UC San Diego Hosts Inaugural U.S.-India Forum, Bringing Global Leaders to La Jolla

The forum arrived at a critical moment. U.S.-India relations are at an inflection point, shaped by shifting global power dynamics, economic opportunity and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. India is now the world's sixth-largest economy at $3.92 trillion in 2025-26, and its diaspora, the largest in the world, wields growing influence in the United States, in India and across Gulf countries. According to research presented by Gaurav Khanna, associate professor of economics at the School for Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego, in 2022, Indian immigrants represented just 1% of the U.S. population but accounted for 13% of U.S. patents, filed on behalf of American companies — a distinction that sets the community apart from other immigrant innovator communities and underscores a unique contribution to U.S. competitiveness.

AI and education emerged as primary areas of opportunity for U.S.-India collaboration — and ones already defined by deep interdependence. Nuclear energy, clean technology, defense and national security, healthcare and people-to-people cultural exchange were also identified as domains ripe for deeper partnership.

"The goal of the forum was to create a space for open and frank discussion about how the US and India can create a strong and enduring partnership that is built not only on mutual interest, but also on mutual understanding and trust," said Achyuta Adhvaryu, the Tata Chancellor’s Endowed Professor and director of the 21st Century India Center at the School of Global Policy and Strategy. "A university is one of the few places where government officials, CEOs and academics can speak candidly, without the pressure of some type of agenda or deal to close. That's the kind of trust a center like ours can help build."

UC San Diego alumnus Tim Roemer ’79, former U.S. ambassador to India, former U.S. congressman from Indiana and former 9/11 commissioner, pointed to the university's unique positioning. “This could not come at a more perfect time, or a more perfect place,” he said. “UC San Diego has the research depth and convening power to turn these conversations into policy to bring these two countries closer together.”

UC San Diego is well positioned to serve as a long-term convener of this work. The campus is home to such institutions as the Halıcıoğlu School of Data Science and Computing, the San Diego Supercomputer Center, the Qualcomm Institute, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and, in the School of Global Policy and Strategy, the 21st Century India Center — assets that make it a natural hub for a forum focused on U.S.-India innovation, technology and impact.

Ajay Kumar, chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and former defense secretary for the Government of India, said, “UC San Diego has emerged as one of the most advanced innovation universities in the U.S. It has made a distinct move in the policy space — taking a concrete step in advancing how the U.S.-India relationship can be strengthened,” he said. “This is a great and very timely initiative.”

Participants left with a clear mandate: move from dialogue to action. Forum organizers plan to continue the partnership, building on the relationships and frameworks established in La Jolla.

“The true measure of a successful forum is not the conversations it inspires, but the partnerships it creates,” said Prabal Gupta, executive director, U.S.-India Initiatives at UC San Diego. “Just months after the inaugural US-India Forum at UC San Diego, we are already witnessing one of its most meaningful outcomes: leading Indian corporations and institutions are underwriting strategic, long-term collaborations with UC San Diego. These agreements are advancing joint research, innovation, talent development, and entrepreneurship, reinforcing Chancellor Khosla’s vision of building enduring bridges between two of the world's most dynamic innovation ecosystems. This is exactly the impact we envisioned when we launched the Forum — a platform where relationships become partnerships and ideas become measurable outcomes.”

Learn more at india.ucsd.edu