The nonpartisan Congressional Study Group on India, supported by the RoundGlass Foundation, aims to deepen legislative engagement and foster long-term cooperation between the two democracies.
The sky over U.S.-India relations has been clouded in recent months, with President Donald Trump imposing back-to-back tariffs on Indian goods in August and sparking a simmering trade war. Yet even against this backdrop of economic friction, Washington witnessed a development aimed at strengthening, not straining, ties between the world’s two largest democracies.
On Tuesday, the Congressional Study Group on India (CSGI) was formally launched on Capitol Hill by the nonpartisan organization U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC). Nearly 120 people gathered at the Rayburn House Office Building for the launch, including members of Congress, diplomats, business leaders, and policy experts.
The study group is designed to create a structured, bipartisan platform for lawmakers to deepen their understanding of India and to expand cooperation across strategic, economic, and cultural areas.
“CSGI was established to examine the significance of the U.S.-India relationship and to foster stronger ties between our two countries through legislative exchange,” said Barbara Comstock, president of FMC.
The Republican, who represented Virginia’s 10th Congressional District from 2015 to 2019, said the group will host study tours for members of Congress, chiefs of staff, and district directors, allowing U.S.-India ties and mutual understanding to develop at the legislative level. “And together, we will explore topics of bilateral significance both through activities in Washington and study tours in India,” she said.
Comstock pointed to FMC’s track record of convening former lawmakers to advance international dialogue. She called the India group a “critical addition” to FMC’s portfolio of study groups, which already includes longstanding efforts on countries such as Japan, Germany, and Korea.
The initiative is funded by the RoundGlass Foundation, a Seattle-based philanthropic organization focused on global well-being and community empowerment, founded by Indian American entrepreneur Gurpreet “Sunny” Singh.
Its timing could not be more significant. As tariffs and trade disputes dominate headlines, CSGI represents a conscious effort by former members of Congress — many of whom invested in strengthening ties during their tenure — to sustain long-term engagement with India beyond short-term policy turbulence.
“A strong bilateral [relationship] is good for our country and the U.S., is good for India, is good for the world,” Singh said in a video message. “India is a rising economy, very soon to become the fourth-largest economy in the world. The U.S. is the largest economy, [and] both are very strong democracies, there’s a lot of shared values.”
The event featured remarks from several prominent figures. Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Kwatra underscored the enduring strength of the partnership and emphasized the need to insulate broader strategic cooperation from episodic trade disputes.
“It’s an immense pleasure for me personally and for [the Indian] embassy to be associated with the launch of the congressional study group on India for various reasons,” he said. “[In] terms of foundation, [the] two largest democracies truly believe in the values, in the noise of democracy, sometimes chaos of democracy also. That’s what actually enriches it to the level that it does: shared values of freedom, rule of law, freedom of speech, something which we truly cherish. This is the base on which actually brings together our two societies, our two communities, and of course our two nations to work together.”
Kwatra highlighted the economic contributions of the Indian diaspora, noting that Indians have invested “roughly 45 to 50 billion” in the U.S. economy. While acknowledging that India remains a “capital-importing nation,” he stressed that the figure is substantial. “It’s an important perspective to keep in mind and these investments do make substantial contributions in terms of employment generation, community building across the various sectors in the US economy,” Kwatra said.
The group’s bipartisan co-chairs, Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) and Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), emphasized how congressional engagement with India has lagged behind other major partnerships and framed the study group as an essential step to remedy that gap.
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Ross, who represents North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District, recalled her visit to India years ago. “I had the honor of traveling on an official congressional trip to India where we visited Mumbai, Hyderabad, and then celebrated India’s Independence Day at the Red Fort in Delhi,” she said. “It was a remarkable experience, and more members of Congress have to have similar experiences, but it only cemented for me the value of our friendship, and I’ll continue to do everything that I can to deepen and strengthen the U.S.-Indian relationship in America.”
Wittman, serving his tenth term from Virginia’s 10th District, spoke about the common threats the United States and India face and the importance of working together. “What are the risks that our nations face in the world today?” he said. “An overly increasing, aggressive, powerful China. In fact, for India, right there in your backyard, and we see what happens with the Belt Road Initiative and things that are there potentially not to India’s best interest. So how do we work together to make sure we enhance our economic relationships as well as our strategic relationships? Again, great, great opportunities there.”
Founded in 1970 and chartered by Congress in 1983, FMC is a non-advocacy, nonpartisan organization of former U.S. Senators and Representatives. It promotes collaboration in policymaking, strengthens Congress in fulfilling its Constitutional responsibilities, and fosters a deeper understanding of America’s democratic system.
By creating a regular channel for lawmakers to engage with Indian counterparts and subject-matter experts, the study group aims to ensure that strategic alignment between Washington and New Delhi continues to evolve in a bipartisan, sustainable way.
The RoundGlass Foundation, which focuses on youth development, women’s equity, environmental sustainability, and sports, established the Global India Institute last year. The institute serves as a platform to advance India and the global Indian diaspora through thought leadership, international partnerships, academic programs, and cultural engagement.