The U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit institution headquartered in Washington, D.C., with a presence in New Delhi, that serves as a vital bridge between the public and private sectors of the two countries. It is a concept and an institution, not an act or a government scheme. USISPF was officially launched on August 1, 2017, by a group of industry leaders to create a powerful strategic partnership between the U.S. and India. It was created to go beyond traditional policy issues and focus on new areas like cybersecurity, data, agriculture, and healthcare, aiming to strengthen the commercial and strategic ties between the two democracies.
The Forum works by focusing on three main pillars: Economic and Commercial Ties, Geopolitical and Security Convergence, and People-to-People Ties. Its mechanism involves business policy advocacy, legislative affairs, and strategic engagement, facilitating structured dialogues between its member companies and legislative branches, such as the U.S. Members of Congress and Members of Parliament in India. USISPF represents over 450 global companies and advocates for policies that promote ease of doing business, drive economic growth, and work toward a bilateral trade target of $500 billion by 2030.
USISPF connects to broader concepts like the U.S.-India Free Trade Agreement, which it is committed to as a long-term goal, and the U.S.-India Friendship Alliance (USIFA), its philanthropic arm. Recently, USISPF has been actively involved in policy advocacy related to the Indian government's initiatives, such as coordinating industry submissions on the draft rules and regulations for the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act. It also provides key recommendations for the Union Budget, such as simplifying the tax regime and expanding Safe Harbor provisions for Transfer Pricing. The core mission of strengthening the strategic partnership and promoting bilateral trade has remained constant since its founding.