| Welcome to the October 2, 2014 bulletin of key policy decisions and high-impact news from India, presented by the Embassy of India, in Washington D.C. |
Policy Outcomes of Modi's Visit to U.S.
 During Prime Minister Modi's visit to the U.S., both countries agreed on a range of outcomes in the fields of infrastructure, security, energy, education, environment and forests; science and technology; economics and trade. Read More to see the highlights.
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Govt. Adopts Life-Long Visa for Persons of Indian Origin
Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) will get a life-long visa to visit India, the Government said, days after Prime Minister Modi announced the plan at the Madison Square Garden rally in New York. PIO card-holders do not have to report to police while in India, regardless of the length of their stay. "A PIO card issued to an applicant shall be valid for his lifetime from the date of its issue provided that such applicant has a valid passport," the Home Ministry said.
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U.S. and India Sign Space Agreement
 The space agencies of India and the U.S. have signed an agreement to cooperate on Mars and on Earth. The nations recently put satellites in orbit around the Red Planet, and plan a joint radar spacecraft to study our home world in 2020. The agreement signed by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation will explore opportunities beyond Mars, as well.
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Modi Launches 'Make in India' Global Initiative
Prime Minister Modi has launched the "Make in India" initiative with an aim to give the Indian economy global recognition. Addressing a gathering of top global CEOs at an event in New Delhi, the Prime Minister said that "FDI," in addition to "Foreign Direct Investment," should also mean "First Develop India." He urged investors not to look at India merely as a market, but instead see it as an opportunity.
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India Joins with U.S. to Link Universities to Scientists, Entrepreneurs
 The Cabinet has OK'd an agreement between India's Ministry of Human Resource Development and the U.S.'s National Science Foundation to tap the talent pool of scientists and entrepreneurs to engage with institutes of higher education in India. The goal is to augment the country's academic resources, accelerate the pace of quality reforms and further strengthen India's scientific and technological capabilities.
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U.S. to Work with India on Drilling for Offshore Gas Hydrates
 The U.S. and India will sign a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on identifying, analyzing and test-drilling for gas hydrates in deep water areas of the Eastern, Western and Andaman Seas around India. Gas hydrates are natural gas reserves trapped inside lattices of water molecules and are a potential fuel source.
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 A renewed India-U.S. Partnership in the 21st Century
In this joint op-ed, Prime Minister Modi and President Obama characterized India-U.S. relationship as "robust, reliable and enduring". "It is time to set a new agenda, one that realizes concrete benefits for our citizens", both leaders write.
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Come to India, It's a Win-Win Situation, PM Modi Tells Business Leaders in the U.S.
Making a strong pitch to attract investments into India, Prime Minister Modi assured top US business leaders of tax stability and a friendlier business environment in the county.
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India, U.S. to Set Up High-Level Working Group on Intellectual Property
India and the U.S. will establish a high-level working group on intellectual property to sort out the contentious issues that have hampered investments. The group will be part of the Trade Policy Forum (TPF). "Agreeing on the need to foster innovation in a manner that promotes economic growth and job creation, the leaders committed to establish an annual high-level Intellectual Property Working Group with appropriate decision-making and technical-level meetings as part of the TPF," said a joint statement issued by Prime Minister Modi and President Obama.
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Report: Indian IT Infrastructure Spending to Reach $2 Billion by 2015
 India will be the second-largest market for data center infrastructure within the Asia Pacific region, and will also be the second-fastest growing market in Asia Pacific in 2015, according to Gartner. The Indian data center infrastructure market, comprising of server, storage and networking equipment, will total $2 billion in 2015, a 5.4% increase from 2014, with revenue of $1.9 billion, the report said.
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GM Begins Vehicle Exports from India
 General Motors India said it has begun vehicle exports from India, with a first shipment to Chile of 140 Chevrolet Beat hatchbacks from Mumbai. The Beat was launched in the Indian market in 2010. The vehicle is produced at the company's Talegaon facility in Maharashtra. GM will export vehicles to Chile on a monthly basis.
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