Launching “Operation Warp Speed” to ready a vaccine against Covid-19 by the end of the year, President Donald Trump said on Friday the US was working with India on the project.

“We are working very closely also with India,” Trump said while speaking to reporters when he unveiled the project at the White House.

He also acknowledged the work of Indian-Americans on vaccine development projects.

There is a “tremendous Indian population in the United States, many of the people you are talking about are working on the vaccine too. Great scientists and researchers,” he said.

Trump, who recalled his February visit to India, ended his comment on India saying, “Say hello to your Prime Minister!”

Earlier, he said that India and other countries would have access to any vaccine or therapy developed by the US.

He said that the US and companies were not seeking to make a profit out of the crisis and wanted to make them available to all.

Trump said that the goal of “Operation Warp Speed” was to try to have a vaccine ready by the end of the year.

“We would love to see if we could do it prior to the end of the year,” he said.

He said that Moncef Slaoui, who is the former head of GlaxoSmithKline vaccines division, would head the project with General Gustave Perna looking after the logistics.

Trump said that the vaccine would be available to all who wanted it and the military, the other arms of the government and the private sector would be fully mobilised to get them out.

The best candidates of the several under development would be made ready in advance and would go out as soon one gets approved.

US President Donald Trump will ask the Indian companies with business interests in his country to expand their current capacity with local resources, and use America as a gateway to access other markets when he meets Indian industrialists on Tuesday.

He is likely to exhort the industrialists to invest more in their US subsidiaries, and create jobs there, sounding an economic revival there.

“The US President especially will be focussing on Indian manufacturing companies pitching US as a win-win situation for them and America as well,” said a senior executive of a leading Indian Industry chamber.

The US economy rebounded in Q4 after prolonged sluggish productivity slowed the American economy to achieve the Trump administration’s target of 3 per cent annual growth. The economy grew 2.3 per cent in 2019, the slowest in three years, after logging 2.9 per cent in 2018. The President’s quick trip may not though see any trade pact, but Trump said there will be a 3 billion dollar defence deal with India.

Trump in an election year is on visit to India for two days.

Some Indian manufacturing as well as services firms have noticeable presence in the US like Mahindra which last year said it will invest another $1 billion in America and was committed to creating American jobs, while Bharat Forge has announced plans to invest $56 million to set up a new plant in North Carolina. Construction equipment major L&T has two delivery centres in the US.

The Tata Group is one of the largest Indian-headquartered multinationals in North America, with 13 companies and more than 35,000 employees.

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal, Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro chairman A.M. Naik and Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw will be among the CEOs who will be part of the roundtable in Delhi with Trump.

Trump, who on Monday hinted at working with India on a “fantastic and largest-ever deal” and that Indo-US trade grew 40 per cent and the US economy has done well during his tenure of the last four years, is seeking investments from Indian companies mainly manufacturing ones to create jobs.

The Taj Mahal will be closed for the general public on Monday from afternoon following the visit of US President Donald Trump in the historic city later in the day, which is all set to welcome them, officials said.

An ASI official here told IANS, “The Taj Mahal will remain closed for the general public from 12.30 p.m. onwards as Trump will visit the historical monument in the evening.”

He said even the ticket windows for the Taj Mahal will close after 11.30 a.m.

Trump is scheduled to visit India on February 24 and 25 along with wife Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law Jared Kushner and top US officials.

The couple will spend the first day of the visit in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad and then they would fly to Agra before moving to Delhi for the official reception and bilateral talks.

Trump will arrive at the Kheria airport here, where he will be received by Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The two leaders, however, will not accompany Trump to Taj Mahal and will wait at the airport to send them back to Delhi.

This is Donald Trump’s first State Visit to India and also the first standalone visit by a US President to India.

Before Trump, US President Bill Clinton visited Agra in March 2000 and Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1959.

Following the visit of the US First family here, the city has got a massive facelift.

The administration has put huge billboards, placards, cutouts and several posters welcoming the US President and his wife Melania.

The 13 km-long route from airport to Taj Mahal has been spruced up aesthetically and the US and Indian flags have been put up at roundabouts to give the area a festive look.

At many places on the route, the administration has made several statues of animals with flowers.

The walls have been adorned with paintings reflecting the Brij culture and architectural heritage of Agra, Victorian-style lamp posts have been installed and the lawns of the iconic Taj Mahal bedecked with colourful blooms as the historic city gears up to welcome the US President.

According to the administration, over 3,000 artists at 21 different locations will perform for the US President to welcome him in the city of love and at the airport over 250 artists will give special performance highlighting the culture of Uttar Pradesh like Brij, Awadh, special performance on Lord Krishna, dance-themed on Radha and many others.

The US President will arrive in Agra at 4.45 p.m. and reach the Taj Mahal by 5.15 p.m. Trump will then spend an hour at the Taj Mahal and then emplane for Delhi for his final leg of journey.

ITC Maurya has virtually turned into a fortress as the countdown begins to receive the most powerful man in the world — US President Donald Trump.

