. conferences, briefings and private meetings with ambassadors and other officials.
