Daines made the remarks at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit in Washington, where he was honoured with the USISPF Public Service Award for his contribution towards strengthening India-US relations.
India and the United States
India and the United States together represent the only partnership capable of matching the scale and strength of China’s innovation ecosystem, US Senator Steve Daines said, underlining the growing strategic importance of bilateral ties amid global geopolitical shifts.
Daines made the remarks at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit in Washington, where he was honoured with the USISPF Public Service Award for his contribution towards strengthening India-US relations. Senator Mark Warner, who was also selected for the honour, could not attend the event in person.
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“The relationship that we have between the United States and India is not only important for our two countries. I think it’s important for the world,” Daines said during a conversation with Raj Subramaniam, the President and CEO of FedEx.
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The Republican Senator from Montana said Washington needs to take a more strategic approach while addressing challenges posed by China and strengthening reliable partnerships.
“We need a high-trust counterpoint as we think about what’s going on with China,” he stated.
Drawing a comparison based on his own experiences, Daines said his approach towards travel to China and India reflected the difference in trust.
“When I travel to China, this phone does not go to Beijing with me. It stays on my desk in Washington DC. When I travel to Delhi or anywhere in India, this one is with me,” he said.
He added that while the US cannot completely separate itself from China, it must reduce risks and build stronger strategic alliances.
“We can’t disengage from China. We need to engage, we need to de-risk,” he said, adding, “But it begs the question, so what are we gonna do proactively as we think about strategic partnerships and opportunities?”
Daines said the combined talent and capabilities of India and the United States provide the scale needed to compete globally.
“There’s only one country in the world that can match the size and scale of China’s innovation ecosystem, and it’s India working with the United States,” Daines affirmed.
He added, “The only hope we have thinking about globally to compete with that, to build the scale is gonna be India plus the United States.”
The Senator also stressed the importance of direct engagement and personal diplomacy in strengthening international relationships.
“Nothing beats visiting and spending time with the people,” he remarked, highlighting trust as the foundation of the India-US partnership.
Daines said discussions in Washington often focus on the China challenge but lack a clear roadmap on which partnerships need to be strengthened.
“We talk a lot here in Washington about the challenge with China, but not really have thought through a strategy for, okay, what do we need to do going forward? What relationship need to strengthen here as that counterbalance,” he stated.
Introducing Daines at the event, USISPF Chairman John Chambers praised his ability to build lasting relationships across political lines.
“He has the ability to form relationships for life,” Chambers noted, adding, “He works across the aisle and brings constituents in a win-win environment.”
Chambers also recalled Daines’ earlier visit to New Delhi and his efforts in building trust with Indian and American officials.
“You build trust. You worked with Ambassador Gor and Ambassador Kwatra very effectively,” Chambers remarked.
During the session, Daines reflected on his professional experience in China during the 1990s with Procter & Gamble, saying China’s economy had grown from around USD 500 billion during that period to more than USD 20 trillion today.
He also spoke about his diplomatic engagements in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, including efforts linked to a peace accord between Azerbaijan and Armenia, while asserting that American global leadership remains important because “freedom works.”
Daines, who has announced his upcoming departure from the Senate, said he plans to remain involved in international affairs and efforts to advance India-US relations.
“We’re not gonna retire. We’re gonna repurpose and probably stay engaged in the private sector,” he affirmed, adding, “We’re passionate about these global issues, passionate about what’s going on in India.”
Concluding his remarks, Daines shared a personal connection with India, saying an Indian physician helped save his father’s life during cancer treatment.
“It was an Indian doctor that saved my father’s life,” Daines expressed, adding that the contribution of the Indian-American diaspora to US society was “not lost on me.”
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