The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Remarks by the President in Toast at State

Dinner in New Delhi, India
Rashtrapati Bhavan

New Delhi, India

9:05 P.M. IST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Madam President, thank you for your very gracious words and for the
example of your leadership that inspires so many women, as well as men, across this nation.  I
was observing that one of the reasons I think India is doing so well is because it has so many
strong women leaders.  (Applause.) I want to thank you and Dr. Shekhawat for hosting us this
evening, and your extraordinary hospitality.

To our dear friends, Prime Minister Singh and Mrs. Kour; to distinguished guests; ladies and
gentlemen.  On behalf of Michelle and I, we just want to thank you for this extraordinary
expression of friendship between our two nations.  

I've done a lot of speaking today, so I want to be relatively brief.  We've learned several things
from this trip in India.  We've learned that despite geographic distances between our nations, we
are now closer than ever before.  We've learned that although we may have traveled different
paths to reach this moment in history, that we can walk towards the future together. We've also
learned that no matter how hard I try, Michelle will always be a better dancer. (Laughter.)  

Let me say it’s been a particular pleasure to be here during Diwali.  And last year during the state
visit when Prime Minister Singh and Ms. Kour came, it was during our Thanksgiving season. 
And the fact that we can share some of our most meaningful holidays with each other speaks to
the closeness of our countries and the values that we share as well as the common hopes for the
future.  

To my good friend and partner, Prime Minister Singh, from humble beginnings to high office,
your life reflects all the progress and possibility of this great nation.  And so all of us thank you
not only for leading this nation and our partnership to new heights, but for the spirit with which
you’ve led your life  -- with compassion, truth, commitment, humility and love.  

And to all who are gathered here tonight, and to the people of India, for the past three days
you’ve opened your country to us.  Like so many before, we learned that you don't simply visit
India, you experience India -- in the richness of its traditions, in its diversity, the optimism and
the warmth of its people.
From extraordinarily difficult circumstances, India has achieved what many thought was
impossible.  And in doing so, you captured the imagination of the world.  Now our two nations
have a chance to do what many also thought was impossible, and that is to build a global
partnership in a new century.

And so I'd like to close with the words that your President spoke in this building on the day that
India declared itself a republic -- words describing how this diverse nation has stayed united and
strong and because they speak to the spirit that binds our two countries together as well.

I propose a toast, knowing that our ties subsist because they are not of iron or steel or even of
gold, but of the silken cords of the human spirit.  Cheers.  

(A toast is offered.)

END
9:09 P.M. IST
Remarks by the President to U.S.-India
Business Council and Entrepreneurship
Summit
5:43 P.M. IST

      THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)  Please, everyone be seated.  Good
afternoon, everyone.  Namaste.  Thank you all for an extraordinarily warm welcome.  And
before I get started, I just want to acknowledge some outstanding public servants, some
wonderful dignitaries who are in the room.  Anand Sharma, our Commerce and Industry Minister
here in India. (Applause.)  Khurshid Salman, the Minister of Corporate Affairs and Minority
Affairs, who’s here.  (Applause.)  Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, State Planning Commission
Deputy Chairman.  (Applause.)  Gary Locke, who is the Secretary of Commerce for the United
States.  (Applause.)  Terry McGraw, the chairman of the U.S.-India Business Council. 
(Applause.)  Hari Bhartia, the president of the Confederation of Indian Industries.  (Applause.)
And Rajan Bharti Mittal, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry.  (Applause.)

      On behalf of my wife Michelle and myself, thank you to the people of Mumbai and the
people India for the incredible hospitality you have already shown just in the few hours since I've
arrived in this magnificent country.

      We are especially honored to be here as you celebrate Diwali.  (Applause.)  Some of you
may know this.  Last year, I was honored to become the first American President to help
celebrate the Festival of Lights in the White House.  (Applause.) And I know that today, families
are lighting their Diyas and giving thanks for their blessings and looking ahead to the new year. 
So to all of you who are observing this sacred holiday here and around the world, Happy Diwali
and a Saal Mubarak.  (Applause.)     

      I want to thank all the organizations that have brought us together today, as well as the
business leaders, the CEOs, the government officials who have joined us here in Mumbai.  I just
had some incredibly productive discussions with American business leaders and Indian
entrepreneurs, and today I want to speak with you about why we all benefit from the
strengthening ties between our nations.

      This is my first trip to India, but this will be my longest visit to another country since
becoming President.  (Applause.)  And that’s because I believe that the relationship between the
United States and India will be one of the defining and indispensable partnerships of the 21st
century.
      Our nations are the two largest democracies on Earth.  We are bound by a common language
and common values; shared aspirations and a shared belief that opportunity should be limited
only by how hard you’re willing to work, only by how hard you are willing to try.  Trade and
commerce between our people has been happening for centuries -- even before we were
independent nations.  Indian immigrants crossed oceans to work on farms in the United States,
and later generations came to practice medicine, and do cutting-edge research, and to start
businesses.  American researchers, in turn, partnered with Indian scientists to launch the Green
Revolution that transformed life for generations of Indians.  Americans have helped build India,
and India has helped to build America.

      Today, your country is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.  And while there
are many amazing success stories and rapidly expanding markets in Asia, the sheer size and pace
of India’s progress in just two decades is one of the most stunning achievements in human
history.  (Applause.)  This is a fact.  Since your reform of the licensing raj and embrace of the
global economy, India has lifted tens of millions of people from poverty and created one of the
largest middle classes on the planet.

      You are now a nation of rapid growth and rising incomes and massive investments in
infrastructure and energy and education.  In the coming decades, you will be the world’s most
populous nation, with the largest workforce and one of the largest economies in the world.  Now,
undoubtedly, that means that the United States and India will engage in a healthy competition for
markets and jobs and industries of the future.  But it also offers the prospect of expanded
commercial ties that strongly benefit both countries.

      The United States sees Asia -– and especially India -– as a market of the future.  We don’t
simply welcome your rise -– as a nation, and a people -- we ardently support it.  We want to
invest in it.  And I’m here because I believe that in our interconnected world, increased
commerce between the United States and India can be and will be a win-win proposition for both
nations.  (Applause.)   

      I realize that for some, this truth may not be readily apparent.  I want to be honest.  There are
many Americans whose only experience with trade and globalization has been a shuttered
factory or a job that was shipped overseas.  And there still exists a caricature of India as a land of
call centers and back offices that cost American jobs.  That's a real perception.  Here in India, I
know that many still see the arrival of American companies and products as a threat to small
shopkeepers and to India’s ancient and proud culture.

      But these old stereotypes, these old concerns ignore today’s reality:  In 2010, trade between
our countries is not just a one-way street of American jobs and companies moving to India.  It is
a dynamic, two-way relationship that is creating jobs, growth, and higher living standards in both
our countries.  And that is the truth.  (Applause.)   

      As we look to India today, the United States sees an opportunity to sell our exports in one of
the fastest-growing markets in the world.  For America, this is a jobs strategy.  As we recover
from this recession, we are determined to rebuild our economy on a new, stronger foundation for
growth.  And part of that foundation involves doing what America has always been known for: 
discovering and creating and building the products that are sold all over the world.  That’s why
I’ve set a goal of doubling America’s exports over the next five years -– because for every $1
billion in exports, thousands of jobs are supported at home.

      And already, our exports to India have quadrupled in recent years -– growing much faster
than our exports to many other countries.  The goods we sell in this country currently support
tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs across the United States -– from California and
Washington to Pennsylvania and Florida.  And that doesn’t even include all the American jobs
supported by our other exports to India -– from agriculture to travel to educational services.

      As we speak, American-made machinery is helping India improve its infrastructure,

including the new airport here in Mumbai where I landed this morning.  This year, there was a
new sight on India’s highways -– American-made Harley-Davidson motorcycles.  (Laughter.)  A
growing number of American-made aircraft are taking flight in your skies.  And soon, there will
be more.   

      That’s because today, just moments before I arrived here, several landmark deals were sealed
between the United States and India.  Boeing, one of America’s largest companies, is on track to
sell India dozens of commercial and cargo aircraft.  General Electric, another American
company, will sell more than a hundred advanced jet engines.   And I’m pleased that two U.S.
firms are finalists for a major locomotive tender.  Now, these are just a few of the more than 20
deals being announced today, totaling nearly $10 billion in U.S. exports.  (Applause.)

      From medical equipment and helicopters to turbines and mining equipment, American
companies stand ready to support India’s growing economy, the needs of your people, and your
ability to defend this nation.  And today’s deals will lead to more than 50,000 jobs in the United
States -- 50,000 jobs.  (Applause.)  Everything from high-tech jobs in Southern California to
manufacturing jobs in Ohio.

      Now, these are major deals that are significant for both our nations.  But our trade
relationship is not just about what America sells India.  It’s also about Indian investment in
America is doing.  Indian investment in America is among the fastest growing of any country.  In
recent years, Indian companies have invested billions of dollars in the United States -- in
American machinery, manufacturing, mining, research, technology.  Today, these investments
support tens of thousands of American jobs.

      And at the same time, hundreds of American companies -- including many small businesses
-- are investing in India; not just in telecommunications, but in industries from clean energy to
agriculture.  This means more choices for Indian consumers and more jobs for Indians and
Americans.    

      Our relationship is also about more than the goods that we sell or the investments we make --
it’s about the innovative partnerships we forge in the name of progress.  Before I came here, I
had a fascinating meeting.  I met with business leaders from both our countries, including some
incredibly young Indian entrepreneurs.  And what’s fascinating is the way that they are now
partnering to take technology that has had one application and use in the United States and found
entirely new uses and new businesses models here, in India.

      They’re working together to make cell towers across India that can run on solar, and not
diesel.  They’re putting American technology into Indian electric cars.  They’re trying to bring
new filtration systems and clean drinking water to rural India; and they're trying to develop better
drugs for diseases like malaria.  These are examples of American companies doing well and
Indian companies doing well.

      And these partnerships remind us that by pursuing trade and commerce, we are unleashing
the most powerful force the world has ever known for eradicating poverty and creating
opportunity -- and that's broad-based economic growth.

      Now, despite all this progress, the economic relationship between the United States and India
is still one of enormous untapped potential.  Of all the goods that India imports, less than 10
percent come from the United States.   Of all the goods that America exports to the world, less
than 2 percent go to India.  Our entire trade with your country is still less than our trade with the
Netherlands -– this is a country with a smaller population than the city of Mumbai.  As a result,
India is only our 12th largest trade partner.

      I have no doubt that we can do better than that -– we can do much better.  There’s no reason
this nation can’t be one of our top trading partners.  And that’s why we want to work together
with you to remove the barriers to increased trade and investment between our nations.

      In the United States, we’re committed to doing our part.  With India and our other G20
partners, we’ve resisted the protectionism that would have plunged the global economy even
deeper into recession.  Today, our country remains one of the most open economies in the
world.  And while I make no apologies about doing whatever it takes to encourage job creation
and business investment in America, I still work to make sure our efforts don’t unfairly target
companies and workers from this nation or any nation.

      And to further increase our exports to places like India, we’re marshalling the full resources
of the United States government to help our companies sell their goods and services in other
markets.  We’re increasing export financing for small and medium-sized businesses.  We’re
being a better advocate for our businesses.  We’re increasing our trade missions.  In fact, my
Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke, will be leading another trade mission to India in the next
few months.  And we’re reforming our export control system, so that even as we strengthen our
national security, we make sure that unnecessary barriers don’t stand in the way of high-tech
trade between our countries.  Today, I’m pleased to announce that we will work with India to
fundamentally reform our controls on exports, which will allow greater cooperation in a range of
high-tech sectors and strengthen our nonproliferation efforts.  (Applause.)   

      So we're taking the necessary steps to strengthen this relationship.  India can also do its part. 
Over the past two decades, it has become much easier for companies to do business and invest
here in India.  It was striking talking to some of the American CEOs who are here who’ve come
frequently over decades and seen the incredible progress that's been made.  But I don't think it’s
any secret that infrastructure, regulatory barriers and other issues of uncertainty still pose some
serious challenges.

      Today, India is making major investments in its infrastructure and creating greater
transparency to support growth and entrepreneurship.  Going forward, that commitment must be
matched by a steady reduction in barriers to trade and foreign investment -– from agriculture to
infrastructure, from retail to telecommunications.  Because in a global economy, new growth and
jobs flow to countries that lower barriers to trade and investment.  

      These are steps we can take together to strengthen the economic ties between our nations -–
ties that hold incredible promise for our people and our future -– the promise of new jobs, new
industries and new growth.  Whether or not that promise is fulfilled depends on us -– on the
decisions we make and the partnership we build in the coming years.

      We must admit it won’t always be an easy road, but as I stand here today, I can tell you that
I’m absolutely confident we will meet this challenge because -- (applause) -- because in our two
nations, I see the fundamental ingredients to success in the 21st century.

      I’m confident because we both cherish the entrepreneurial spirit that empowers innovation
and risk-taking, and allows them to turn a good idea into a new product or company that changes
the world.  And we have examples of Indian entrepreneurs and American entrepreneurs sitting
right here who’ve already begun to do that.

      And I’m confident because we both know that for those businesses to thrive, our nations need
to invest in science and technology, in research and development, and an infrastructure for the
21st century.

      I’m confident because we both recognize that knowledge is the currency of the future, and
that we must give our children the skills and education that success requires in a global
economy.  (Applause.)    

      And I’m confident because our countries are blessed with the most effective form of
government the world has ever known:  democracy.  (Applause.)  Even if it can be slow at
times.  Even if it can be messy.  Even if, sometimes, the election doesn’t turn out as you’d like. 
(Laughter and applause.)

      For we know that when governments are accountable to their people, their people are more
likely to prosper; and that, over the long run, democracy and economic growth, freedom in the
political sphere and freedom in the economic sphere go hand in hand.  We believe that. 
(Applause.)

