Vizag will become economic powerhouse: US Consul General

Visakhapatnam: Likening Visakhapatnam to San Francisco's economic activities, the US Consulate General, Hyderabad, Jennifer Larson said Vizag was poised to become an economic powerhouse on India's East Coast in the future.

Addressing CII organized `Destination Visakhapatnam’ in Visakhapatnam on Friday, the Consulate General said the pace and scale of India’s past and future urbanization was simply staggering. India’s cities have added 100 million new residents over the past 10 years, and in the next 10 years, 200 million more Indians will have moved into cities, bringing the urban population to some 600 million – nearly twice the current population of the United States. It is cities like Visakhapatnam that will absorb the potential immigrants to India’s urban centers.

She said Vizag symbolized the rise of India as a global economic power, aided by faster urbanization, investment, economic growth, and rising prosperity. ``Ambassador Eric Garcetti has outlined our top priorities as the 3Cs -- Climate, Culture, and Cities. The third of these – cities -- would be a key focus area to strengthen the U.S.-India relationship,’’ she further added.

She said in Vizag almost every family here has a member with ties to the United States, whether it is someone studying or working or having some other connection. STEM graduates in this region aspire to study or work in the United States; many of them aspire to build startups and collaborate with American firms; and large companies here want to expand to the United States.

``I see the same enthusiasm among American firms to enter and to expand operations in India, Ms Jennifer said.

While the US and India celebrated the success of India’s Moon mission, the US was aiming to launch a joint NISAR satellite from Andhra Pradesh just a few weeks from now.

``Vizag plays a critical part in the deal to transfer critical U.S. military technology to help indigenization of Indian defense manufacturing in that it is the headquarters of India’s Eastern Naval Command. In fact, what brings me to Vizag this week is the exercise Milan hosted by the Indian Navy, and I will be back in your midst in less than a month for the Tiger Triumph exercise off the Andhra Pradesh Coast,’’ she added.