As part of their growing Indo-Pacific strategic cooperation, India and the United States are sponsoring a virtual meeting of the Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) to promote government and business cooperation across the region where China is increasingly playing an assertive role. The US Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) are partnering in the fourth meeting of the forum scheduled for October 28-29. 

Government and business leaders from across the region at the meeting will “be able to explore regional government and business partnerships and commercial opportunities” at the forum, the State Department said on Thursday.

The participants will “exchange ideas through interactive discussions organized around three broad themes: Economic Recovery and Resilience; Climate Action; and Digital Innovation,” it added.

Although this is not within the ambit of the Quad – the regional grouping of India, the US, Japan and Australia – the forum reflects its growing interest in developing economic interests regionally across the fraught Indo-Pacific.

“The IPBF will showcase high-impact private sector investment and government efforts to support market competition, job growth, and high-standard development for greater prosperity and economic inclusion in the Indo-Pacific,” the Department stated. (SAM)