      What gives me the most confidence about our future is our greatest resource -– the drive and
ingenuity of our people:  workers and entrepreneurs- students and innovators; Indians and
Americans, including the nearly 3 million Indian Americans who bind our nations together. 
(Applause.)
      For despite all the sweeping changes of the last few decades –- from the reform of the
licensing raj to the technological revolutions that continue to shape our global economy -– it has
been people who have driven our progress.  It is individual men and women like you who put
their shoulder to the wheel of history and push.  An American scientist who discovers an
agricultural breakthrough.  An Indian engineer who builds the next-generation electric car.  A
small business owner in Detroit who sells his product to a new company in New Delhi.  And all
the Mumbaikars who get up every day in this City of Dreams to forge a better life for their
children –- from the boardrooms of world-class Indian companies to the shops in the winding
alleys of Dharavai.

      This is the spirit of optimism and determination that has driven our people since before we
were nations -– the same spirit that will drive our future.  And that's why I’m thrilled to be in
India and with you here today.  And that's why I’m confident that we can and will forge new
economic partnerships and deliver the jobs and broad-based growth that our peoples so richly
deserve.  And I am absolutely certain that the relationship between the United States and India is
going to be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.

      Thank you very much, everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

                        END                5:58 P.M. IST

Remarks by the President to the Joint
Session of the Indian Parliament in New
Delhi, India
Parliament House, New Delhi, India

5:40 P.M. IST

      THE PRESIDENT:  Mr. Vice President, Madam Speaker, Mr. Prime Minister, members of
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and most of all, the people of India.

      I thank you for the great honor of addressing the representatives of more than one billion
Indians and the world’s largest democracy.  (Applause.)  I bring the greetings and friendship of
the world’s oldest democracy —- the United States of America, including nearly three million
proud and patriotic Indian-Americans.  (Applause.)

      Over the past three days, my wife Michelle and I have experienced the -- and dynamism of
India and its people -- from the majesty of Humayun’s Tomb to the advanced technologies that
are empowering farmers and women who are the backbone of Indian society; from the Diwali
celebrations with schoolchildren to the innovators who are fueling India’s economic rise; from
the university students who will chart India’s future, to you —-leaders who helped to bring India
to this moment of extraordinary promise.

      At every stop, we have been welcomed with the hospitality for which Indians have always
been known.  So, to you and the people of India, on behalf of me, Michelle and the American
people, please accept my deepest thanks.  (Applause.)  Bahoot dhanyavad.  (Applause.)   

      Now, I am not the first American President to visit India.  Nor will I be the last.  But I am
proud to visit India so early in my presidency.  It’s no coincidence that India is my first stop on a
visit to Asia, or that this has been my longest visit to another country since becoming President. 
(Applause.)  For in Asia and around the world, India is not simply emerging; India has emerged. 
(Applause.)

      And it is my firm belief that the relationship between the United States and India -— bound
by our shared interests and our shared values -— will be one of the defining partnerships of the
21st century.  This is the partnership I’ve come here to build. This is the vision that our nations
can realize together.

      My confidence in our shared future is grounded in my respect for India’s treasured past -— a
civilization that’s been shaping the world for thousands of years.  Indians unlocked the
intricacies of the human body and the vastness of our universe.  It’s no exaggeration to say that
our Information Age is rooted in Indian innovations —- including the number zero.  (Applause.) 
      Of course, India not only opened our minds, she expanded our moral imaginations -- with
religious texts that still summon the faithful to lives of dignity and discipline, with poets who
imagined a future “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high” -- (applause) -- and
with a man whose message of love and justice endures -— the father of your nation, Mahatma
Gandhi. (Applause.)

      For me and Michelle, this visit has, therefore, held special meaning.  See, throughout my life,
including my work as a young man on behalf of the urban poor, I’ve always found inspiration in
the life of Gandhiji and his simple and profound lesson to be the change we seek in the world. 
(Applause.)  And just as he summoned Indians to seek their destiny, he influenced champions of
equality in my own country, including a young preacher named Martin Luther King.  After
making his pilgrimage to India a half-century ago, Dr. King called Gandhi’s philosophy of non-
violent resistance “the only logical and moral approach” in the struggle for justice and progress. 
(Applause.)   

      So we were honored to visit the residence where Gandhi and King both stayed —- Mani
Bhavan.  And we were humbled to pay our respects at Raj Ghat.  And I am mindful that I might
not be standing before you today, as President of the United States, had it not been for Gandhi
and the message he shared and inspired  with America and the world.  (Applause.)

      An ancient civilization of science and innovation; a fundamental faith in human progress --
this is the sturdy foundation upon which you have built ever since that stroke of midnight when
the tricolor was raised over a free and independent India.  (Applause.)  And despite the skeptics
who said this country was simply too poor, or too vast, or too diverse to succeed, you
surmounted overwhelming odds and became a model to the world.

      Instead of slipping into starvation, you launched a Green Revolution that fed millions. 
Instead of becoming dependent on commodities and exports, you invested in science and
technology and in your greatest resource —- the Indian people.  And the world sees the results,
from the supercomputers you build to the Indian flag that you put on the moon.

      Instead of resisting the global economy, you became one of its engines —- reforming the
licensing raj and unleashing an economic marvel that has lifted tens of millions of people from
poverty and created one of the world’s largest middle classes.

      Instead of succumbing to division, you have shown that the strength of India —- the very
idea of India —- is its embrace of all colors, all castes, all creeds.  (Applause.)  It’s the diversity
represented in this chamber today.  It’s the richness of faiths celebrated by a visitor to my
hometown of Chicago more than a century ago -— the renowned Swami Vivekananda.  He said
that, “holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world,
and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character.”

      And instead of being lured by the false notion that progress must come at the expense of
freedom, you built the institutions upon which true democracy depends —- free and fair
elections, which enable citizens to choose their own leaders without recourse to arms --
(applause) -- an independent judiciary and the rule of law, which allows people to address their
grievances; and a thriving free press and vibrant civil society which allows every voice to be
heard.  This year, as India marks 60 years with a strong and democratic constitution, the lesson is
clear:  India has succeeded, not in spite of democracy; India has succeeded because of
democracy.  (Applause.)     

      Now, just as India has changed, so, too, has the relationship between our two nations.  In the
decades after independence, India advanced its interests as a proud leader of the nonaligned
movement.  Yet, too often, the United States and India found ourselves on opposite sides of a
North-`South divide, estranged by a long Cold War.  Those days are over.

      Here in India, two successive governments led by different parties have recognized that
deeper partnership with America is both natural and necessary.  And in the United States, both of
my predecessors —- one a Democrat, one a Republican -— worked to bring us closer, leading to
increased trade and a landmark civil nuclear agreement.  (Applause.)    

      So since that time, people in both our countries have asked: What’s next?  How can we build
on this progress and realize the full potential of our partnership?  That’s what I want to address
today —- the future that the United States seeks in an interconnected world, and why I believe
that India is indispensable to this vision; how we can forge a truly global partnership -— not just
in one or two areas, but across many; not just for our mutual benefit, but for the benefit of the
world.

      Of course, only Indians can determine India’s national interests and how to advance them on
the world stage.  But I stand before you today because I am convinced that the interests of the
United States —- and the interests we share with India -—are best advanced in partnership.  I
believe that.  (Applause.)

      The United States seeks security —- the security of our country, our allies and partners.  We
seek prosperity -— a strong and growing economy in an open international economic system. 
We seek respect for universal values.  And we seek a just and sustainable international order that
promotes peace and security by meeting global challenges through stronger global cooperation.

      Now, to advance these interests, I have committed the United States to comprehensive
engagement with the world, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.  And a central pillar of
this engagement is forging deeper cooperation with 21st century centers of influence -— and that
must necessarily include India.

      Now, India is not the only emerging power in the world.  But relationships between our
countries is unique.  For we are two strong democracies whose constitutions begin with the same
revolutionary words —- the same revolutionary words -- “We the people.”  We are two great
republics dedicated to the liberty and justice and equality of all people.  And we are two free
market economies where people have the freedom to pursue ideas and innovation that can
change the world.  And that’s why I believe that India and America are indispensable partners in
meeting the challenges of our time.  (Applause.)
      Since taking office, I’ve, therefore, made our relationship a priority.  I was proud to welcome
Prime Minister Singh for the first official state visit of my presidency.  (Applause.)  For the first
time ever, our governments are working together across the whole range of common challenges
that we face.  Now, let me say it as clearly as I can:  The United States not only welcomes India
as a rising global power, we fervently support it, and we have worked to help make it a reality.

      Together with our partners, we have made the G20 the premier forum for international
economic cooperation, bringing more voices to the table of global economic decision-making,
and that has included India.  We’ve increased the role of emerging economies like India at
international financial institutions.  We valued India’s important role at Copenhagen, where, for
the first time, all major economies committed to take action to confront climate change —- and
to stand by those actions.  We salute India’s long history as a leading contributor to United
Nations peacekeeping missions.  And we welcome India as it prepares to take its seat on the
United Nations Security Council.  (Applause.)  

      In short, with India assuming its rightful place in the world, we have an historic opportunity
to make the relationship between our two countries a defining partnership of the century ahead. 
And I believe we can do so by working together in three important areas.

      First, as global partners we can promote prosperity in both our countries.  Together, we can
create the high-tech, high-wage jobs of the future.  With my visit, we are now ready to begin
implementing our civil nuclear agreement.  This will help meet India’s growing energy needs
and create thousands of jobs in both of our countries.  (Applause.)   

      We need to forge partnerships in high-tech sectors like defense and civil space.  So we’ve
removed Indian organizations from our so-called “entity list.”  And we’ll work to remove -- and
reform our controls on exports.  Both of these steps will ensure that Indian companies seeking
high-tech trade and technologies from America are treated the same as our very closest allies and
partners.  (Applause.)   

      We can pursue joint research and development to create green jobs; give India more access to
cleaner, affordable energy; meet the commitments we made at Copenhagen; and show the
possibilities of low-carbon growth.

      And together, we can resist the protectionism that stifles growth and innovation.  The United
States remains —- and will continue to remain —- one of the most open economies in the world. 
And by opening markets and reducing barriers to foreign investment, India can realize its full
economic potential as well.  As G20 partners, we can make sure the global economic recovery is
strong and is durable.  And we can keep striving for a Doha Round that is ambitious and is
balanced —- with the courage to make the compromises that are necessary so global trade works
for all economies.

      Together, we can strengthen agriculture.  Cooperation between Indian and American
researchers and scientists sparked the Green Revolution.  Today, India is a leader in using
technology to empower farmers, like those I met yesterday who get free updates on market and
weather conditions on their cell phones.  And the United States is a leader in agricultural
productivity and research.  Now, as farmers and rural areas face the effects of climate change and
drought, we’ll work together to spark a second, more sustainable Evergreen Revolution.

      Together, we’re improving Indian weather forecasting systems before the next monsoon
season.  We aim to help millions of Indian farmers -- farming households save water and
increase productivity, improve food processing so crops don’t spoil on the way to market, and
enhance climate and crop forecasting to avoid losses that cripple communities and drive up food
prices.

      And as part of our food security initiative, we’re going to share India’s expertise with farmers
in Africa.  And this is an indication of India’s rise —- that we can now export hard-earned
expertise to countries that see India as a model for agricultural development.  It’s another
powerful example of how American and Indian partnership can address an urgent global
challenge.

      Because the wealth of a nation also depends on the health of its people, we’ll continue to
support India’s effort against diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, and as global partners,
we’ll work to improve global health by preventing the spread of pandemic flu.  And because
knowledge is the currency of the 21st century, we will increase exchanges between our students,
our colleges and our universities, which are among the best in the world.

      As we work to advance our shared prosperity, we can partner to address a second priority —-
and that is our shared security. In Mumbai, I met with the courageous families and survivors of
that barbaric attack.  And here in Parliament, which was itself targeted because of the democracy
it represents, we honor the memory of all those who have been taken from us, including
American citizens on 26/11 and Indian citizens on 9/11.

      This is the bond that we share.  It’s why we insist that nothing ever justifies the slaughter of
innocent men, women and children.  It’s why we’re working together, more closely than ever, to
prevent terrorist attacks and to deepen our cooperation even further.  And it’s why, as strong and
resilient societies, we refuse to live in fear.  We will not sacrifice the values and rule of law that
defines us, and we will never waver in the defense of our people.

      America’s fight against al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates is why we persevere in
Afghanistan, where major development assistance from India has improved the lives of the
Afghan people.  We’re making progress in our mission to break the Taliban’s momentum and to
train Afghan forces so they can take the lead for their security.  And while I have made it clear
that American forces will begin the transition to Afghan responsibility next summer, I’ve also
made it clear that America’s commitment to the Afghan people will endure.  The United States
will not abandon the people of Afghanistan -— or the region -— to violent extremists who
threaten us all.

      Our strategy to disrupt and dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates has to succeed on
both sides of the border.  And that’s why we have worked with the Pakistani government to
address the threat of terrorist networks in the border region. The Pakistani government
increasingly recognizes that these networks are not just a threat outside of Pakistan —- they are a
threat to the Pakistani people, as well.  They’ve suffered greatly at the hands of violent
extremists over the last several years.

      And we’ll continue to insist to Pakistan's leaders that terrorist safe havens within their
borders are unacceptable, and that terrorists behind the Mumbai attacks must be brought to
justice.  (Applause.)  We must also recognize that all of us have an interest in both an
Afghanistan and a Pakistan that is stable and prosperous and democratic —- and India has an
interest in that, as well.

      In pursuit of regional security, we will continue to welcome dialogue between India and
Pakistan, even as we recognize that disputes between your two countries can only be resolved by
the people of your two countries.   

      More broadly, India and the United States can partner in Asia.  Today, the United States is
once again playing a leadership role in Asia —- strengthening old alliances; deepening
relationships, as we are doing with China; and we’re reengaging with regional organizations like
ASEAN and joining the East Asia summit —- organizations in which India is also a partner. 
Like your neighbors in Southeast Asia, we want India not only to “look East,” we want India to
“engage East” —- because it will increase the security and prosperity of all our nations.

      As two global leaders, the United States and India can partner for global security —-
especially as India serves on the Security Council over the next two years.  Indeed, the just and
sustainable international order that America seeks includes a United Nations that is efficient,
effective, credible and legitimate.  That is why I can say today, in the years ahead, I look forward
to a reformed United Nations Security Council that includes India as a permanent member. 
(Applause.)

