Image Source: TRIBUNE

During their “Namaste Trump’” speech, while US President Donald Trump dwelt only on the military answer to China’s expansion in the Asia-Pacific, it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who very briefly touched upon one of the emerging contours of the economic answer to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Modi mentioned India's intention to move towards “Industrie 4.0” or the fourth industrial revolution to make manufacturing and trade cheaper through more efficient and smarter machine-driven processes. A Modi-Trump vision statement about the future of the Indo-US ties will outline the joint US-Japan-Australia endeavour that seeks to enlist India and address its grouse about the inordinate military orientation of the Asia-Pacific strategy.

Spearheading the initiative is the newly created US International Development Finance Corporation (USIDFC) to handhold projects in developing countries in the areas of energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure and technology. Of the eight areas identified by the IDC for 2021, seven are sectors like women issues, while Asia Pacific is the only specifically mentioned geographic spread earmarked for special attention. USIDFC chief Adam Boehler has arrived here to take part in meetings in this regard.