Indian-Americans feel bullish on Indo-US ties

WASHINGTONL: Indian-Americans including a prominent industrialist who attended Donald Trump's presidential inauguration feels bullish about the prospects of India-US relationship under the new Trump administration.
"India-US relationship is all set to for a new beginning under Trump administration," said noted industrialist Prakash Hinduja, who attended various inaugurations including swearing in ceremony at the Capitol Hill, and presidential ball.
He had a brief interaction with Trump during a pre-inauguration dinner at the Union Station on Thursday.
"He (the president) wants to strengthen America's ties with India," Hinduja told PTI after attending inauguration related events and his interaction with officials and leaders of the Trump administration.
While there is no official record of the number of Indian Americans attending inauguration related events, unofficial number is estimated to be several hundreds.
"India-US relationship has always been great under a Trump administration. It looks very positive to me," said Sampat Shivangi from Mississippi, an old time Indian-American Republican.
Indian-Americans are going to be a strong pillar of this relationship, said Puneet Ahluwalia, who was the finance chair of the Asian American presidential inaugural ball.
"We want India US ties to be taken to the next level. I see a desire and commitment in this regard from the Trump Administration," he said in response to a question.
Raju Chintala from Indiana, who is one of the close acquaintances of the Vice President Mike Pence felt that the new administration would focus on defense and economic ties with India.
It is time for strategic ties in the real sense, he said.
Chintala was among the few Indian Americans to have attended one of the three inaugural presidential balls.
Balasaheb Darade, a former NASA scientist who has now returned to India for not-for-profit work was among the few Indian-Americans to have briefly met Trump during one of the inauguration related celebrations.
He was joined by Bollywood movie producer and industrialist Mahaveer Jain.
"When we told him that we are from Mumbai in India, he instantly said I love Mumbai, I love India," Jain said after he and Darade attended the historic Trump's swearing in ceremony at the US Capitol.
"There is need for India and the US to come together on a host of issues in particular the war against terrorism. And I see we are moving in the right direction," said Darade, who is a member of the Advisory Committee on Skill Development in Maritime and Shipping at the Center.
A D Amar, who was among the first few Indian-Americans to have come out in open support of Trump by forming Indian Americans for Trump exuded confidence that there is a "great interest" in the new administration to "strengthen and deepen" ties with India in the years to come.