Too early to gauge impact of Narendra Modi's foreign visits: US think-tanks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have made a slew of foreign trips but as of now it is too early to gauge their impact. That was the opinion of the heads of two US-based think tanks in the city at present.

James G. McGann, Director, Think Tanks and Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), and Steven J. Bennett, vice president and chief operating officer, Brookings, are in India. They are meeting think tanks in India.

"It is still very early to say anything about Modi's visit (to foreign countries)," said James. The speakers instead felt that India needed to engage more with other countries in the time to come.

In particular, they were of the view that India needs to engage more with other other Asian countries like China, Korea and Japan. "It is not to the degree it should be there and not commensurate to the role India is playing. China and other countries have lot more engagement. These engagements are not just at the think-tank level," said James.

The issue of black money, with which Indian leaders have succeeded in achieving a connect with the citizens, has not reached the table of the think tanks or the stage where it can be suggested for any policy. "This is the first time we are hearing this," said Steven.

The two were of the view that India should increase communication and engagement with other countries and work on problems, issues and commonalities of interest.