U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-VA, co-chair of the Senate's India Caucus, led a five-member congressional delegation on a visit to India, which began on Jan. 7 and ended on Jan. 14. The delegation meet with top government and business leaders in New Dehli, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Kolkata, exploring opportunities to expand business, trade, defense and cultural relationships between the two countries.

 

In addition to Warner, the delegation included U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet (CO), Tom Udall (NM) and Reps. Joseph Crowley (NY) and Cedric Richmond (LA). Rep. Crowley is co-chair of the House India Caucus. 

 

Highlights of the trip were a visit to a National Basketball Association-sponsored camp for young people in New Delhi, and the signing of a new partnership agreement between the Virginia Community College System and the Wadhwani Foundation, a nonprofit foundation, to expand the training curriculum for skilled trades within India. 

The delegation also attended the Confederation of Indian Industry's Partnership Summit in Hyderabad, and the congressional delegation was the first to visit the state of West Bengal since the Communist Party was defeated after 34 years of party rule there. 

During the week, the delegation also learned more about education, child health, food safety and water purification efforts in the poorer regions of India. In addition, the congressional delegation hasd dozens of meetings with top government officials and leading executives of India's security, energy, biotech and IT industries to explore export and investment opportunities between the two nations.