      Now, let me suggest that with increased power comes increased responsibility.  The United
Nations exists to fulfill its founding ideals of preserving peace and security, promoting global
cooperation, and advancing human rights.  These are the responsibilities of all nations, but
especially those that seek to lead in the 21st century.  And so we look forward to working with
India —- and other nations that aspire to Security Council membership -— to ensure that the
Security Council is effective; that resolutions are implemented, that sanctions are enforced; that
we strengthen the international norms which recognize the rights and responsibilities of all
nations and all individuals.

      This includes our responsibility to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.  Since I took
office, the United States has reduced the role of nuclear weapons in our national security
strategy, and we've agreed with Russia to reduce our own arsenals.  We have put preventing
nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism at the top of our nuclear agenda, and we have
strengthened the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime, which is the Nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty.

      Together, the United States and India can pursue our goal of securing the world’s vulnerable
nuclear materials.  We can make it clear that even as every nation has the right to peaceful
nuclear energy, every nation must also meet its international obligations —- and that includes the
Islamic Republic of Iran.  And together, we can pursue a vision that Indian leaders have
espoused since independence —- a world without nuclear weapons.  (Applause.)

      And this leads me to the final area where our countries can partner —- strengthening the
foundations of democratic governance, not only at home but abroad.

      In the United States, my administration has worked to make government more open and
transparent and accountable to people.  Here in India, you’re harnessing technologies to do the
same, as I saw yesterday at an expo in Mumbai.  Your landmark Right to Information Act is
empowering citizens with the ability to get the services to which they’re entitled -- (applause) --
and to hold officials accountable.  Voters can get information about candidates by text message. 
And you’re delivering education and health care services to rural communities, as I saw
yesterday when I joined an e-panchayat with villagers in Rajasthan.   

      Now, in a new collaboration on open government, our two countries are going to share our
experience, identify what works, and develop the next generation of tools to empower citizens. 
And in another example of how American and Indian partnership can address global challenges,
we’re going to share these innovations with civil society groups and countries around the world. 
We’re going to show that democracy, more than any other form of government, delivers for the
common man —- and woman.

      Likewise, when Indians vote, the whole world watches.  Thousands of political parties;
hundreds of thousands of polling centers; millions of candidates and poll workers -- and 700
million voters.  There’s nothing like it on the planet.  There is so much that countries
transitioning to democracy could learn from India’s experience, so much expertise that India can
share with the world.  And that, too, is what is possible when the world’s largest democracy
embraces its role as a global leader.  
      As the world’s two largest democracies, we must never forget that the price of our own
freedom is standing up for the freedom of others. (Applause.)  Indians know this, for it is the
story of your nation.  Before he ever began his struggle for Indian independence, Gandhi stood
up for the rights of Indians in South Africa.  Just as others, including the United States, supported
Indian independence, India championed the self-determination of peoples from Africa to Asia as
they, too, broke free from colonialism.  (Applause.)  And along with the United States, you’ve
been a leader in supporting democratic development and civil society groups around the world. 
And this, too, is part of India’s greatness.

      Now, we all understand every country will follow its own path.  No one nation has a
monopoly on wisdom, and no nation should ever try to impose its values on another.  But when
peaceful democratic movements are suppressed —- as they have been in Burma, for example --
then the democracies of the world cannot remain silent.  For it is unacceptable to gun down
peaceful protestors and incarcerate political prisoners decade after decade.  It is unacceptable to
hold the aspirations of an entire people hostage to the greed and paranoia of bankrupt regimes.  It
is unacceptable to steal elections, as the regime in Burma has done again for all the world to see.

      Faced with such gross violations of human rights, it is the responsibility of the international
community —- especially leaders like the United States and India —- to condemn it.  And if I
can be frank, in international fora, India has often shied away from some of these issues.  But
speaking up for those who cannot do so for themselves is not interfering in the affairs of other
countries.  It’s not violating the rights of sovereign nations.  It is staying true to our democratic
principles.  It is giving meaning to the human rights that we say are universal.  And it sustains
the progress that in Asia and around the world has helped turn dictatorships into democracies and
ultimately increased our security in the world.

      So promoting shared prosperity, preserving peace and security, strengthening democratic
governance and human rights -- these are the responsibilities of leadership.  And as global
partners, this is the leadership that the United States and India can offer in the 21st century. 
Ultimately, though, this cannot be a relationship only between presidents and prime ministers, or
in the halls of this Parliament.  Ultimately, this must be a partnership between our peoples. 
(Applause.)  So I want to conclude by speaking directly to the people of India who are watching
today.

      In your lives, you have overcome odds that might have overwhelmed a lesser country.  In just
decades, you have achieved progress and development that took other nations centuries.  You are
now assuming your rightful place as a leader among nations.  Your parents and grandparents
imagined this.  Your children and grandchildren will look back on this.  But only this generation
of Indians can seize the possibilities of the moment.

      As you carry on with the hard work ahead, I want every Indian citizen to know:  The United
States of America will not simply be cheering you on from the sidelines.  We will be right there
with you, shoulder to shoulder.  (Applause.)  Because we believe in the promise of India.  We
believe that the future is what we make it.  We believe that no matter who you are or where you
come from, every person can fulfill their God-given potential, just as a Dalit like Dr. Ambedkar
could lift himself up and pen the words of the constitution that protects the rights of all Indians. 
(Applause.)   

      We believe that no matter where you live —- whether a village in Punjab or the bylanes of
Chandni Chowk -- (laughter)  -- an old section of Kolkata or a new high-rise in Bangalore --
every person deserves the same chance to live in security and dignity, to get an education, to find
work, to give their children a better future.

      And we believe that when countries and cultures put aside old habits and attitudes that keep
people apart, when we recognize our common humanity, then we can begin to fulfill these
aspirations that we share.  It’s a simple lesson contained in that collection of stories which has
guided Indians for centuries —- the Panchtantra.  And it’s the spirit of the inscription seen by all
who enter this great hall:  “That one is mine and the other a stranger is the concept of little
minds.  But to the large-hearted, the world itself is their family.”

      This is the story of India; this is the story of America —- that despite their differences,
people can see themselves in one another, and work together and succeed together as one proud
nation.  And it can be the spirit of partnership between our nations —- that even as we honor the
histories which in different times kept us apart, even as we preserve what makes us unique in a
globalized world, we can recognize how much we can achieve together.
      And if we let this simple concept be our guide, if we pursue the vision I’ve described today
—- a global partnership to meet global challenges —- then I have no doubt that future
generations —- Indians and Americans —- will live in a world that is more prosperous and more
secure and more just because of the bonds that our generation has forged today.  

      So, thank you, and Jai Hind.  (Applause.)  And long live the partnership between India and
the United States.  (Applause.)

                             END                 6:17 P.M. IST

Remarks by President Obama and Prime
Minister Singh in Joint Press Conference in
New Delhi, India
Hyderabad House, New Delhi, India

1:00 P.M. IST

      PRIME MINISTER SINGH:  Your Excellency, President Barack Obama, distinguished
representatives of the media, I’m delighted to welcome President Obama and his gracious wife
on their first visit to our country.  I welcome the President as a personal friend and a great
charismatic leader who has made a deep imprint on world affairs through his inclusive vision of
peace, security and welfare for all peoples and all nations.

      The President and the First Lady have made an abiding impression on the people of India
with their warmth, with their grace, and with their commitment to promoting the relationship
between our two great democracies.

      President Obama yesterday characterized the India-U.S. partnership as one of the defining
and indispensable partnerships of the 21st century.  In my discussion with the President, we have
decided to accelerate the deepening of our ties and to work as equal partners in a strategic
relationship that will positively and decisively influence world peace, stability and progress.

      We welcome the decision by the United States to lift control from exports of high-technology
items and the technologies to India, and support India’s membership in multilateral export
control regimes such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group.  This is a manifestation of the growing
trust and confidence in each other.
      We have agreed on steps to expand our cooperation in space, civil nuclear defense and other
high-end sectors.  We have  announced specific initiatives in the areas of clean energy, health
and agriculture.  These include a joint clean energy research and development center, the
establishment of a global disease detection center in India, and an agreement for cooperation in
weather and crop forecasting.  

      We have decided to hold a higher education summit next year. Cooperation in the field of
education holds great promise because no two other countries are better equipped to be partners
in building the knowledge economy of the future.

      The United States is one of our largest trading partners.  Our trade is balanced and growing. 
India is among the fastest-growing sources of investment in the United States.  Indian
investments have helped to increase the competitiveness of the U.S. economy.  We welcome
increased U.S. investment and high-technology flows in key sectors of our economy, including
the sector of nuclear energy.
      We have agreed to facilitate trade and people-to-people exchanges, recognizing that
protectionism is detrimental to both our economies.

      I conveyed our gratitude to the President for the cooperation we have received in our
counterterrorism measures post-Mumbai.  We will start a new homeland security dialogue to
deepen this cooperation.

      We had a detailed exchange on the situation in our extended region, including East Asia,
Afghanistan, Pakistan and West Asia. We have a shared vision of security, stability and
prosperity in Asia based on an open and inclusive regional architecture.  We have agreed to
broaden our strategic dialogue to cover other regions and areas, and initiate joint projects in
Africa and Afghanistan.

      As states possessing nuclear weapons, we have today put forth a common vision of a world
without nuclear weapons, and decided to lead global efforts for nonproliferation and universal
and non-discriminating global nuclear disarmament.  This is a historic and bold bilateral
initiative.

      We also decided to strengthen cooperation to tackle nuclear terrorism and we welcome U.S.
participation in the Global Center of Nuclear Energy Partnership, which will be set up in India.

      President Obama is a sincere and a valued friend of our country, and our discussions have led
to a meeting of minds.  Ours is a partnership based on common values and interests, a shared
vision of the world, and the deep-rooted ties of friendship among our two peoples.  I look
forward to working with the President to realize the enormous potential of this partnership of our
two countries.

      I now invite President Obama to make his remarks.  And I thank you.  (Applause.)

      PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you very much, Prime Minister Singh. And good afternoon,
everyone.  I want to begin by saying how thrilled my wife Michelle and I and our entire
delegation are to be here in India.  We have been received with incredible warmth and incredible
hospitality.  And that includes the hospitality of our friends, Prime Minister Singh and his lovely
wife Mrs. Kaur, who we thank for such graciousness and a wonderful dinner last night.

      As I've said throughout my visit, I have come to India because I believe that the relationship
between the United States and India is indispensable to addressing the challenges of our time --
from creating economic opportunity for our people to confronting terrorism and violent
extremism; from preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to addressing climate change; from
the development that gives people and nations a path out of poverty to advancing human rights
and values that are universal.  None of this will be possible without strong cooperation between
the United States and India.

      Moreover, as Prime Minister Singh alluded to, ours is no ordinary relationship.  As the
world’s two largest democracies, as large and growing free market economies, as diverse,
multiethnic societies with strong traditions of pluralism and tolerance, we have not only an
opportunity but also a responsibility to lead.

      And that’s why I believe that the relationship between the United States and India will, in
fact, be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.  That’s why I've worked with the
Prime Minister, a man of extraordinary intellect and great integrity, to deepen and broaden the
cooperation between our two countries.  And I very much look forward to addressing the Indian
Parliament and the people of India later today to discuss how the United States and India can
take our partnership to the next level, with a vision of how we can work together as global
partners.

      With the progress we’ve made today, we’re seeing just how broad and deep our cooperation
can be.  As President, I've had the opportunity to appear with many of my foreign counterparts at
press conferences such as this, but I cannot remember an occasion when we have agreed to so
many new partnerships across so many areas as we have during my visit.

      We’ve expanded trade and investment to create prosperity for our people.  The major trade
deals that were signed in Mumbai were an important step forward in elevating India to one of
America’s top trading partners.  Today I'm pleased to welcome India’s preliminary agreement to
purchase 10 C-17 cargo planes, which will enhance Indian capabilities and support 22,000 jobs
back in the United States.

      We agreed to reform our controls on exports, and the United States will remove Indian
organizations from the so-called “entity list,” which will allow greater cooperation in a range of
high-tech sectors like civil space and defense.  And we agreed to keep working to reduce trade
barriers and resist protectionism.

      As a result of this visit, we are already beginning to implement our civil nuclear agreement. 
We agreed to deepen our cooperation in pursuit of clean energy technologies, and this includes
the creation of a new clean energy research center here in India, and continuing our joint
research into solar, biofuels, shale gas, and building efficiency.  And we agreed to new
partnerships including forestry and sustainable development of land to help meet the
commitments we made at Copenhagen to combat climate change.

      To ensure the safety of our citizens, we’re deepening our efforts to prevent terrorism. 
Cooperation between our countries’ intelligence and law enforcement communities has already
reached unprecedented levels.  And today, we’re taking another step -- a new effort between our
Department of Homeland Security and the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs to improve security
at our ports, our airports, and our borders.

      I also discussed with the Prime Minister our efforts in Afghanistan, and once again thanked
him and the Indian people for the generous contributions that India has made towards
development and improving the lives of the Afghan people.  We agreed on the need for all
nations in the region to work together and ensure that there are no safe havens for terrorists.
      We’re expanding our efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation.  In keeping with its
commitment at our Nuclear Security Summit, India will build a new center of excellence for
nuclear energy and security to help reach our goal of securing vulnerable nuclear materials in
four years.

      Given India’s growing role in the region, we also agreed to deepen our consultations on East
Asia.  Given India’s growing role on the world stage, we’ll expand our dialogue on global
issues.  And we discussed the need for international institutions, including the United Nations, to
reflect the realities of the 21st century -- which I will discuss further in my address to Parliament.

      Finally, we continue to expand partnerships between our peoples.  To promote global health,
we're moving ahead with a new disease detection center here in New Delhi.  Building on our
successful efforts to expand educational exchanges, including our Singh-Obama 21st Century
Knowledge Initiative, we’ll convene a summit to forge new collaborations in higher education. 
And we're announcing two initiatives today that harness technology to deliver progress for our
people.

