Bilateral trade between India and the United States (US) is expected to be doubled in the next five years to $90 billion from $44 billion at present, says a senior US Diplomat. The US has identified education, science and technology, power, retail, food processing and agriculture among the key areas of investment and improvement,

Andrew T. Simkin, Consul General, US Consulate General, Chennai, said recently.

On the current global economic slowdown, he said the US had felt the major impact and trade between India and US had come down drastically as a result of the ongoing recession.

Allaying fears over US outsourcing to India, Simkin said time and again the US had made it clear that it wanted to continue its good relations with countries like India and it stood for free trade.

Moreover, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during her recent visit to India, had reiterated the stand and extended full cooperation in various fields, including combating terrorism, he said.

Simkin was speaking at a road show on Engineering Service Outsourcing-Opportunities and Challengers, organized by Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and Southern India Engineering Manufacturers Association.