The United States of America Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti announced today, Tuesday, January 30 that the number of visas granted to Indian students and entrepreneurs to enter the US has increased by 60 per cent in the last few months as compared to the same period last year and that more work is being done to reduce the backlog.

Speaking at a conference at the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Garcetti stated that trade between the US and India has increased significantly to $200 billion annually and that he was targeting $500 billion shortly, IANS reports.

According to Garcetti, the majority of attendees at a recent gathering of international business leaders held in the US were from India, which demonstrated the growing relationship between the two nations.

Garcetti claimed that American companies have produced over three million jobs in India, citing the significant investments made in the country by Apple and Boeing.

He stated that he anticipated that business ties between the US and India would develop as a two-way relationship in which Indian businesses would invest in the US to generate employment.

In November last year, Garcetti even lent a helping hand at the US Consulate in New Delhi, where he was present as a guest of honour to address the exceptional demand for US visitor visas among Indians.