      Building on the Indian and American agricultural collaboration that led to the Green
Revolution, we're launching a new partnership for a Evergreen Revolution to improve food
security around the world.  We're also launching a new partnership to promote open government
and to empower citizens.  And in my address to Parliament I'll be discussing why these efforts
can be models for the kind of cooperation that not only benefits America and India, but benefits
other nations as well.

      So, taken together, all of these partnerships, all these initiatives make it clear the relationship
between the United States and India is stronger, deeper and broader than ever before.

      So, Mr. Prime Minister, again I thank you for your partnership and for your friendship.  I am
confident that as India’s influence in the world continues to rise, so, too, will the opportunities
for even closer cooperation between our two countries.  And that will mean even greater security
and prosperity for India, for the United States, for this region, and for the world.

      Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister.  (Applause.)

      MODERATOR:  Thank you, Mr. President.

      The Prime Minister and the President would be happy to take two questions each from the
Indian and the American media.  You are requested to please restrict yourself to one question
either to the Prime Minister or the President and indicate whom the question is addressed to.  The
first question goes to the American side.

      MR. GIBBS:  Scott Wilson from The Washington Post.

      Q    Thank you, Mr. President, Prime Minister.

      Mr. President, after a difficult and violent summer in Kashmir, perhaps the chief flashpoint
between your chief ally in the Afghanistan war and India, could you explain your
administration’s policy towards Kashmir and what role the United States might play in resolving
that crisis?  And if I might, could you please -- this morning you called India a world power. Is it
possible anymore to stand in the way of India’s bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security
Council?

      And, Prime Minister --

      MODERATOR:  Sir, I will request you to please restrict yourself to one question.

      Q    Not one each?

      MODERATOR:  Please one question, if it’s possible.  Please restrict yourself to one question
to one of the leaders.  Thank you.

      Q    Okay.  Prime Minister -- may I address the Prime Minister?

      MODERATOR:  All right.

      Q    Thank you.  To follow on a question that was asked yesterday by a student in Mumbai,
do you believe that the United States should refer to Pakistan as a terrorist state?

      PRESIDENT OBAMA:  With respect to Kashmir, obviously this is a longstanding dispute
between India and Pakistan.  As I said yesterday, I believe that both Pakistan and India have an
interest in reducing tensions between the two countries.  The United States cannot impose a
solution to these problems, but I’ve indicated to Prime Minister Singh that we are happy to play
any role that the parties think is appropriate in reducing these tensions.  That’s in the interests of
the region, it’s in the interests of the two countries involved, and it’s in the interests of the United
States of America.

      So my hope is that conversations will be taking place between the two countries.  They may
not start on that particular flashpoint.  There may be confidence-building measures that need to
take place.  But I’m absolutely convinced that it is both in India’s and Pakistan’s interest to
reduce tensions, and that will enable them I think to focus on the range of both challenges and
opportunities that each country faces.

      I do want to make this point, though, that I think Prime Minister Singh, throughout his career
and throughout his prime-ministership, has consistently spoken out both publicly and privately
on his desire, his personal commitment, to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan.  And for
that, I very much commend him.  I think Prime Minister Singh is sincere and relentless in his
desire for peace.

      And so my hope is, is that both sides can, over the next several months, several years, find
mechanisms that are appropriate for them to work out what are these very difficult issues.
      Mr. Prime Minister.

      Q    (Inaudible.)

      PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Oh, well, I was instructed to only take one question.  (Laughter.)  It
looks like the Indian and the American press are collaborating.  That's not the kind of partnership
we were looking for.  (Laughter.)  But I will be addressing that issue in my speech in Parliament
today, so if you’ll just have a little bit of patience.

      PRIME MINISTER SINGH:  Mr. President, as far as India’s relations with Pakistan are
concerned, I’ve always maintained that a strong, peaceful, moderate Pakistan is in the interest of
India, is in the interest of South Asia and the world as a whole.

      We are committed to engage Pakistan.  We are committed to resolve all outstanding issues
between our two countries, including the word “K” -- we're not afraid of that.  But it is our
request that you cannot simultaneously be talking and at the same time the terror machine is as
active as ever before.  Once Pakistan moves away from this terror-induced coercion, we will be
very happy to engage productively with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues.

      Q    Mr. President, my question to you, sir, you’ve consistently said India, as an emerging
power, has potential to be America’s most important strategic partner.  What is your vision for
India in the next decade?  And how vital is this relationship for your administration -- in your
administration’s worldview?  Thank you.

      PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, first of all, this relationship is extraordinarily important to me
-- and don't just take my word for it, I think, look at our actions.  Obviously this trip has been of
enormous significance.  It’s no accident that this is the longest time that I've spent in a foreign
country since I've been President.

      And both the Prime Minister and I have alluded to why I think this partnership can be so
important.  We are the world’s two largest democracies.  We have both a set of values and
principles that we share that I believe are universal:  the belief in individual liberty, in freedom of
the press, in freedom of political assembly, in human rights.  We both have large market
economies.

      And the person-to-person contacts between India and the United States are unparalleled.  We
have millions of Indian-Americans who are helping to grow our country each and every day.
And we have hundreds of thousands of students from India who are studying in the United States
and then bringing back what they’ve learned to help develop India.

      And so on the commercial level, on the person-to-person level, the strategic level, I think this
partnership is incredibly important.

      As I said yesterday, I don’t think India is emerging -- it has emerged.  India is a key actor on
the world stage.  And given that we have these values that we share, at a time when there are still
too many conflicts, there are still too many misunderstandings between nations, when principles
like democracy and human rights too often are not observed, for our two countries to be able to
stand together to promote those principles -- in international forums, by the example that we set,
by the bilateral ties that we form -- I think can be incredibly powerful and incredibly important.

      And one last point I want to make on this.  This is a belief that is shared by Republicans and
Democrats in the United States. I mean, if you think about what’s happened in our relationship,
how it’s evolved over the last 15 to 20 years -- you had President Clinton, a Democrat; President
Bush, a Republican; and now me, another Democrat -- each of us reaffirming in a steady,
committed way, why the U.S.-India relationship is so important.

      And so we are going to continue to cultivate this.  We will continue to nurture it.  We have
business leaders who are here today and have been working actively in the private sector to
strengthen those ties.  We want to make sure that our governments are acting in that same
constructive way.  And if we do so, then I think that's not only going to benefit India and the
United States, but I think ultimately will benefit the world as well.

      PRIME MINISTER SINGH:  The foremost concern of the Indian polity is to grapple with
the problem of poverty, ignorance and disease which still afflict millions of our citizens.  For
that, we need a strong, resurgent, robust rate of economic growth.  And it is a growth rate which
is within our reach.  Our objective is to sustain a growth rate of 9 to 10 percent per annum in the
next three decades.  And in that process, the help of the United States is of enormous
significance.

      We need a global trading system which does not encourage protectionism, which enables our
entrepreneurs to make use of the enormous opportunities that processes of globalization now
offer. We need the American assistance by way of export of capital.  We welcome American
investments in our economy.

      I've mentioned also on several occasions, India needs an investment of a trillion dollars in the
next five years in its infrastructure, and we would welcome American contribution in fulfilling
that ambition of ours.

      America is a home of high technology.  We need that technology to upgrade our skills both
in the civilian sector and also in the defense sector.  So I attach great importance to strengthening
in every possible way India’s cooperation with the United States.  This is truly a relationship
which can become a defining relationship for this 21st blessed century of ours.

      MR. GIBBS:  Christi Parsons with The Chicago Tribune.

      Q    Thank you very much.  This question is for you, President Obama, but if the Prime
Minister chooses to weigh in on it, that would be lovely.

      Mr. President, the German Finance Minister says this of recent Fed decisions:  “It doesn’t
add up when the Americans accuse the Chinese of currency manipulation and then, with the help
of their central bank’s printing presses, artificially lower the value of the dollar.”  Might this, in
fact, look hypocritical to other world leaders as you head to the G20 to talk about this and other
issues?  How do you address it?  And do you expect support from the Indian government and
your press to get the Chinese government to appreciate the value of the currency?

      Thank you.

      PRESIDENT OBAMA:  First of all, Christi, as you’re aware, the Federal Reserve is an
independent body.  It doesn’t take orders from the White House, and it’s important as a policy
matter, as an institutional matter, that we don’t comment on particular Fed actions.

      I will say that the Fed’s mandate, my mandate, is to grow our economy.  And that’s not just
good for the United States, that’s good for the world as a whole.

      The United States has been an engine for growth, for trade, for opportunity for decades now.
And we’ve just gone through an extraordinary economic trauma, which has resulted in some
extraordinary measures.  And the worst thing that could happen to the world economy, not ours
-- not just ours, but the entire world’s economy -- is if we end up being stuck with no growth or
very limited growth.  And I think that’s the Fed’s concern, and that’s my concern as well.

      Now, when we go to the G20, we’re going to be talking about a whole host of issues,
including how do we start creating balanced and sustainable growth.  And if you think about
what’s happened at the G20 over the last couple of years, the first G20 I participated in was all
about putting out a fire.  We had an immediate crisis in the financial sector that had to be dealt
with.  And working with outstanding leaders like Prime Minister Singh, we were able to deal
with it and that immediate crisis was contained.

      Subsequently, we’ve talked about how do we maintain growth, how do we start looking at
fiscal consolidation and making sure that countries that may have overextended themselves for a
long time start getting their houses in order.  But part of balanced growth is also a recognition
that we can’t continue to sustain a situation in which some countries are maintaining massive
surpluses, others massive deficits, and there never is the kind of adjustments with respect to
currency that would lead to a more balanced growth pattern.

      Now, I should point out that India is -- has been part of the solution and not part of the
problem.  As Prime Minister Singh mentioned, generally there’s a balanced growth pattern with
respect to India.  We’ve got excellent trade ties with India.  India has been moving in a more
liberal direction consistently under Prime Minister Singh’s leadership.  And India has been a
very constructive partner with us in some of these international issues.  I expect that will
continue.

      So I’m sure that we’ll have more commentary at the G20 when we get to Seoul.  Every
country I think is concerned right now about what other countries are doing at a time when the
recovery is still fragile.  But the bottom line is that every country that participates in the G20 will
benefit if the United States’ economy is growing.

      PRIME MINISTER SINGH:  Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t claim to have any expert
knowledge of the working of the American economy.  But I do know one thing:  that a strong,
robust, fast-growing United States is in the interests of the world.  And therefore, anything that
would stimulate the underlying growth and policies of entrepreneurship in the United States
would help the cause of global prosperity.

      Q    Thank you.  This question is for President Obama, but, Mr. Prime Minister, I’d request
you as well to answer it if that’s possible since you’re taking the other questions as well.

      But just taking forward I think what my colleague from the U.S. media just said, the
American press has been full of headlines on this visit of yours, about the 50,000 jobs that have
been created because of deals that have been struck around this visit.  Critics argue that
unemployment rates in India are also very high.  So what does India get out of all these deals that
have been struck and this visit?  And also, isn’t the outsourcing bogeyman a little misdirected,
given that it’s become such a hot-button issue?  The job losses are really in the manufacturing
sector and they’re going to China, which is the greater threat.

      THE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, I don't think you’ve heard me make outsourcing a
bogeyman during the course of my visit.  In fact, I explicitly said in my address in Mumbai to the
Business Council that I think both countries are operating on some stereotypes that have outlived
their usefulness.

      In every discussion that I've had with Indian businesses, what I've seen is that our countries
are matched up in a way that allows for enormous win-win potential.  So you mentioned that
some of the deals that we have struck are ones that will create jobs in the United States.  That's
absolutely true.  We're very proud of some of our high-tech industries and we think that we make
some of the best products in the world, and we want to sell them to a growing Indian market.

      But it turns out that those same technologies are ones that will allow Indian entrepreneurs to
grow and to thrive and create jobs right here in India.  And that's true at the large scale --if we're
helping to build up Indian infrastructure, then that helps to knit the country together and get
goods and products and services to market.

      It’s true of the small scale.  I mean, I had these amazing conversations down in Mumbai with
Indian businesspeople who had taken American technology -- in one case, it was solar cells; in
another case it was some of the equipment designed to be used for electric cars.  And they were
using those technologies in new ways in India, using different business models that applied
uniquely to India, to make profits and to do good here in India  -- and to create jobs here in India.

      So I think that the pattern that you’re going to see is that U.S. companies are creating jobs in
the United States with technologies where we’ve got a lead.  Indian businesses are then going to
take those technologies and apply them in India to grow Indian businesses as well.  And that’s
going to be a win-win for both.  Those are the kinds of patterns that I think make this relationship
so important.

      And when I go back home to the United States -- part of the reason that I advertise these
50,000 jobs is I want to be able to say to the American people when they ask me, well, why are
you spending time with India, aren’t they taking our jobs? -- I want to be able to say, actually,
you know what, they just created 50,000 jobs.  And that’s why we shouldn’t be resorting to
protectionist measures; we shouldn’t be thinking that it’s just a one-way street.  I want both the
citizens in the United States and citizens in India to understand the benefits of commercial ties
between the two countries.

      PRIME MINISTER SINGH:  Well, as far as India is concerned, India is not in the business
of stealing jobs from the United States of America.  Our outsourcing industry I believe has
helped to improve the productive capacity and productivity of American industry.  And the new
deals that have been struck, they all happen to be in infrastructure, and infrastructure today is the
biggest bottleneck to the faster growth of India, to the faster growth of employment.  And
therefore, these deals that the President has mentioned are truly an example of trade being a win-
win situation for both our countries.

      In fact, I have a vision that when the G20 meets later in the month in Seoul, that the world
needs a new balance between deficit countries and surplus countries, and that balance has to be
restored by paying more attention to the development -- of the development potential, including
infrastructure development and energy infrastructure agricultural infrastructure in the poorer
countries of the world.

      That is the challenge before the global statesmanship.  And I do hope that the Group of 20,
when it meets in Seoul, with the active guidance and support of President Obama, who in a way
is the father of the Group of 20 -- it was his initiative which led to the creation of the Group of 20
-- this group will, I sincerely hope, grapple with this issue of rebalancing growth by laying
emphasis on faster growth in the countries which are described normally as developing world.

