WASHINGTON D.C. - The U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum’s Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) held its first meeting in New York, NY, on September 24, 2007.  U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab and India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath met with the PSAG’s members, all leading trade experts, to discuss ways in which the PSAG could help to inject strategic, policy-related ideas into the Trade Policy Forum. 

Ambassador Schwab and Minister Nath asked the group to examine where we want to be over the next two to five years and to provide recommendations on the incremental steps we can take to overcome obstacles and enable unfettered trade and investment.

The Private Sector Advisory Group is uniquely poised to support the two governments in the effort to strengthen the bilateral trade and investment relationship and, in the process, to deepen the bond between the United States and India.

“The U.S.-India economic partnership is the strongest it has ever been, and trade has played a vital role in that development,” said Ambassador Schwab.  “Results have been achieved by the Trade Policy Forum’s government-to-government dialogue.  I look forward to taking on board the Private Sector Advisory Group’s recommendations for intensifying trade and investment flows in coming years.”

“The Private Sector Advisory Group provides an opportunity on an institutional basis to identify areas of mutual interest impacting bilateral trade,” said Minister Nath.  “It is a unique arrangement, wherein both sides will engage to evolve a set of core ideas that will provide impetus to the bilateral trade and also promote transparency between the Trade Policy Forum and the private sector.”

Members of the Private Sector Advisory Group in Attendance

For the United States:                                                  

Dr. C. Fred Bergsten, Director, Peterson Institute for International Economics (Co-Chair)

Ambassador Carla Hills, Former U.S. Trade Representative, currently Chairman and CEO of Hills & Co.

Mr. John J. Castellani, President, Business Roundtable

Mr. Ron Somers, President of the U.S. India Business Council

For India:

Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Chairman, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (Co-Chair)

Mr. V. Govindarajan, Member Secretary, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council

Lt. Gen. (ret.) S.S. Mehta, Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry

Mr. Habil Khorakiwala, President, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry

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