New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) The "cross-fertilisation" of ideas among people of India and the US has been the "heart and soul" of growing relations between the two great nations, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Sunday.

The newly-appointed foreign secretary also said strength and resilience of Indo-US relations comes from strong people-to-people ties.

Shringla, who was India's Ambassador to the US before assuming charge of the new responsibility, was speaking at a ceremony to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the prestigious Fulbright scholarship programme in India.

"The strength and resilience of India-US relations is derived from ties between the people of our two countries. Our respective citizens embody the shared values of democracy, diversity, creativity, and entrepreneurship -- the characteristics that define our two great nations," he said in the presence of US envoy Kenneth I Juster.

Shringla said the natural partnership between India and the US has been an "article of faith" for the people who have been the driving force in deepening the ties.

"Academic exchanges and cross-fertilisation of ideas represent not only some of our old linkages but also the heart and soul of our ties. Sanskrit was taught in Harvard (university) in the 18th century too, stocking curiosity about the past," he said.

Shringla said the US has been the most favoured overseas destination for Indian students seeking higher education and that over 200,000 of them are now working in that country.

"Over 200,000 Indian students work in the US. They represent one-fifth of all international students in the US. As per latest data of department of Commerce of the US government, they contributed USD 8.1 billion dollars to the US economy in 2018," he said.

The foreign secretary also talked about the announcement in the Union Budget about foreign direct investment in the education sector, saying it will provide for greater collaboration between Indian and US universities.

On the Fulbright programme, he said it supported over 20,000 scholars from India in the past seven decades.

In his remarks, Juster said, "The US-India relationship is growing rapidly. As I have said many times, I believe that the foundation of our partnership is our people-to-people ties."

"The Fulbright-Nehru programme is a perfect example of the impact that our peoples have when they learn from each other and work together,” Juster said.

The event was also attended by US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce.

The Fulbright programme was created by Senator J William Fulbright in 1946 with an aim to increase mutual understanding among the people of the US and the people of other countries.

For more than 70 years, Fulbright has provided opportunities to some 390,000 American and international scholars and students, according to the US embassy here.

On July 4, 2008, the US and India signed a historic new Fulbright agreement that made India a full partner in the governance and funding of the programme. Following the new agreement, the Fulbright-Nehru programme has tripled in size.

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