      MODERATOR:  Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister.  Thank you, Mr. President.

      The press conference now draws to a close.  Thank you for your presence.  (Applause.)

                              END                 1:40 P.M. IST

Remarks by the President at Official Arrival
Ceremony in New Delhi, India
Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, India

9:57 A.M. IST

      PRESIDENT OBAMA:  First of all, I want to thank all the people of India for the
extraordinary hospitality and welcome that Michelle and I and my delegation have already
received.

      And we took this trip with the intention of strengthening what is already an incredible
friendship between the United States and India.  As I’ve said earlier during my visit, I believe
that the partnership between the United States and India will be one of the defining partnerships
of the 21st century.  We are the two largest democracies in the world.  We share extraordinary
people-to-people contacts.  Most importantly, we share a core set of values.

      And my hope is that during the course of these discussions between myself and the Prime
Minister, myself and the President, and other members of the Indian delegation, that we will be
able to continue to build on the commercial ties that we already have to strengthen our
cooperation in our bilateral relations in the international economy; that we'll be able to focus on
issues like counterterrorism in order to assure that both the United States and India are secure
well into the future; that we can build on the people-to-people ties that are in part grounded in the
millions of Indian-Americans who contribute so much to our country and help give us an
appreciation of Indian life; and that, given that India is not simply an emerging power but now is
a world power, that the United States and India will be able to work together to promote the
international principles, the rules of interaction between nations that can promote peace and
stability and prosperity not only for our two nations but for the world as a whole.

      So, to all the people of India, Michelle and I express our extraordinary thanks for the
wonderful hospitality that we've received, and also we want to send our warmest regards from
the people of the United States to all the people of India.

      Thank you so much.

                         END              10:00 A.M. IST

Remarks by the President and the First Lady
in Town Hall with Students in Mumbai, India
St. Xavier College
Mumbai, India

11:45 A.M. IST

     MRS. OBAMA:  Hello, everyone.  Namaste.  It is a pleasure and an honor to be here in
India.  Everyone, please sit, who can sit.  Rest.  It’s warm.  We are thrilled to be here and to have
a chance to spend time with so many outstanding young people from St. Xavier’s College and so
many other schools across Mumbai. 

     Now, this is my first trip to India, but it is not my first exposure to India’s wonderful culture
and people.  See, I grew up in Chicago, which is a city with one of the largest Indian-American
communities in our country.  And of course, last year, as you know, we were proud to host Prime
Minister Singh and Mrs. Kaur for our very first state visit and dinner.  It was a beautiful evening
under a tent on the South Lawn of the White House, and we got to hear some pretty great
Bhangra as well.  I danced there, too.  (Laughter.)   

     So I have really been looking forward to this trip for a very long time.  The time that we
spend with young people during our travel is very special to both me and to the President.  When
I was your age, I never dreamed of traveling to countries like this and meeting with young people
like all of you.  In fact, there were a lot of things that I had never imagined for myself growing
up, including having the honor of serving as my county’s First Lady. 

     My family didn’t have a lot of money.  My parents never went to college.  I grew up in a little
bitty apartment in a working-class neighborhood on the south side of Chicago.  My parents
worked hard to pay the bills and to keep a roof over our heads.  But even though my parents
couldn't give us material things, they gave us something much more precious -- they gave me
and my brother strong values.  They taught us to treat others with dignity and respect.  They
taught us to push for excellence in every single thing we did.  They taught us to be humble and to
be grateful for everything we had.  They taught us to put every last bit of effort into our
education and to take pride in our work.  They taught us that our circumstances didn’t define us,
and that if we believed in ourselves, if we made the most of every single opportunity, we could
build our own destinies and accomplish anything we put our minds to.

     And I try every single day to take those lessons to heart.  And the fact that all of you are here
today tells me that we all share these same values, that we all learn these same lessons.  You're
here today because, like me and my husband, you believe in your dreams and you're working
hard every single day to fulfill them.  More importantly, you’re here because you’ve committed
to something greater than yourselves.  You're here not just because of your academic and
extracurricular activities and achievements, but because of what you’ve done to give back to
your schools and to your communities. 

     Your willingness to serve is critical for all that lies ahead once you finish your education. 
Because the truth is pretty soon the responsibilities for building our future will fall to all of you. 
Soon we're going to be looking to your generation to make the discoveries and build the
industries that will shape our world for decades to come. 

     We'll be looking to you to protect our planet.  We're going to be looking to you to lift up our
most vulnerable citizens.  We're going to be looking to you to heal the divisions that too often
keep us apart.  And I believe that you and your peers around the world are more than up to the
challenge, because I've seen it firsthand right here in India.

     Just yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to visit an organization called Make A
Difference.  It’s an amazing program designed and run by young adults who recruit other young
people, outstanding college students like themselves, to mentor and teach children who, as the
founder said, haven’t had the same chances in life as many of the mentors have had. 

     These young volunteers understand and believe in something very simple, that all children,
regardless of their circumstances, deserve the same chance to get educated and to build
productive and successful lives.  And I know that many of you here today are doing equally
important work in your communities and your schools -- everything from holding camps for kids
in need to teaching computer literacy skills, to finding new ways to conserve energy.

     And let me tell you, this work is amazing, and it is vitally important.  And that is why, as First
Lady, I have tried my best to engage young people not just in the United States but around the
world, letting them know that we believe in them, but more importantly, that we need them.  We
need you.  We need you to help solve the great challenges of our time.

     And that's also why when my husband travels abroad, he doesn’t just meet with heads of state
in parliaments and in palaces.  He always meets with young people like all of you.  That's why
he’s been working to expand educational exchanges and partnerships between the United States,
India, and countries around the world. 

Right now, more Indian students like you come to study in the United States than from any other
country.  And I'm proud to see that so many American students are doing the same thing right
here in India, building the types of friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime.  Our
hope is to provide more Indian and American young people with these types of opportunities to
continue to connect and share ideas and experiences.

And finally, my husband is also working to encourage young entrepreneurs everywhere to start
businesses, to improve the health of our communities and to empower our young women and
girls because it is never too late or too early to start changing this world for the better.
     So I want to end today by congratulating you all -- congratulating you on everything you do. 
We are so proud of you. I want to encourage you to keep dreams -- keep dreaming big huge,
gigantic dreams -- not just for yourselves, but for your communities and for our world.

     And finally, I want to urge you today to ask my husband some tough questions, all right? 
(Laughter.)  Be tough.  He loves doing events like this.  This brightens his days.  But you got to
keep him on his toes, all right? 

So if you promise me that, without further ado, I would like to introduce my husband, the
President of the United States, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  (Applause.) 
Thank you very much.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Have a seat.  Namaste.

     AUDIENCE:  Namaste.

     THE PRESIDENT:  It is such a pleasure to be here.  Now, I have to say, first of all, I don't
like speaking after Michelle. (Laughter.)  Because she’s very good.  Also because she teases me. 
You notice how she said for you to all ask tough questions. If you want to ask easy questions,
that's fine.  (Laughter.)

     But on behalf of Michelle and me I want to thank St. Xavier’s University.  I want to thank
Rector DeSouza.  I want to thank Principal -- I want to get this right -- Mascarenhas. 
(Laughter.)  But it’s a little smoother than that, when you say it.  I want to thank Vice Principal
Amonka and all of you for being such gracious hosts.

     And I know it’s hot out here today.  For you to be so patient with me, I’m very grateful to
you.  I also want to thank the city of Mumbai and the people of India for giving us such an
extraordinary welcome.

     In a few minutes, I’ll take some questions.  I come here not just to speak, but also to listen.  I
want to have a dialogue with you.  And this is one of the wonderful things that I have a chance to
do as President of the United States.  When I travel, we always try to set up a town hall meeting
where we can interact with the next generation, because I want to hear from you.  I want to find
out what your dreams are, what your fears are, what your plans are for your country. 

     But if you will indulge me, I also want to say a few words about why I’m so hopeful about the
partnership between our two countries and why I wanted to spend some of my time here in India
speaking directly to young people like yourselves.

     Now, as Michelle said, we have both looked forward to this visit to India for quite some time. 
We have an extraordinary amount of respect for the rich and diverse civilization that has thrived
here for thousands of years.  We’ve drawn strength from India’s 20th century independence
struggle, which helped inspire America’s own civil rights movement.  We’ve marveled at India’s
growing economy and it’s dynamic democracy.  And we have personally enjoyed a wonderful
friendship with Prime Minister Singh and Mrs. Kaur, over the last two years.
     But of course, I’m not just here to visit.  I’m here because the partnership between India and
the United States I believe has limitless potential to improve the lives of both Americans and
Indians, just as it has the potential to be an anchor of security and prosperity and progress for
Asia and for the world.

     The U.S.-India relationship will be indispensible in shaping the 21st century.  And the reason
why is simple:  As two great powers and as the world’s two largest democracies, the United
States and India share common interests and common values -- values of self-determination and
equality; values of tolerance and a belief in the dignity of every human being. 

     Already on this trip, I’ve seen those shared interests and values firsthand.  We share a
commitment to see that the future belongs to hope, and not fear.  And I was honored to stay at
the Taj Hotel, the site of the 26/11 attacks, and yesterday, in meetings with some of the
survivors, I saw firsthand the resilience of the Indian people in overcoming tragedy, just as I
reaffirmed our close cooperation in combating terrorism and violent extremism in all of its
forms.

     We also share struggles for justice and equality.  I was humbled to visit Mani Bhavan, where
Gandhi helped move India and the world through the strength and dignity of his leadership. 

We share a commitment to see that this era after globalization leads to greater opportunity for all
our people.  And so yesterday, at a summit of business leaders and entrepreneurs, we discussed
the potential for greater economic cooperation between our two countries -- cooperation that
could create jobs and opportunity through increased trade and investment, unleashing the
potential of individuals in both our countries.  And even as we are countries that look to the
future with optimism, Americans and Indians draw strength from tradition and from faith. 

     This morning, Michelle and I enjoyed the chance to join young people here in Mumbai to
celebrate Diwali -- a holiday that is observed not just here in India but also in the United States,
where millions of Indian-Americans have enriched our country.  I have to point out, by the way,
those of you who had a chance to see Michelle dance, she was moving.  (Laughter.)  And it was
just an extraordinary gift for these young people to perform and share this wonderful tradition
with us.

     Tomorrow in New Delhi, I’ll have the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Singh and
many other leaders, and I’ll have the privilege to address your parliament.  And there I will
discuss in greater detail our efforts to broaden and deepen our cooperation and make some
specific announcements on important issues like counterterrorism and regional security, on clean
energy and climate change, and on the advance of economic growth and development and
democracy around the globe.

     Just as the sites I’ve seen and the people I’ve met here in Mumbai speak to our common
humanity, the common thread that runs through the different issues that our countries cooperate
on is my determination to take the partnership between our two countries to an entirely new
level.  Because the United States does not just believe, as some people say, that India is a rising
power; we believe that India has already risen.  India is taking its rightful place in Asia and on
the global stage.  And we see India’s emergence as good for the United States and good for the
world.

     But India’s future won’t simply be determined by powerful CEOs and political leaders -- just
as I know that the ties among our people aren’t limited to contacts between our corporations and
our governments.  And that’s why I wanted to speak to all of you today, because India’s future
will be determined by you and by young people like you across this country.  You are the future
leaders.  You are the future innovators and the future educators. You’re the future entrepreneurs
and the future elected officials.

     In this country of more than a billion people, more than half of all Indians are under 30 years
old.  That’s an extraordinary statistic and it’s one that speaks to a great sense of possibility --
because in a democracy like India’s -- or America’s -- every single child holds within them the
promise of greatness.  And every child should have the opportunity to achieve that greatness.

Most of you are probably close to 20 years old.  Just think how the world has changed in those
20 years.  India’s economy has grown at a breathtaking rate.  Living standards have improved for
hundreds of millions of people.  Your democracy has weathered assassination and terrorism. 
And meanwhile, around the globe, the Cold War is a distant memory and a new order has
emerged, one that’s reflected in the 20 members of the G20 that will come together in Seoul next
week, as countries like India assume a greater role on the world stage.

     So now the future of this country is in your hands.  And before I take your questions, I want
you to consider three questions I have for you -- questions about what the next 20 years will
bring.  First, what do you want India to look like in 20 years?  Nobody else can answer this
question but you.  It’s your destiny to write.  One of the great blessings of living in a democracy
is that you can always improve the democracy.  As our Founding Fathers wrote in the United
States, you can always forge a more perfect union. 

     But if you look at India’s last 20 years, it’s hard not to see the future with optimism.  You
have the chance to lift another several hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, grow even
more this enormous middle class that can fuel growth in this country and beyond.  You have the
chance to take on greater responsibilities on the global stage while playing a leading role in this
hugely important part of the world.

     And together with the United States, you can also seize the opportunities afforded by our
times:  the clean energy technologies that can power our lives and save our planet; the chance to
reach new frontiers in outer space; the research and development that can lead to new industry
and a higher standard of living; the prospect of advancing the cause of peace and pluralism in our
own countries but also beyond our borders.

     Which brings me to a second question.  Twenty years from now, what kind of partnership do
you want to have with America?  Just before I came to speak to all of you today, I visited two
expos right in another courtyard here that underscore the kind of progress we can make together. 
The first focused on agriculture and food security, and I was able to see innovations in
technology and research, which are transforming Indian farming.
     A farmer showed me how he can receive crop information on his cell phone.  Another showed
me how tools appropriately sized and weighted for women are helping her and other female
farmers increase their productivity.  Many of these innovations are the result of public and
private collaborations between the United States and India, the same collaboration that helped
produce the first Green Revolution in the 1960s.

     And tomorrow, I will be discussing with Prime Minister Singh how we can advance the
cooperation in the 21st century -- not only to benefit India, not only to benefit the United States,
but to benefit the world.  India can become a model for countries around the world that are
striving for food security.