Potus or President Donald Trump, along with Flotus or First Lady Melania, will become the fourth US President to stay at the Grand Presidential Suite or the Chanakya Suite of the ultra luxe ITC Maurya on Sardar Patel Marg in the national capital.

Before him, Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama had stayed in the property earlier. The Chanakya suite is on the 14th floor of the luxurious property.

Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kusher will also be staying at the same hotel. They have a choice of the wide and varied luxury suites before them. The Secret Service is the final arbiter in such matters. When contacted, the hotel management refused to comment on the matter.

It emerges that the Grand Presidential Suite represents an Indian global theme and has been decked up afresh for the US President. At present, ITC Maurya is the only hotel in India that offers indoor air quality at par with WHO standards.

IANS has also learnt that the US President may experience tandoori delights at Bukhara, a tradition enjoyed by Clintons and President Obama in the past. The chefs are preparing a Trump platter along with the signature Dal Bukhara.

Other dignitaries who have previously stayed here include the Dalai Lama, Bill Clinton, George Bush, Tony Blair, Vladimir Putin, King Abdullah and the Sultan of Brunei.

Sources close to developments have said that Team Trump will be accorded a traditional Indian welcome. It will start with a rangoli made from flowers and other biodegradable materials. What remains unconfirmed is that an elephant is also going to be part of the welcome party, as it not only represents India, but is also the mascot of the Republican Party.

Luxury in abundance

For the uninitiated, the Grand Presidential Suite is akin to a massive luxury apartment with all the bells and whistles. The opulence and ostentation is tasteful and not gaudy. The mini mansion boasts of silk panelled walls, dark wood flooring and magnificent artwork. The suite comprises a reception area, a large living room, a study, a peacock themed 12-seater private dining room, a huge bathroom with mother of pearl accessories and a mini spa and a gymnasium.

Diet Coke and Cherry Vanilla ice-cream

The Trumps will have valets waiting hand and foot, led by the presidential floor butler who will ensure that the US First Couple’s every wish is fulfilled. The suite has already stocked up on Diet Coke and Cherry Vanilla ice-cream, as these two items are the President’s faves.

Eat what you like

The US First Couple will be provided with their own private chef and he can prepare any kind of cuisine or food they want in a jiffy. An assortment of baked delicacies, personalised with a collage of photographs of the couple, is likely to await them in their Presidential Suite. The Presidential Suite also guarantees an exclusive access to a business courtyard, the Summit Lounge and as well as a private boardroom.

Tradition with a touch of global luxury

The Chanakya Suite spans 4,600 sq ft, costs around Rs 800,000 a night, and includes steam and sauna areas in addition to living quarters. The Tyeb Mehta paintings and illustrations from the Arthashastra on the wall lend a traditional touch while the Villeroy and Boch crockery and Cristal De Paris glassware add a touch of global luxury.

The public reception for US President Donald Trump in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat will include an exhibition of Mahatma Gandhi’s life and 28 snippets from India’s rich and diverse culture in a manner “unparalleled” in history.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said at a press briefing here on Wednesday that “the highlight of the programme in Ahmedabad will be the exhibition of India’s rich and diverse culture and heritage to President Trump in a public manner that has few parallels in India or elsewhere.”

The February 24-25 trip will be Trump’s first state visit to India and also a first standalone visit by a US President to India. Trump’s visit will be brief but intense, with all essential elements of a state visit squeezed in 36 hours. Besides New Delhi, Trump will visit Ahmedabad and Agra during his two-day trip.

From the moment of Trump and First Lady Melania’s arrival at the airport on February 24, the delegates will be treated to a display of famed Indian hospitality and India’s unity in diversity, Shringla said.

In his honour, an event which has been named ‘Namaste Trump’ will be held at the newly reconstructed, largest cricket stadium in the world at Motera. The event will be similar to the ‘Howdy Modi’ event which was hosted by the Indian-American community for Modi in Houston last year.

In what is being billed as the great ‘Indian road show’, as many as 28 stages representing various parts of the country are being set up along Trump’s route from the airport to the stadium in Ahmedabad.

The show will depict different events in the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Tens of thousands of people, including artistes showcasing their art from different states and Union Territories, are expected to greet Trump along the way.

From Ahmedabad, Trump and his wife will fly to Agra where they will spend an hour at India’s iconic monument Taj Mahal before the sunset.

On February 25, the US President and the First Lady will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan. This will be followed by a visit to Rajghat where the couple will pay respects at the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi.

President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will hold restricted and delegation-level talks on strategic partnerships at the Hyderabad House. Later, Modi will host a lunch for Trump, following which the two leaders will address the media.

In the afternoon, Trump is expected to attend certain private events at the US Embassy, including a private roundtable with industry representatives. Trump’s last meeting will be with President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the evening before he leaves for the US.

Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to India next week, the Indian alcoholic beverage industry has urged the government not to reduce customs duty on wine and spirits.

