Jaishankar Unveils USISPF Publication Highlighting Strength of India-US Relations

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday unveiled We The People – 250 Voices that Shaped US-India Relationship, a new publication by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) that recognises individuals who have played a significant role in strengthening ties between India and the United States over the decades. Sharing the occasion on X, Jaishankar said it was a pleasure to launch the book and interact with a diverse group of people who have made lasting contributions to the bilateral relationship. He described the gathering as one comprising individuals deeply committed to advancing India-US cooperation.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who also attended the launch event, praised the publication as a tribute to the many personalities whose work has helped shape one of the world's most important strategic partnerships. In a post on X, Gor thanked USISPF for its continued efforts to deepen engagement between the two democracies and welcomed the release of the book.

The coffee table publication highlights the contributions of 250 distinguished personalities from a wide range of fields. It features political leaders, diplomats, entrepreneurs, scientists, doctors, artists, academics, engineers, architects, activists and policymakers—both historical and contemporary—whose efforts have strengthened the relationship between the two nations.

According to USISPF, the book reflects the shared journey of India and the United States by celebrating people whose professional achievements have helped expand cooperation across diplomacy, business, education, innovation and culture. This is the organisation's second major commemorative publication. Its first coffee table book, We The People – 75 Years of U.S.-India Relations, was released in 2022 to mark India's 75th year of Independence and the milestone of 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The book launch comes shortly after Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manila during the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The discussions focused on strengthening the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and reviewing progress on several important bilateral initiatives.

According to the US State Department, the two leaders exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. They also assessed progress on defence cooperation, including agreements linked to commitments made during previous discussions between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Trade also featured prominently in the talks. Both Jaishankar and Rubio agreed that concluding an interim bilateral trade agreement remains a priority, with officials indicating that negotiations have reached an advanced stage. Jaishankar later stated that his meeting with Rubio covered several key aspects of the India-US strategic partnership while they participated in the QUAD Foreign Ministers' Meeting alongside ASEAN-related engagements in Manila. The launch of the USISPF publication and the high-level diplomatic discussions underscore the growing momentum in India-US relations, with both countries continuing to expand collaboration in areas such as defence, trade, regional security, technology and people-to-people exchanges.