     The second expo I toured focused on the ways that innovation is empowering Indian citizens
to ensure that democracy delivers for them.  So I heard directly from citizens in a village
hundreds of miles away, through e-panchayat.  I saw new technologies and approaches that allow
citizens to get information, or to fight corruption, monitor elections, find out whether their
elected official is actually going to work, holding government accountable.

     And while these innovations are uniquely India’s, their lessons can be applied around the
world.  So earlier this year, at the U.N., I called for a new focus on open societies that support
open government and highlighted their potential to strengthen the foundation of freedoms in our
own countries, while living up to the ideals that can light the world.  And that's what India is
starting do with some of this innovation. 

We must remember that in some places the future of democracy is still very much in question. 
Just to give you an example, there are elections that are being held right now in Burma that will
be anything but free and fair based on every report that we’re seeing.  And for too long the
people of Burma have been denied the right to determine their own destiny. 

     So even as we do not impose any system of government on other countries, we, especially
young people, must always speak out for those human rights that are universal, and the right of
people everywhere to make their own decisions about how to shape their future, which will bring
me to my final question, and then you guys can start sending questions my way.

     How do you -- how do each of you want to make the world a better place?  Keep in mind that
this is your world to build, your century to shape.  And you’ve got a powerful example of those
who went before you.  Just as America had the words and deeds of our Founding Fathers to help
chart a course towards freedom and justice and opportunity, India has this incredible history to
draw on, millennia of civilization, the examples of leaders like Gandhi and Nehru. 

     As I stood in Mani Bhavan, I was reminded that Martin Luther King made his own pilgrimage
to that site over 50 years ago.  In fact, we saw the book that he had signed.  After he returned
home, King said that he was struck by how Gandhi embodied in his life certain universal
principles that are inherent in the moral structure of the universe, and these principles are as
inescapable as the law of gravitation.
     You have that power within you.  You, too, must embody those principles.  For even within
this time of great progress, there are great imperfections, the injustice of oppression, the grinding
punishment of poverty, the scourge of violent extremism and war.  King and Gandhi made it
possible for all of us to be here today -- me as a President, you as a citizen of a country that's
made remarkable progress.  Now you have the opportunity and the responsibility to also make
this plant a better place. 
And as you do, you’ll have the friendship and partnership of the United States, because we are
interested in advancing those same universal principles that are as inescapable as the law of
gravitation. 

The lives that you lead will determine whether that opportunity is extended to more of the
world’s people -- so that a child who yearns for a better life in rural India or a family that's fled
from violence in Africa, or a dissident who sits in a Burmese prison, or a community that longs
for peace in war-torn Afghanistan -- whether they are able to achieve their dreams.

     And sometimes the challenges may be incredibly hard, and in the face of darkness, we may
get discouraged.  But we can always draw on the light of those who came before us.  I hope you
keep that light burning within you, because together the United States and India can shape a
century in which our own citizens and the people of the world can claim the hope of a better life.

     So thank you very much for your patience.  And now you can take Michelle’s advice and ask
me some tough questions.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.) 

     So we have I think people in the audience with microphones, and so when they come up, if
you could introduce yourself -- love to know who you are.  And we'll start with that young lady
right over there. 

     Q    Hi, good day, sir.  Hi, my name is Anna and I’m from St. Davis College.  My question to
you is, what is your take on opinion about jihad, or jihadi?  Whatever is your opinion, what do
you think of them?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, the phrase jihad has a lot of meanings within Islam and is subject to a
lot of different interpretations.  But I will say that, first, Islam is one of the world’s great
religions.  And more than a billion people who practice Islam, the overwhelming majority view
their obligations to their religion as ones that reaffirm peace and justice and fairness and
tolerance.  I think all of us recognize that this great religion in the hands of a few extremists has
been distorted to justify violence towards innocent people that is never justified.

     And so I think one of the challenges that we face is how do we isolate those who have these
distorted notions of religious war and reaffirm those who see faiths of all sorts -- whether you are
a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian or a Jew or any other religion, or your don't practice a
religion -- that we can all treat each other with respect and mutual dignity, and that some of the
universal principles that Gandhi referred to -- that those are what we’re living up to, as we live in
a nation or nations that have very diverse religious beliefs. 
     And that's a major challenge.  It’s a major here in India, but it’s a challenge obviously around
the world.  And young people like yourselves can make a huge impact in reaffirming that you
can be a stronger observer of your faith without putting somebody else down or visiting violence
on somebody else.

     I think a lot of these ideas form very early.  And how you respond to each other is going to be
probably as important as any speech that a President makes in encouraging the kinds of religious
tolerance that I think is so necessary in a world that's getting smaller and smaller, where more
and more people of different backgrounds, different races, different ethnicities are interacting
and working and learning from each other. 

     And those circumstances -- I think all of us have to fundamentally reject the notion that
violence is a way to mediate our differences.   

     All right.  Yes, I may not get to every question.  I’ll call on this young man right here.  Right
there, yes.

     Q    Good morning, sir.  My name is Jehan (phonetic).  I’m from H.R. College.  So my
question is more about spirituality and moral values.  We see today in today’s world, there more
of a materialistic frame of thought when it comes to generations -- budding generations.  So what
do you believe is a possible methodology which governments, rather yours or any other
governments in the world, they can adopt to basically incorporate the human core values, the
moral values of selflessness, brotherhood, over the materialistic frame of thought which people
work by today?

     THE PRESIDENT:  It’s a terrific question and I’m glad you’re asking it.  India is making
enormous progress in part because, like America, it has this incredible entrepreneurial talent,
entrepreneurial spirit.  And I think we should not underestimate how liberating economic growth
can be for a country. 

     In the United States, I used to work with a lot of churches when I was still a community
organizer, before I went to law school.  And one of the common phrases among the pastors there
was, it’s hard to preach to an empty stomach.  It’s hard to preach to an empty stomach.  If people
have severe, immediate material needs -- shelter, food, clothing -- then that is their focus.  And
economic growth and development that is self-sustaining can liberate people, allow them -- it
forms the basis for folks to get an education and to expand their horizons.  And that's all for the
good.

     So I don't want any person here to be dismissive of a healthy materialism because in a country
like India, there’s still a lot of people trapped in poverty.  And you should be working to try to
lift folks out of poverty, and companies and businesses have a huge role in making that happen.
    
     Now, having said that, if all you’re thinking about is material wealth, then I think that shows a
poverty of ambition.  When I was visiting Gandhi’s room, here in Mumbai, it was very telling
that the only objects in the room were a mat and a spinning wheel and some sandals and a few
papers.  And this is a man who changed history like probably no one else in the 20th century in
terms of the number of lives that he affected.  And he had nothing, except an indomitable spirit.
    
So everyone has a role to play.  And those of you who are planning to go into business, I think
it’s wonderful that you’re going into business and you should pursue it with all your focus and
energy.  Those of you, though, who are more inclined to teach or more inclined to public service,
you should also feel encouraged that you are playing just as critical a role.  And whatever
occupation you choose, giving back to the community and making sure that you’re reaching back
to help people, lift up people who may have been left behind, that’s a solemn obligation. 
And by the way, it’s actually good for you.  It’s good for your spirit.  It’s good for your own
moral development.  It will make you a happier person, knowing that you’ve given back and
you’ve contributed something.

     Last point I would make -- I think this is another thing that India and the United States share,
is there’s a healthy skepticism about public servants, particularly electoral politics.  In the United
States, people generally have -- hold politicians in fairly low esteem -- sometimes for good
reason, but some of it is just because the view is that somehow government can’t do anything
right.  And here in India, one of the big impediments to development is the fact that in some
cases the private sector is moving much faster than the public sector is moving.

     And I would just suggest that I hope some of you decide to go ahead and get involved in
public service -- which can be frustrating.  It can be, at times, slow -- you don’t see progress as
quickly as you’d like.  But India is going to need you not just as businessmen but also as leaders
who are helping to reduce bureaucracy and make government more responsive and deliver
services more efficiently.  That’s going to be just as important in the years to come.  Because
otherwise you’re going to get a imbalance where some are doing very well but broad-based
economic growth is not moving as quickly as it could.

     Excellent question. 

I’m going to go boy-girl-boy-girl, or girl-boy-girl-boy, just to make sure it’s fair.  Let’s see.  This
young lady right there -- yes.

     Q    Hello.  I actually wanted to ask you -- you mention Mahatma Gandhi a lot usually in your
speeches.  So I was just wondering how exactly do you implement his principles and his values
in your day-to-day life, and how do you expect the people in the U.S. to live in those values? 
Thank you.

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it’s a terrific question.  Let me say, first of all, that he, like Dr.
King, like Abraham Lincoln, are people who I’m constantly reading and studying, and I find
myself falling woefully short of their example all the time.  So I’m often frustrated by how far I
fall short of their example.

     But I do think that at my best, what I’m trying to do is to apply principles that fundamentally
come down to something shared in all the world’s religions, which is to see yourself in other
people; to understand the inherent worth and dignity of every individual, regardless of station,
regardless of rank, regardless of wealth, and to absolutely value and cherish and respect that
individual; and then hopefully, try to take that principle of  treating others as you would want to
be treated and find ways where that can apply itself in communities and in cities and in states and
ultimately in a country and in the world.

     As I said, I often find myself falling short of that ideal. But I tend to judge any particular
policy based on, is this advancing that spirit; that it’s helping individuals realize their potential;
that it’s making sure that all children are getting an education -- so that I’m not just worrying
about my children; that I’m thinking, first and foremost, about the United States of America,
because that’s my responsibility as President, but I’m also recognizing that we are in an
interrelationship with other countries in the world and I can’t ignore an abuse of human rights in
another country.  I can’t ignore hardships that may be suffering -- that may be suffered by
somebody of a different nationality.

     That I think more than anything is what I carry with me on a day-to-day basis.  But it’s not
always apparent that I’m making progress on that front. 

One of the other things I draw from all great men and women, like a Gandhi, though, is that on
this journey you’re going to experience setbacks and you have to be persistent and stubborn, and
you just have to keep on going at it.  And you’ll never roll the boulder all the way up the hill but
you may get it part of the way up.

     This gentleman in the blue shirt.  Do we have a microphone?  Oh, here we go.  Thanks.

     Q    Good afternoon, Mr. President.

     THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon.

     Q    It’s an honor to question you.  What my question would be is, when you were being
elected as President, one of the words you used a lot was “change.”  After your midterm election,
the midterm -- it seems that the American people have asked for a change.  The change that you
will make, how exactly is it going to affect young India, people from my generation?

     THE PRESIDENT:  That’s an interesting question.

     Q    Thank you.

     THE PRESIDENT:  The United States has gone through probably the toughest two years
economically as we’ve gone through since the 1930s.  I mean, this was a profound financial
crisis and economic shock, and it spilled over to most of the world.  India weathered it better
than many countries.  But most of the work that I did with Prime Minister Singh in the first two
years in the G20, we were focused on making sure that the world’s financial system didn’t
collapse.
    
     And although we’ve now stabilized the economy, unemployment in the United States is very
high now relative to what it typically has been over the last several decades.  And so people are
frustrated.  And although we’re making progress, we’re not making progress quickly enough.
     And one of the wonderful things about democracy is that when the people are not happy, it is
their right, obligation, and duty to express their unhappiness, much to the regret sometimes of
incumbents.  But that’s a good thing.  That’s a healthy thing.

     And my obligation is to make sure that I stick to the principles and beliefs and ideas that will
move America forward  -- because I profoundly believe that we have to invest in education, that
that will be the primary driver of growth in the future; that we’ve got to invest in a strong
infrastructure; that we have to make sure that we are taking advantage of opportunities like clean
energy.

     But it also requires me to make some midcourse corrections and adjustments.  And how those
play themselves out over the next several months will be a matter of me being in discussions
with the Republican Party, which is now going to be controlling the House of Representatives. 
And there are going to be areas where we disagree and hopefully there are going to be some
areas where we agree.

     Now, you asked specifically, how do I think it will affect policy towards India.  I actually
think that the United States has a enormous fondness for India, partly because there are so many
Indian-Americans and because of the shared values that we have.  And so there is a strong
bipartisan belief that India is going to be a critical partner with the United States in the 21st
century.  That was true when George Bush was President.  That was true when Bill Clinton was
President.  It was true under Democratic and Republican control of Congress.

     So I don’t think that fundamental belief is going to be altered in any significant way.  I do
think that one of the challenges that we’re going to be facing in the United States is at a time
when we’re still recovering from this crisis, how do we respond to some of the challenges of
globalization?  Because the fact of the matter is, is that for most of my lifetime -- I’ll turn 50 next
year -- for most of my lifetime, the United States was such a dominant economic power, we were
such a large market, our industry, our technology, our manufacturing was so significant that we
always met the rest of the world economically on our terms.  And now, because of the incredible
rise of India and China and Brazil and other countries, the United States remains the largest
economic and the largest market but there’s real competition out there. 

     And that's potentially healthy.  It makes -- Michelle was saying earlier I like tough questions
because it keeps me on my toes.  Well, this will keep America on its toes.  And I'm positive we
can compete because we've got the most open, most dynamic entrepreneurial culture; we've got
some of the finest universities in the world; incredible research and technology.  But it means
that we're going to have to compete. 

And I think that there’s going to be a tug of war within the United States between those who see
globalization as a threat and want to retrench, and those who accept that we live in a open,
integrated world which has challenges and opportunities and we've got to manage those
challenges and manage those opportunities, but we shouldn’t be afraid of them.

     And so what that means, for example, is on issues of trade, part of the reason I'm traveling
through Asia this week is I believe that the United States will grow and prosper if we are trading
with Asia.  It’s the fastest-growing region in the world. We want access to your markets.  We
think we've got good products to sell; you think that you’ve got good products to sell us.  This
can be a win-win situation.

     So I want to make sure that we're here because this will create jobs in the United States and it
can create jobs in India. But that means that we've got to negotiate this changing relationship. 
Back in the 1960s or ‘70s, the truth is the American economy could be open even if our trading
partners’ economies weren’t open.  So if India was protecting certain sectors of its economy, it
didn’t really have such a big effect on us.  We didn’t need necessarily reciprocity because our
economy was so much larger.

