How New Delhi Spent Over 1 bn in Texas? Governor Abbott Highlights Growing Ties With India

New Delhi – As India continues to bolster ties with the state of Texas, Governor Greg Abbott who is visiting the country hailed the strong ties between the two parties. While addressing the 7th India-US Forum hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs and Ananta Centre in New Delhi, India, the American governor mentioned that the two places share an “independent streak”. The Texas governor commenced his trip to India on Friday where he met with the country's government and technology leaders. The trip came amid the brewing tensions between the Biden administration and the state of Texas over the migration crisis. 

“Texas and India are two places—and two people—who both share an independent streak and a desire to make our mark on the world,” said Governor Abbott at the India-US forum. “Each of us sits in a critical location—India, with China and Russia on their doorsteps, and Texas at the nexus of the United States and Latin America. We share the common values of family, faith, compassion, and hard work. As we look towards the future, we must ensure that the next generation of leaders in Texas and India will be the innovators who solve the world’s foremost crises and that embracing the values we share leads to liberty and prosperity unmatched throughout the entire world," he added. The governor's proclamation came after he held talks with the External Affairs Minister of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The two world leaders discussed ways in which the two nations can continue to bolster their bilateral ties. 

What makes Texas so important?

The Texan economy not only contributed significantly to the American economy but also stands tall if compared with economies around the world. In the year 2022, Texas was officially declared as the 8th largest economy in the world. At that time the state's economy was valued at more than $2.4 trillion. (IMF GDP 2022) making the Texan economy bigger than countries like Canada, South Korea, Russia and Australia. Not only this, but with these foreign visits Abbott is also trying to mould himself as a global leader as his visit to India came after his trip to Israel which is already embroiled in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Abbott's trip to India actually did not come out of the pockets of the Biden administration but was fully paid for by the Texas Economic Development Corporation, an independently funded and operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization responsible for marketing and promoting Texas as a premier business location.

India's billion-dollar investment in Texas

It is important to note that in the last decade companies from India have invested $1.4 billion in capital investments in Texas. The investment includes Indian firms funding 59 projects in the Southern American state and creating more than 10,300 jobs, per the governor's office, Axios reported. During former US President Donald Trump's tenure, Texas gained a particular appeal for Indians. This appeal can be detected by Trump's administration's decision to conduct “Howdy Modi” in Huston in 2019. 

According to the official website of the Texas government, India is ninth among all nations when it comes to initiating foreign direct investment projects in Texas. Texas is still touted as the most popular destination for Indian FDI capital investment and jobs created in the United States.  While India is the state's 11th-largest total trade partner of Texas, the state's exports to the country have totalled to whopping $13.3 billion.