US-India dosti: A friendship two centuries in the making

During my first year as US consul general in Mumbai, the growth of the US-India relationship has been remarkable and far-reaching. This year, we'll exceed $100 billion in annual bilateral trade and investment. Over 1 million Indians will travel to the US for business or pleasure. Our leaders and senior officials are engaging regularly at the highest levels and working towards solutions that serve the interests of both our countries as well as the world.

While this extraordinary level of engagement is new, the relationship between our two nations is more than two centuries in the making. Today, thanks to those before us who endeavoured to build 'US-India dosti', our two countries are working together to shape a world, as secretary of state John Kerry said last week, "that is more secure, peaceful, and prosperous than it was before our efforts came together".

September 30, marks the second annual 'US-India Partnership Day' that we recognise in the US in accordance with a bipartisan resolution of the US Senate. The timing couldn't be more auspicious. Last week, our two countries held our first strategic and commercial dialogue. Prime minister Modi just concluded his second successful visit to the US since taking office. He and president Obama met and committed to take our bilateral cooperation even further in the areas of trade and investment, clean energy, security and defence, and climate change.

The great advancements we are making today are deeply rooted in our connections from the past. For example, when the US won its war of independence in 1776, American private merchants won their freedom from British trade restrictions and were soon sending merchant ships to India. In the field of science, Americans and Indians have been collaborating for at least 150 years, spurring meaningful exchanges in everything from aviation to medicine. A great example is renowned industrialist JN Tata, who consulted American experts and visited US factories to realise his ambitious plan for steel production in India. In education, I am proud that the first woman Indian doctor in western medicine, Anandi Gopal Joshi, studied in the US in the 1880s. Millions of Indian students have followed her example, and, today, education exchange is a cornerstone of our relationship.

To be sure, US-India dosti isn't just about government agreements and business deals — it is much more. Recently, my family and I were able to participate in the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities in Mumbai. We had an eco-friendly Ganesh in our home and took it for immersion at Juhu beach. As we approached the beach, people we had never met came forward and helped us light a flame and perform the proper ceremony before immersion.

They made us feel welcome, and we celebrated together as if we were old friends. We've experienced similar acts of kindness throughout India over the past year.

For me and my family, this is US-India dosti — a friendship built on 200 years of cooperation and partnership.

(The author is the US Consul General in Mumbai.)