     Well, now, things have changed.  So it’s not unfair for the United States to say, look, if our
economy is open to everybody, countries that trade with us have to change their practices to open
up their markets to us.  There has to be reciprocity in our trading relationship.  And if we can
have those kinds of conversations, fruitful, constructive conversations about how we produce
win-win situations, then I think we'll be fine.

     If the American people feel that trade is just a one-way street, where everybody is selling to
the enormous U.S. market but we can never sell what we make anywhere else, then people in the
United States will start thinking, well, this is a bad deal for us.  And that could end up leading to
a more protectionist instinct in both parties -- not just among Democrats, but also among
Republicans.  So that's what we have to guard against.

     All right, it’s a young lady’s turn.  This young lady with the glasses -- yes.

     Q    A very warm welcome to you to India, sir.  ]

     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.

     Q    I'm from H.R. College of Commerce and Economics.  We were the privileged college to
host Mr. Otis Moss this January. Sir, my question to you is why is Pakistan so important an ally
to America, so far as America has never called it a terrorist state?

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well -- no, no, it’s a good question.  And I must admit I was expecting
it.  (Laughter.)  Pakistan is an enormous country.  It is a strategically important country not just
for the United States but for the world.  It is a country whose people have enormous potential,
but it is also, right now, a country that within it has some of the extremist elements that we
discussed in the first question.  That's not unique to Pakistan, but obviously it exists in Pakistan.

     The Pakistani government is very aware of that.  And what we have tried to do over the last
several years, certainly -- I'll just speak to my foreign policy -- has been to engage aggressively
with the Pakistani government to communicate that we want nothing more than a stable,
prosperous, peaceful Pakistan, and that we will work with the Pakistani government in order to
eradicate this extremism that we consider a cancer within the country that can potentially engulf
the country.
     And I will tell you that I think the Pakistani government understands now the potential threat
that exists within their own borders.  There are more Pakistanis who’ve been killed by terrorists
inside Pakistan than probably anywhere else. 

     Now, progress is not as quick as we’d like, partly because when you get into, for example,
some of the Northwest Territories, these are very -- this is very difficult terrain, very entrenched. 
The Pakistani army has actually shifted some of its emphasis and focus into those areas.  But
that's not originally what their armed forces were designed to do, and so they’re having to adapt
and adjust to these new dangers and these new realities. 

     I think there is a growing recognition -- but it’s something that doesn’t happen overnight -- of
what a profound problem this is.  And so our feeling has been to be honest and forthright with
Pakistan, to say we are your friend, this is a problem and we will help you, but the problem has
to be addressed.

     Now, let me just make this point, because obviously the history between India and Pakistan is
incredibly complex and was born of much tragedy and much violence.  And so it may be
surprising to some of you to hear me say this, but I am absolutely convinced that the country that
has the biggest stake in Pakistan’s success is India.  I think that if Pakistan is unstable, that's bad
for India.  If Pakistan is stable and prosperous, that's good. 

     Because India is on the move.  And it is absolutely in your interests, at a time when you're
starting to succeed in incredible ways on the global economic stage, that you [don’t]  want the
distraction of security instability in your region.  So my hope is, is that over time trust develops
between the two countries, that dialogue begins -- perhaps on less controversial issues, building
up to more controversial issues -- and that over time there’s a recognition that India and Pakistan
can live side by side in peace and that both countries can prosper. 

     That will not happen tomorrow.  But I think that needs to be our ultimate goal.

     And by the way, the United States stands to be a friend and a partner in that process, but we
can't impose that on India and Pakistan.  Ultimately, India and Pakistan have to arrive at their
own understandings in terms of how the relationship evolves.

     Okay.  I've got time for one more question.  It’s a guy’s turn.  This young man right here, in
the striped shirt.

     Q    Good afternoon, Mr. President.  It’s an absolute honor to hear you, and I must say this,
that one day I hope I be half as good as a leader as you are today.

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, you're very kind.  Thank you. 

     Q    Mr. President, my question relates to your Afghanistan policy.  In light of your statements
that the troop withdrawal would start in 2011, there have been recent developments that would
indicate that USA has been in talks with Taliban so as to strike out a stable government in
Afghanistan as when you withdraw.  Now, does this point to the acceptance of the inevitability
of the U.S. to fulfill the vision which they had, with which they invaded Afghanistan in 2001? 
Does it point out to their inability to take a military control of all the southern regions so that we
can install a stable government?  You notice that in Iraq where there’s a lot of instability now. 
So does it point to a sort of tacit acceptance of U.S. inability to create harmony in Afghanistan? 

     THE PRESIDENT:  First of all, I want to just unpack some of the assumptions inside the
question because they were broadly based in fact, but I want to be very precise here.

     I have said that starting in the summer of next year, July 2011, we will begin drawing down
our troop levels, but we will not be removing all our troops.  Keep in mind that we ramped up
significantly because the idea was that for seven years we had just been in a holding pattern;
we’d had just enough troops to keep Kabul intact but the rest of the countryside was deteriorating
in fairly significant ways.  There wasn’t a real strategy.  And my attitude was, I don't want to,
seven years from now, or eight years from now, be in the exact same situation.  That's not a
sustainable equilibrium.

     So I said, let’s put more troops in to see if we can create more space and stability and time for
Afghan security forces to develop, and then let’s begin drawing down our troops as we’re able to
stand up Afghan security forces.

     Now, in fact, it turns out that in Iraq -- you mentioned Iraq as a parallel -- in Iraq, we have
been relatively successful in doing that.  The government is taking way too long to get formed,
and that is a source of frustration to us and I’m sure to the Iraq people.  Having said that, though,
if you think about it, it’s been seven months since the election, and violence levels are actually
lower in Iraq than they’ve been just about any time since the war started -- at a time when we
pulled back our forces significantly.  So it shows that it is possible to train effective, indigenous
security forces so that they can provide their own security.  And hopefully politics then resolves
differences, as opposed to violence.

     Now, Afghan, I think is actually more complicated, more difficult, probably because it’s a
much poorer country.  It does not have as strong a tradition of a central government.  Civil
service is very underdeveloped.  And so I think that the pace at which we’re drawing down is
going to be determined in part by military issues, but it’s also going to be determined by politics. 
And that is, is it possible for a sizeable portion of the Pashtun population in Afghanistan that may
be teetering back and forth between Taliban or a central government, is it possible for them to
feel that their ethnicity, their culture, their numerical position in the country is adequately
represented, and can they do that within the context of a broader constitutional Afghan
government.

     And I think that's a worthy conversation to have.  So what we’ve said to President Karzai --
because this is being initiated by him -- what we’ve said is if former Taliban members or current
Taliban members say that they are willing to disassociate themselves with al Qaeda, renounce
violence as a means of achieving their political aims, and are willing to respect the Afghan
constitution so that, for example, women are treated with all the right that men are afforded, then,
absolutely, we support the idea of a political resolution of some of these differences.
     Now, there are going to be some elements that are affiliated to the Taliban that are also
affiliated with al Qaeda or LT or these other organizations, these extremists that are
irreconcilable.  They will be there.  And there will need to be a military response to those who
would perpetrate the kind of violence that we saw here in Mumbai in a significant ongoing way
-- or the kind that we saw on 9/11 in New York City.

     But I think a stable Afghanistan is achievable.  Will it look exactly as I might design a
democracy?  Probably not.  It will take on an Afghan character. 

I do think that there are lessons that India has to show not just countries like Afghanistan but
countries in sub-Saharan Africa.  I mean, some of the incredible work that I saw being done in
the agricultural sector is applicable to widely dispersed rural areas in a place like Afghanistan
and could -- I promise you, if we can increase farmers’ yields in Afghanistan by 20 percent or 25
percent, and they can get their crops to market, and they’re cutting out a middleman and they’re
ending up seeing a better standard of life for themselves, that goes a long way in encouraging
them to affiliate with a modern world.

     And so India’s investment in development in Afghanistan is appreciated.  Pakistan has to be a

partner in this process.  In fact, all countries in the region are going to be partners in this
process.  And the United States welcomes that.  We don’t think we can do this alone.

     But part of our -- and this is probably a good way to end -- part of my strong belief is that
around the world, your generation is poised to solve some of my generation’s mistakes and my
parents’ generation’s mistakes.  You’ll make your own mistakes, but there’s such incredible
potential and promise for you to start pointing in new directions in terms of how economies are
organized, in terms of how moral precepts and values and principles are applied, in how nations
work together to police each other so that they’re not -- so that when there’s genocide or there is
ethnic cleansing, or there are gross violations of human rights, that an international community
joins together and speaks with one voice; so that economic integration isn’t a source of fear or
anxiety, but rather is seen as enormous promise and potential; where we’re able to tackle
problems that we can’t solve by ourselves.

     I went to a lower school -- do you call them high schools here?  It’s sort of a high school. 
And Michelle and I saw this wonderful exhibit of global warming and the concerns that these
young people have -- they were 14, 15.  And their energy and their enthusiasm was infectious. 
And I asked them, which one of you are going to be scientists who are going to try to solve this
problem?  And all of them raised their hands.  And I said, well, this is hugely important for
India.  And they said, no, not for India -- for the world. 

You see, their ambitions were not just to be great scientists for India.  Their ambition was to be a
great scientist for the world -- because they understood that something like climate change or
clean energy, that’s not an American problem or an Indian problem -- that’s a human problem. 
And all of us are going to have to be involved in finding solutions to it.

     And as I listen to all of you, with your wonderful questions, I am incredibly optimistic and
encouraged that you will help find those solutions in the years to come.
     So, thank you very much for your hospitality.  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.) 

                             END           12:45 P.M. IST

Remarks by the President at Open
Government and Technology Exposition
St. Xavier College, Mumbai, India

11:15 A.M. IST

 
     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, here’s the good news, is that in the United States we are trying to
do some of the same things that you’re doing -- trying to make government more transparent,
trying to make government more accountable, trying to make government more efficient.  And
one of the incredible benefits of the technology we’re seeing right here is that in many ways
India may be in a position to leapfrog some of the intermediate stages of government service
delivery, avoiding some of the 20th century mechanisms for delivering services and going
straight to the 21st.
 
     But many of the issues that you’re talking about here are ones that we’re trying to apply in the
United States, as well.  For example, in many rural areas in the United States, it’s hard
sometimes to get to a hospital.  Even though the infrastructure may be better developed, there’s
still significant distances.  And to the extent that we can use technology to provide people with
basic health information, in some cases simple diagnoses, that can save people time, it can save
the government money, and we can end up with better health outcomes.  And obviously the same
applies for all the services you mentioned.
 
     So I want to congratulate all of you for doing the terrific work.  And I look forward to
watching this terrific experiment in democracy continue to expand all throughout India, and
you’ll be a model for countries around the world.
 
                             END           11:17 A.M. IST
Remarks by the President in Meeting with
CEOs in Mumbai, India
Oberoi Hotel, Mumbai, India

5:10 P.M. IST

      
      THE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you very much, everybody, for joining us.  I’m going to be
very brief here today.  This is partly because I’ve got a long speech that will immediately follow
this.

      But as I emphasized before I left the United States, one of the biggest priorities on this trip is
to highlight the degree to which U.S. economic success, U.S. job creation, U.S. economic growth
is going to be tied to our working with, cooperating with, establishing commercial ties with the
fastest-growing economies in the world.  And no country represents that promise of a strong,
vibrant commercial relationship more acutely than India.

      Obviously anybody who comes to Mumbai is struck by the incredible energy and drive and
entrepreneurial spirit that exists here.  This is a commercial town and this is a increasingly
commercial nation.  And it is so important for not just U.S. companies but U.S. workers to
recognize these incredible opportunities and hopefully for Indian workers and Indian companies
to recognize the opportunities for them as well.

      So often when we talk about trade and commercial relationships, the question is who’s
winning and who’s losing.  This is a classic situation in which we can all win.  And I’m going to
make it one of my primary tasks during the next three days to highlight all the various ways in
which we’ve got an opportunity I think to put Americans back to work, see India grow its
infrastructure, its networks, its capacity to continue to grow at a rapid pace.  And we can do that
together, but only if both sides recognize these opportunities.

      So rather than speak about these possibilities in the abstract, I’ve been having a terrific
conversation with some U.S. CEOs who are already doing a lot of work here in India.  I just had
a chance to meet some young Indian entrepreneurs, as well as U.S. and Indian companies that are
joint-venturing to take U.S. technology and apply it in new ways here in India, using new
business and innovative business models.

      But what I’m really excited about is the fact that we’re actually doing some business while
we’re here.  And so before I turn it over to some of the companies, I’d like Minister Sharma to
just say a few words and thank him and the entire Indian government for the incredible
hospitality that’s already been shown to me during the few hours since I’ve arrived, and I’m very
much looking forward to the remaining days ahead.
      MINISTER SHARMA:  Thank you, Excellency, President Obama.  I’m very privileged to
welcome you on behalf of the government and people of the Republic of India.  Your visit has a
special significance, because after many missed opportunities in our engagement as two nations,
there has been a historic embrace.
      We watched with admiration your election, your commitment, your references to the values
espoused by the father of the Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, the civil
rights movement, and to speak for human dignity and the values associated.

      Our two countries share a lot.  And in the 21st century, there are expectations that these two
countries, which have a shared commitment to democracy, to human rights, pluralistic society,
multicultural, multireligious, multiethnic, can define the course, as the global architecture,
political and economic, changes.

      We welcome what you have said as you embarked for India about doubling the trade, but
also increase jobs.  By enhanced economic engagement both will happen.  India has reached a
stage where I can say not with optimism but without any hesitation that this is a country of
limitless opportunities for your industry, for your investors to engage in.

      At the same time, both our countries are fortunate that we have human resources.  U.S. has
institutions, U.S. has strengths in innovation, in high-end technologies, and it can be greatly
rewarding for both our countries.

      My Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and the chairperson of the ruling coalition, Sonia
Gandhi, has specifically asked me to convey the warm greetings and welcome to you.  We hope
your visit will be a path-breaking one, clearly defining the road map of the cooperation between
the two big democracies of the world.

      Thank you.

      PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you so much.

