​minister Amit Mitra said that the need of the hour is the creation of more employment through exports, strengthening of the MSME sector in the state and value-chain integration. Speaking at a session of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce virtually, he said that during 2022-23, exports from West Bengal to the US increased 55 per cent over the previous period. Exports from West Bengal to the US stood at approximately USD 13 to 15 billion. He also added that nearly ten per cent of India's exports to the US originates from West Bengal. According to the RBI, West Bengal is the fourth largest economy in the country in terms of net value added (NVA). Merchandise exports from India to the US have overtaken China. This shows the nature of the openness of the US-India relationship. US Consul General in Kolkata Melinda Pavek said that both the two leaders (Joe Biden and Narendra Modi) affirmed the closeness of the relations between the two countries (US and India). She said India conducts more military exercises with the US than any other country. The objective of the US-India relationship is for a prosperous, peaceful and secure future. The US has set a target for issuing one million visas to Indian citizens in 2023. They are well on their way to reaching that target and might also surpass that. The US government is working hard on reducing bureaucratic and administrative hurdles for a frictionless relationship between the two countries.