The US President has been pushing for reduction of customs duty on American liquor, particularly bourbon whiskey, and Indian liquor manufacturers fear that any tinkering with customs duty vis-a-vis US imports would have a domino effect as European Union would also push for slashing of customs duty.

“Ahead of Trump’s visit discussions on reducing customs duty have again resurfaced in the Commerce Ministry. If the government gives any concession on US wines and spirits, then it would open the floodgates as European Union would push for similar concessions which we cannot allow to happen. We have been writing to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal again and again,” said Vinod Giri, Director General of Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC).

In its recent letter to Goyal, the apex body of India’s alcoholic beverage industry has stated that “any immediate and large reduction in (basic customs) duty (BCD) will be highly detrimental to the domestic industry”. The letter says that “Foreign governments (are) seeking easy access to Indian markets (but) deny Indian companies the same in their countries through non-tariff barriers.”

According to Giri: “The Indian companies are not against reduction of BCD, but it should happen in a phased manner. BCD should be brought down from current level of 150 per cent to 75 per cent in next 10 years. But before that other countries, particularly the US and EU, should be persuaded to remove non-tariff barriers on Indian products. They should accept alcoholic products made in India as per the product description on the label. They should also not insist on any maturity period on liquor products made in India. All that we are seeking is a level playing field for the Indian alcoholic beverage industry.”

In its letter the CIABC has also urged that any negotiation on duties should proceed keeping in mind the interest of domestic industry. Basic Customs Duty should be reduced to a level which does not create great competitive disadvantage for Indian companies, it has said.

Also, reduction should be done in phased manner to allow Indian companies time to prepare and build own competitiveness to offset regulatory disadvantages of manufacturing in India.

The association has suggested that to prevent dumping and protect mainstream Indian products against predatory pricing, products below a certain import price (Threshold Import Price) should be taxed at the threshold import price rate only irrespective of actual import price.

Giri also pointed out that the current balance of trade in alcohol is heavily skewed against India. “Indian exports of alcoholic beverages is around Rs 2,200 crore per annum while imports is Rs 5,400 crore. Exports to US is just Rs 50 crore while imports is Rs 1,900 crore, and in case of EU exports is Rs 160 crore and imports is Rs 1,850 crore. The trade is heavily balanced against India. Any more concessions will aggravate the imbalance beyond redemption,” he added.

The domestic liquor industry is making a strong case for its protection as the industry contributed Rs 1.25 lakh crore in taxes to the government while its own annual turnover is to the tune of Rs 2.5 lakh crore.

Many states depend on it with industry accounting for 20-40 per cent of their total tax revenues.

As per industry estimates, the Indian liquor industry supports the livelihood of approximately 50 lakh farmers impacting 3.5 crore people in rural India besides employing, directly and indirectly, 20 lakh people.

US President Donald Trump has accused the slain Iranian military leader Qassam Soleimani of being responsible for terrorist plots in New Delhi.

“Soleimani made the death of innocent people his sick passion, contributing to terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London,a Trump said on Friday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Flordia.

Speaking about the missile strike he ordered to kill Soleimani, he said, “Today we remember and honour the victims of Soleimani’s many atrocities and we take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over.”

While Trump did not specify the plots in India, he may have been referring to a 2012 bombing of the car of the wife of the Israeli defence attache to India.

Tal Yehoshua Koren was injured and underwent surgery to remove shrapnel and her driver and two bystanders were also hurt in the attack on February 13, 2012, using a bomb that was attached to the vehicle with a magnet.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran was behind that attack and another attempted attack using similar technique in Georgia.

The New Delhi case not been resolved so far and a conclusive link to Iran has not been made by India.

News reports at that time said that the attack was carried out by Iran in retaliation for the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan in Teheran using a bomb with a magnet attached to his car, allegedly by Israelis.

An Indian journalist, Syed Mohammad Ahmad Kazmi, was arrested on March 6 that year and accused of being a part of a conspiracy to carry out the attack and held under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

He was released on bail by the Supreme Court in October on the condition that he does not go abroad.A

According to news reports at that time, Delhi police alleged that he had carried out reconnaissance for the Iranians who carried out the attack.

The five persons who carried out the attacks were Iranian members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard who had visited Delhi, police were quoted as saying. They were not arrested although police identified them.

An Iranian major general, Soleimani was the leader of the Quds force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. But his name did not figure in the reports at that time on theAIndian attack.

In his address on the killing of Soleimani in Iraq on Thursday, Trump said on Friday, “Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him.”

He listed several alleged attacks directed by Soleimani and carried out by the Quds Force and allied militias.

“For years, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its ruthless Quds Force — under Soleimani’s leadership — has targeted, injured, and murdered hundreds of American civilians and servicemen,” Trump said.

He blamed Soleimani fro the recent attacks on US targets in Iraq, including rocket strikes that killed an American and injured four American servicemen, as well as the assault on the US embassy in Baghdad earlier this week.