      With that, what I’d like to do is to provide an opportunity for Jeff Immelt and Anil Ambani
to talk about work that General Electric and Reliance are going to be doing together.  And then
I’ll turn it over to representatives of Boeing and SpiceJet to talk about the terrific partnership that
they’re forging.  These are two wonderful examples of how the collaboration and commercial
ties between India and the United States are resulting directly in economic benefits in both
countries and jobs in both countries.

      So, Jeff, why don’t we start with you?

      MR. IMMELT:  Thanks, Mr. President.  First, I’d like to say thanks for having all of us here
today.  All of us believe very much in the strategy of doubling exports in the next five years.
We’ve all lived the world of globalization and know that it’s not a zero-sum game, that it creates
jobs in the United States and also creates jobs in India.
      We believe in the Indian market.  We think that the coming years are going to represent great
opportunity for India and that the U.S. should be a part of that.  And so we’re quite excited to be
here today.

      There will be a trillion dollars -- a trillion dollars invested in infrastructure in India.  The
need is vast.  My first trip to India was 25 years ago.  There was a shortage of electricity.  I’m
happy to say, 25 years later, there’s still a shortage of electricity.  (Laughter.)  I view that as a
business opportunity for GE, and we plan to capitalize on our share of that trillion-dollar
opportunity in energy.

      One of our big customers is Reliance Energy, run by Anil Ambani, one of the best-known
Indian CEOs.  In the case that we’re going to announce today or commemorate today is an order
of 2,400 megawatts of gas turbine technology.  This is the most modern technology to this date. 
It is manufactured in Greenville, South Carolina.  This order will support 3,000 jobs in the
United States in New York State and in South Carolina, among our thousands of suppliers.  It’s
the largest gas turbine order in the history of India.

      Anil is in the lead of all of this as being one of the major power providers.  It also provides
for the Indian citizens clean electricity, availability to electricity, and we think it’s among the
leading edge and will continue to drive growth in the future.

      I know for a fact that Anil has even greater needs in the future for more gas turbines as well,
and so I think this is just the first of many.

      So we’re honored today to talk about this as a great export opportunity for GE.  GE also
creates many jobs in India and is committed to doing that in the future as well.  And we are very
proud to have a fine partner in Reliance Energy and in Anil Ambani.

      So we’re quite excited.  This is really a great win-win opportunity.

      MR. AMBANI:  Mr. President, thank you.  I thank Jeff for his kind words.  I think that Jeff
effectively stole most of my speech -- (laughter) -- but what I want to bring to the attention of
people around the table is with what we’ve embarked to do with GE and other U.S. companies in
the power sector, we’ll effectively provide up to 10,000 jobs in the U.S.  Jeff gave a number of
2,500, which is for GE, and the balance is for other U.S. companies that we are dealing with.

      This would have not been possible if we didn’t have the support of the U.S. Ex-Im Bank and
I want to put on the card the support from Fred and the rest of his team at U.S. Ex-Im.

      Our order for 2,500 megawatts goal which represents to be the largest in India is still the tip
of the iceberg.  The power sector opportunity in India alone is $100 billion of capital
      expenditure in the next five years.  And it reminds me of a recent article on the front page of
the Wall Street Journal, which followed one of my visits to Shanghai last week, where we placed
a $10 billion order on the Chinese companies.
      These are two exclusive parts of growth -- the gas-based part -- we can work with GE and
other U.S. companies.  But the sky is the limit of future potential in terms of our cooperation.

      We’re also deeply involved in other infrastructure areas in which we should get U.S.
companies to come in and, of course, receive the support of U.S. Ex-Im.  I still believe that I’m
personally biased to the U.S. because I’ve been educated in the U.S.  I went to the Wharton
School, so that is a clear mental and personal bias towards dealing with the U.S. companies.

      But saying that apart, I still think that your being here today is a strong signal for us in India. 
And you’ve chosen to come at a time which is Diwali, which was yesterday.  And there could
not be a more auspicious moment because we believe in astrology and palmistry -- and history. 
But our new year is tomorrow, so this is the best way to begin our new year to have you here as
our valued guest and to make this announcement with Jeff.

      Thank you so much.

      THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much, Anil.  I appreciate that.

      Christopher.

      MR. CHADWICK:  Well, thank you, Mr. President.  I’m fortunate to represent Boeing who
has been doing business with India for 60 years now.  Unfortunately, unlike Jeff I’ve only been
coming here five years.  But I’ve come 35 times in five years.  (Laughter.)

      And so what I’ve found is there are a lot of similarities between India and the United States. 
The culture is the same.  The work ethic is the same.  And we all believe in commercial
collaboration and partnerships.

      We’re here with SpiceJet today to commemorate a sale of 30 new 737 next-generation
aircraft.  We are proud as a Boeing company to be a partner with SpiceJet and all the employees
of Boeing -- this is an honor for them.

      THE PRESIDENT:  Mr. Kansagra.

      MR. KANSAGRA:  Thank you.  Welcome, Mr. President, to India.  As a fellow Kenyan, I’m
very proud to see that you have made --

      THE PRESIDENT:  Made something of myself.  (Laughter.)

      MR. KANSAGRA: -- India as the focus of your drive for exports out of the U.S.  To that
effect, the 30 aircraft order, which is the second of such orders we have placed with Boeing, will
enhance SpiceJet’s penetration into the Indian low-cost travel, low-cost transportation market,
which really is the focus for SpiceJet.

      Boeing has given us huge support together -- and Fred also has extended his assistance to
finance our forthcoming aircraft in the next year.  That support and that partnership will take
SpiceJet and Boeing to greater heights.  And your coming here to India today will only help that
day further.  Thank you.

      THE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you very much.

      So, just to summarize, just around this table you're seeing billions of dollars in orders from
U.S. companies, tens of thousands of jobs being supported.  We're a potential that has barely
been scratched.  And this is, I think, why folks back home in the United States need to embrace
the possible partnership with India -- as a democracy, one that appreciates human rights and
pluralism, one that has a entrepreneurial culture.  We have an enormous possibility to partner
with them for decades to come.

      And by the way, it’s not just big companies that we’re emphasizing.  We just had some
terrific meetings with some start-up ventures.  And I’ll just give a couple of examples.  We have
an Indian entrepreneur who has purchased water filtration equipment from a U.S. company.  The
U.S. company typically sold it to big plants around the country, but this Indian entrepreneur
realized getting clean water is hard in India.  And he’s actually set up franchises using the U.S.
filtration equipment and franchised a hundred franchisees around the country where they're
selling clean water at a very, very cheap rate.

      It’s good for those communities.  It’s good for the businesses.  And it’s supporting jobs in the
United States of America.  We’re seeing examples of that all across the board, but we haven’t
taken full advantage of these opportunities.  And we need to.

      On the Indian side, I just want to say to the people of India, every American businessperson
who comes here is thrilled, Mr. Minister, with how rapidly India is growing and its increasing
preeminence on the world stage.  And I think that we want to place our bets with India as a
strong partner.  And that's true not only in the private sector, as you’ve already heard, but it’s
true with the U.S. government, as well, which is why I’m so looking forward to spending time
here over the next several days.

      Thank you very much, everybody.  

                                  END           5:27 P.M. IST

Remarks by the First Lady during visit with
students from "Make a Difference" program
University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India

5:36 P.M. IST

      MRS. OBAMA:  I love dancing.  Oh, that was fun!  (Applause.)  We should do that again. 
(Applause.)  Okay, we’ll do that before we leave.

      I just want to thank you all.  Thank you.  And I want to thank all of your teachers and
mentors.  Do you know how lucky you are, just lucky and blessed, because if you keep working
hard, education is all that you need to be whatever you want to be.  That's it.

      I didn’t grow up with a lot of money.  I mean, my parents -- I had two parents.  I was lucky to
have two parents, and they always had a job, but we didn’t have a lot of money.  But it was
because of working hard, and studying, and learning how to write and read, and then I got a
chance to go to college, and then college opened up the world to me, I started seeing all these
things that I could be or do, and I never even imagined being the First Lady of the United States. 
But because I had an education, when the time came to do this, I was ready.

      So just remember there is nothing that you guys can’t do.  You know, you have everything it
takes to be successful and smart and to raise a family, right?

      What do you say?  You’ve got something to say.  (Laughter.)

      That's all you need.  And you’ve got a great start because you’ve got all -- there are so many
young people like your teachers who care about you guys.  And there are many programs like --
just like this one in the United States where young -- I call these young people -- to you they
seem old, but to me they’re young -- but they’re helping kids all across the country.  And we
should give -- let’s give a hand, a clap, for your -- all of your teachers and mentors and all the
volunteers who help.  (Applause.)

      So I don't know if you feel comfortable -- you have to sort of ignore those people there. 
Pretend like they’re not here.  Do you guys want to ask any questions?  Is there anything that you
want to know?  Even -- don't worry about it being the -- saying it the right way.  If there's
something that you want to know, or did you want to talk about, that I can tell you -- anybody?

      Yes.

      Q     I feel like my dream come true.

      MRS. OBAMA:  You feel like your dream has come true?
      Q     Yes.

      MRS. OBAMA:  Why, because of me?

      Q     Yes!

      MRS. OBAMA:  No!

      Q     Yes!

      MRS. OBAMA:  No, you are my dream come true.

      Q     This is a dream for me -- (laughter.)

      MRS. OBAMA:  Well, we are very proud of you all.  We’re very proud, you know?  When
me and the President get a little tired because our work gets hard sometimes, it’s because -- it’s
when we get to spend time with you all that we go, yeah, this is what it’s all about.  This is why
we do what we do, because we’re trying to make this whole world better so that kids like you
have the opportunities, the same opportunities, as every other kid, right?  That's what we’re
working for.

      So we’re very proud of you.  We’re proud of the amount of energy that you put into learning,
the excitement that you put into dancing, and to learning how to spell, and to learning how to
speak English.  You guys are going to do great.  You’re going to do just great.  All right?

      So thank you.  Thanks for letting me spend time with you.

      Anybody else have anything they want to say or ask -- or practice?  (Laughter.)

      Oh, if that’s the case, then I think we should dance some more.  Let’s dance some more!  One
more dance!  You guys show me one more dance?  (Applause.)  All right, show me one more
dance.

                                        END                           5:40 P.M. IST

Remarks by the President Commemorating
26/11 Attacks on Mumbai
Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, Mumbai, India

2:25 P.M. IST

      THE PRESIDENT:  On behalf of Michelle and myself, I want to say what an extraordinary
honor it is to be here in India.  I want to thank the people of Mumbai and all of you here today
for your extraordinarily warm welcome.  And I want to say to the people of India how much we
are looking forward to spending the next three days in this remarkable country and to deepening
the partnership between our two countries.

      I know there’s been a great deal of commentary on our decision to begin our visit here in this
dynamic city, at this historic hotel.  And to those who have asked whether this is intended to send
a message, my answer is simply, absolutely.  Mumbai is a symbol of the incredible energy and
optimism that defines India in the 21st century.  And ever since those horrific days two years
ago, the Taj has been the symbol of the strength and the resilience of the Indian people.

      So, yes, we visit here to send a very clear message that in our determination to give our
people a future of security and prosperity, the United States and India stand united.

      A few moments ago, Michelle and I had the opportunity to visit the memorial here and to
honor the memory of those who were lost.  And we also had the privilege of meeting with some
of their families, as well as some of the courageous survivors.  I thank them all for joining us
here today, along with so many others who endured the anguish of those four days in November.

      We'll never forget the awful images of 26/11, including the flames from this hotel that lit up
the night sky.  We’ll never forget how the world, including the American people watched and
grieved with all of India.

      But the resolve and the resilience of the Indian people during those attacks stood in stark
contrast to the savagery of the terrorists.  The murderers came to kill innocent civilians that day. 
But those of you here risked everything to save human live.

      You were strangers who helped strangers; hostages who worked together to break free and
escape; hotel staff who stayed behind to escort guests to safety; including the hotel manager,
even after he lost his own family; a nanny who braved the bullets to protect a young boy; and
Indians in uniform who stopped the carnage and whose colleagues made the ultimate sacrifice.

      The perpetrators wanted to pit believers of different faiths against one another.  But they
failed.  Because here in Mumbai, the diversity that is India’s strength was on full display: 
Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jews and Muslims protecting each other, saving each other, living the
common truth of all the world’s great religions, that we are all children of God.

      Those who attacked Mumbai wanted to demoralize this city and this country.  But they
failed.  Because the very next day, Mumbaikars came back to work.  Hotel staff reported for their
shifts.  Workers returned to their businesses.  And within weeks, this hotel was once again
welcoming guests from around the world.

      By striking the places where our countries and people come together, those who perpetrated
these horrific attacks hoped to drive us apart.  But just as Indian citizens lost their lives on 9/11,
American citizens lost their lives here on 26/11 -- along with the citizens of many nations.  And
just as our people prayed together at candlelight vigils, our governments have worked closer than
ever, sharing intelligence, preventing more attacks, and demanding that the perpetrators be
brought to justice.

      Indeed, today, the United States and India are working together more closely than ever to
keep our people safe.  And I look forward to deepening our counterterrorism cooperation even
further when I meet with Prime Minister Singh in New Delhi.

      We go forward with confidence, knowing that history is on our side.  Because those who
target the innocent, they offer nothing but death and destruction.  What we seek to build -- to
welcome people of different faiths and backgrounds, and to offer our citizens a future of dignity
and opportunity.  That is the spirit of the gateway behind us, which in its architecture reflects all
the beauty and strength of different faiths and traditions, and which has welcomed people to this
city for a century.

      That is the hope that in towns and villages across India, across this vast nation, leads people
to board crowded trains and set out to forge their futures in this city of dreams.  And that is the
shared determination of India and the United States -- two partners that will never waver in our
defense of our people or the democratic values that we share.

      For just as your first Prime Minister said the day that the father of your nation was taken
from you, we shall never allow that torch of freedom to be blown out, however high the wind or
stormy the tempest.  We believe that in America, and we know you believe it here in India.

      God bless you, and thank you very much.  (Applause.)

                             END              2:35 P.M. IST