India’s growth journey strengthens prospects for global partners: Kwatra

India's economic growth journey is a huge opportunity for its international partners, the country’s envoy in Washington Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra said, underlining that the US is “front and centre” and among New Delhi’s most consequential partnerships.

Kwatra made the remarks during a special address on Saturday at the Columbia Indian Economy Summit 2026: 'The Quest for a Developed India', hosted at Columbia University by the Deepak and Neera Raj Centre on Indian Economic Policies at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).

“India's economic growth, our own journey, is not just for our own first principles of economic growth and prosperity, but it's also a huge opportunity for our international partners. The United States is front and centre and among the most consequential partnerships that we have,” he said at the event attended by students, faculty and prominent members of the Indian diaspora.

Highlighting the importance of bilateral ties, Kwatra said the India-US partnership is “among the most important and most consequential” in advancing shared priorities and navigating evolving global shifts.

He expressed confidence that India will continue to drive economic growth and prosperity for its people while achieving the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

“We in India are in a transformative phase of our journey, of our economic growth, the evolution of our society... At the same time, we also live in a uniquely instructive phase of global shifts," the envoy said, reiterating that India remains confident in its priorities and firmly focused on attaining developed nation status by 2047.

Underscoring the “salience and substance” of strong international partnerships, Kwatra said the India-US partnership spans government-to-government, government-to-business, business-to-business and people-to-people ties.

“In terms of sectoral spread within these four buckets, one key segment for us is strategic political and security," he said, noting efforts to reimagine challenges and opportunities through initiatives such as the Quad, the India-Middle East Economic Corridor, and the broader global strategic partnership with the US.

Kwatra said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump "have a leadership-level focus” in pushing forward the momentum of the bilateral relationship. He added that India must remain mindful of ongoing global shifts, emphasising that while its growth journey is driven domestically, it continues to unfold within an evolving international context.

The Consulate General of India in New York said in a social media post that Kwatra highlighted India’s governance reforms over the past decade that have strengthened transparency, ease of doing business and digital public infrastructure.

Several prominent economists and experts addressed the conference. They included Professor of Economics and Raj Centre Director Arvind Panagariya, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics at the World Bank Group Indermit Gill, Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance V Anantha Nageswaran and RKS Family Professor of Computer Science at Columbia’s School of Engineering Vishal Misra.

Earlier, the Indian Consulate hosted a special interaction between Kwatra and members of the Indian diaspora and community leaders.

Kwatra “shared perspectives on the expanding India–US partnership across trade, technology and people-to-people ties, highlighted India’s ongoing economic transformation”.

He also expressed appreciation to diaspora organisation Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) “for bringing the community together, and acknowledged the Indian-American community’s contributions to strengthening bilateral relations”, the Indian mission said.

Vivekananda statue unveiled in Seattle

The first-ever life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda in the US was unveiled in Seattle, honouring the renowned Indian philosopher and spiritual leader. The life-size bronze statue, installed at the busy Westlake Square in downtown Seattle, is the first such installation hosted by a city government anywhere in the US, officials said.

Sculpted by Indian artist Naresh Kumar Kumawat, it was jointly unveiled Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Consul General of India in Seattle Prakash Gupta. "From Chicago 1893 to Seattle 2026! Seattle's skyline has a new Indian icon: Swami Vivekananda! City of Seattle becomes the first city government to host the Swami Vivekananda Monument in the heart of downtown Seattle," the Consulate General of India in Seattle said in a social media post.

Addressing the event, Wilson said the monument reflects Seattle's inclusive spirit and strengthens cultural ties between India and the diverse metropolitan tech hub in the US Pacific Northwest.

The statue has been gifted by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) to the City of Seattle in recognition of its "in recognition of the city's rich multicultural character and spirit of inclusivity", the Indian mission in Seattle said in a statement.