USAID Administrator Samantha Power Delivers Keynote Lecture to India’s Future Leaders

New Delhi: USAID Administrator Samantha Power held a town hall meeting with U.S. Embassy and USAID staff where she reflected on 75 years of the U.S.-India diplomatic partnership and thanked personnel for their commitment to strengthening the U.S.-India relationship. The Administrator also met the USAID’s local Indian staff and thanked them for their commitment to advancing locally-led development in India, and recognized their resilience amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the afternoon, Administrator Power delivered a keynote lecture at the India Institute of Technology-Delhi to an audience of faculty, students, and press. In her remarks, Administrator Power emphasized India’s leadership in global development on a number of fronts, most recently in supporting Sri Lanka to weather its economic crisis. She also noted the importance of fostering the next generation of India’s leaders to solve existing, emerging, and future humanitarian and development challenges in India and across the world.

Administrator Power then received a cricket lesson and played a match with young women from Magic Bus, an organization supported by USAID to help youth reach their full potential. She encouraged the young women to continue to lead in the sport, which has been dominated by men, and keep pursuing their own dreams.

Finally, Administrator Power participated in media interviews with Indian journalists to discuss key takeaways from her first official visit to India as USAID Administrator. She highlighted how the U.S. and India are partnering to lead the response to pressing challenges, including the global food security and climate crises, and promoting inclusive economic growth in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.