Takshashila Hosted Christopher W. Hodges, US Consul-General, for a Discussion on India-US Partnership
On February 28, 2024, the Takshashila Institution hosted H.E Mr. Christopher W. Hodges, US Consul-General in Chennai, India, for a closed-door conversation on the India-US partnership. The session was moderated by Mr. Narayan Ramachandran, co-founder of the Takshashila Institution.
The session began with remarks from the Consul-General Mr. Hodges, who discussed his previous postings, including working as Senior Advisor in the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs, both of which he described as “tough” portfolios. He further added that in his seven months as Consul-General in Chennai, the India-US partnership is standing at a crossroads where there is no ceiling for the expansion of relations. He described the need for the two sides to expand relations as partners and friends across the board, including building vibrant economies based on innovation.
Further Mr. Hodges highlighted that the India-US partnership needs to move beyond the bilateral mechanisms of diplomacy, such as 2+2 dialogues and prime ministerial meetings, towards a partnership that revolves around diversity and inclusion, convergence of our broader values, and enabling right of access and engagement with each others’ populations.
Next, Mr. Hodges proposed a three-part framework for taking the relationship forward – Anticipate, Integrate and Elaborate. Anticipation requires the two sides to create an ecosystem where next generation technology can thrive with transparency and consistency; where regulations and norms are aligned with global standards so that people and businesses feel secure; and where there is a culture of strong protection for intellectual property, so that companies feel motivated to innovate. Using the example of Tamil Nadu as an incubator for green technology innovation, the Consul-General also highlighted the significance of subnational actors and states to attract and enable investment in next generation technology.
On integration, Mr. Hodges argued that there needs to be support for academic and commercial research in India and the US, and all relevant stakeholders – from community colleges to Ivy league colleges and Fortune 500 companies – need to participate in the partnership. He further highlighted that Indian Multinational Corporations should fund R&D in universities and startups to build new technology, considering that the latter possess good ideas but lack capital or scalability. He illustrated the above argument using the example of the Coimbatore Defence Innovation and Atal Incubation Centre, which has partnered with young startups and supported them in winning as many as 17 iDEX awards.
Lastly, Mr. Hodges described ‘elaborate’ as involving investment in traditional manufacturing, without separating legacy technology from frontier technology, or goods, from services. Further, he stated that whether it is quantum, Artificial Intelligence, commercial outer space technology, etc., there is a need to elaborate innovation and integration in India and the US’s particular democratic contexts. This would also require sharing of knowledge across members of initiatives like the Quad and the Five Eyes alliance.
Mr. Hodges’ comments were followed by brief remarks by the Consul-General of Australia in Bengaluru, Ms. Hilary McGeachy, and the Consul-General of France in Bengaluru, Mr. Thierry Berthelot. Following their remarks, a Question-and-Answer session was conducted with the audience. Questions posed to Mr. Hodges revolved around expanding the trade numbers in the US-India relationship, enhancing defense cooperation through interoperability and initiatives like INDUS-X, and augmenting public diplomacy between the two sides’ populations.
