Washington, May 30 (IANS) Indian External Affairs S. M. Krishna will deliver a keynote address at the US-India Business Council's (USIBC) 35th Annual General Meeting to share India's vision for the US-India strategic partnership.

Recognizing the vital role industry plays in shaping the policy of governments, Krishna will be calling on US industry on June 2 in advance of the bilateral, government to government US-India Strategic Dialogue, scheduled for Thursday.

When Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited India last July, her first port of call was Mumbai to meet with India's most influential industrialists.

As a former chief Minister of Karnataka and a graduate of Southern Methodist University in the United States, Krishna will capitalise on US business enthusiasm for deeper ties with India.

"Genuine strategic engagement will mobilise meaningful technology collaboration, which not only serves to build confidence and trust between our countries, but will equip this and future generations to be the sophisticated workforce of tomorrow - aspects central to deepening the commercial and strategic ties between our democracies," USIBC President Ron Somers said, referring to Krishna's acceptance to attend USIBC's 35th Anniversary.

Central themes of USIBC's 35th Anniversary Summit- "A Pivotal Period in US-India Relations: Tackling Education, Infrastructure & Inclusive Growth"- include Managing Uncertainties and Mobilizing Resources to Meet India's Infrastructure Challenge, as well as The Pursuit of Inclusive Growth and the Crisis Undermining Global Capitalism.

US Education Secretary Arne Duncan and India's Minister of Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal will also be participating.

Joining these officials will be luminaries from the private and public sectors, including former Secretary of Defence William S. Cohen; former US Trade Representative, Susan Schwab and FICCI's Secretary General, Dr. Amit Mitra.

Y.C. Deveshwar, chairman of ITC, will receive USIBC's 35th Anniversary Global Leadership Award. Under Deveshwar's leadership, ITC has been at the cutting edge of empowering India's rural farmers, as well as raising the bar in terms of green technology implementation.

The prestigious award has previously been bestowed upon Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Azim Premji and Sunil Bharti Mittal.

Outgoing USIBC chairman Indra Nooyi will pass the leadership mantle to her successor Terry McGraw, president and CEO of The McGraw Hill Companies. McGraw will announce a major new initiative of the US-India Business Council, which will focus on strengthening US-India linkages in the K-12, vocation and higher education sectors.