Recognising the significant contribution of Indian students to the economy of the United States of America (USA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump reaffirmed their commitment to facilitating the legal mobility of students and professionals. This was stated in a report by NDTV.
The two leaders emphasised the need to streamline processes for short-term business and tourist travel while ensuring stringent measures against illegal immigration and human trafficking.
A joint statement following their bilateral meeting highlighted the crucial role of Indian students, noting that over 3,00,000 Indian students contribute more than $8 billion annually to the US economy, creating numerous direct and indirect jobs.
"President Trump and Prime Minister Modi noted the importance of advancing the people-to-people ties between the two countries. In this context, they noted that the more than 300,000 strong Indian student community contributes over $8 billion annually to the US economy and helped create a number of direct and indirect jobs. They recognized that the talent flow and movement of students, researchers, and employees has mutually benefitted both countries," the statement read.
The leaders also acknowledged the importance of international academic collaborations in driving innovation, enhancing learning outcomes, and preparing a future-ready workforce. To this end, they resolved to strengthen cooperation between higher education institutions by expanding joint/dual degree and twinning programmes, establishing Centers of Excellence, and setting up offshore campuses of US premier educational institutions in India.
The statement also underscored the commitment of both nations to intensify law enforcement collaboration. This includes decisive actions against illegal immigration networks, organised crime syndicates, and threats posed by narco-terrorists, human and arms traffickers, and other elements jeopardising public safety, diplomatic security, and the territorial integrity of both countries.
"Both leaders emphasized that the evolution of the world into a global workplace calls for putting in place innovative, mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks," the release stated.
"In this regard, the leaders committed to streamlining avenues for legal mobility of students and professionals, and facilitating short-term tourist and business travel, while also aggressively addressing illegal immigration and human trafficking by taking strong action against bad actors, criminal facilitators, and illegal immigration networks to promote mutual security for both countries," it further added.
Both leaders pledged to maintain high-level engagements between the two governments, industries, and academic institutions, ensuring their shared vision for a strong and enduring India-US partnership. They emphasised that such efforts would contribute to global prosperity, serve the common good, and strengthen a free and open Indo-Pacific.
