Indias economic transformation since 2014 has become the foundation of its growing strategic partnership with the United States, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said at a US-India Friendship Council event. Highlighting deepening bilateral cooperation, he noted that India and the US are targeting USD 500 billion in trade by 2030, while defence collaboration has emerged as one of the fastest-growing pillars of the relationship. Kwatra said India is among the largest users of American defence platforms and stressed that shared democratic values and continuity across successive US administrations have consistently strengthened India-US ties.