WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — U.S. Congressman Michael Waltz, who was tapped by President-elect Trump to be his National Security Advisor, spoke exclusively to Diya TV last year to highlight the increasingly strong diplomatic, economic, and technological linkages between the United States and India, terming their partnership central to global affairs of the 21st century. As the co-chair of a bipartisan caucus focused on the U.S.-India relations, Waltz underscored how this relationship is crucial in areas ranging from space exploration to technological innovation.
Waltz, whose district spans the Space Coast of Florida, described the U.S.-India partnership as essential to maintaining American leadership in space. “You can’t be number one on Earth if you’re number two in space,” he stated, stressing the need for collaboration with India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Waltz advocated for closer cooperation in space technology, highlighting plans to bring ISRO officials to Cape Canaveral to strengthen ties.
Waltz pointed to rising competition from countries like China and Russia, which are working together on ambitious space initiatives, such as China’s new space station and plans to send a manned station to the moon by the end of the decade. Waltz said U.S.-India collaboration is crucial to take on those developments and protect such critical constellations of satellites supporting global military and economic operations.
Reflecting on his own personal and professional connections to the Indian American community, Waltz shared a moving story of his childhood friendship with an Indian American whose father came to this country with $56 in hand and later graduated from the University of Georgia. “This man became a father figure to me,” Waltz said, remembering his participation in his friend’s traditional Indian wedding.
Waltz also recounted his visit to Gujarat, where he met then-Chief Minister Narendra Modi and visited Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram in Ahmedabad. He highlighted his efforts to foster business connections between Indian and Afghan entrepreneurs, particularly in manufacturing and trade, partnerships that have continued even under Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
Waltz also emphasized Florida’s role in the future of space exploration. As quoted, he described the state’s “space triangle” — an area between Orlando, Daytona, and Melbourne with Cape Canaveral at its core — as a hub for technological innovation. He credited space exploration as the driver that has achieved advancements in fields like artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and biotechnology.
“This relationship is the future,” said Waltz, pointing to the US-India partnership’s potential to fuel further technological innovations and even boost global alliances.
