"India is absolutely an essential partner to the US": Chief Economist at Cyber Future Foundation Meredith Walker

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the event, Meredith Walker, Chief Economist at the US-based Cyber Future Foundation, emphasised the strategic importance of India's energy stability amidst ongoing global conflicts.

"I see that it's very important in this time of war that India is able to continue to purchase oil. We do expect that once things calm back down, the US will be able to sell our wonderful oil to India," Walker said.

The Chief Economist expressed appreciation for the diplomatic foresight shown by Washington in maintaining these vital economic links.

"I am grateful to our Treasury Secretary for thinking of India at such a time as this. I come from Dallas, Texas, and we are the hometown of the India-US Chamber of Commerce. So, we are a long-time supporter of the India-US relationship, and India is absolutely an essential partner to the United States," she remarked.

While energy remains a cornerstone of bilateral ties, India's leadership in the digital domain is also garnering significant regional attention. Tshering Cigay Dorji, former CEO of Thimphu TechPark, Bhutan, lauded New Delhi's efforts to democratise Artificial Intelligence.

"AI is a revolutionary technology. Even as a small country like Bhutan, we look forward to harnessing the power of this technology to bring about economic progress and development," Dorji stated.

He further noted that India's recent diplomatic initiatives, specifically the India AI Impact Summit, provide a crucial framework for smaller nations with limited resources to participate in the technological revolution.

"Small countries have certain constraints in terms of access to resources, which is why India's leadership in organising the AI impact summit recently and coming up with the seven pillars, which are all geared towards making AI accessible and inclusive, is a great initiative," he said. (ANI)