'No CEO is going to bet against India': John Chambers says US ties strong despite short-term bumps
Chambers said businesses see the India–US relationship through a five-, ten-, and fifteen-year horizon, not election cycles or quarterly outcomes.
- Nov 16, 2025,
- Updated Nov 16, 2025 8:49 AM IST
United States–India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Chairman John Chambers has said that American companies remain deeply committed to India despite the absence of a new trade deal, describing the current situation as a “short-term bump” that will not disrupt long-term bilateral momentum.
Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Chambers said businesses see the India–US relationship through a five-, ten-, and fifteen-year horizon, not election cycles or quarterly outcomes.
"We often think in business in three, five and ten-year terms. And as I have talked over the last 25 years about the opportunity between the US and India to have a strategic relationship that'll be a model for the rest of the world. We've hit every objective," Chambers said.
He recalled how two decades ago, when he bet on India as Cisco’s second global headquarters, India ranked 12th in global GDP, and has now risen to No. 4.
"We have talked about whether India could be a startup nation...and who's the number one IPO market now in the world for startups? It's India," he said, adding that "many of the American companies are now betting on manufacturing in India."
Chambers, who has chaired USISPF since its inception, noted that 450 member companies are "all in and investing in India's future." He described the current trade slowdown as temporary and said the broader relationship remains “anchored in shared business and innovation goals."
"They see this as a short-term bump. They don't view it as something that's going to disrupt our long-term relationships and I absolutely agree with that. I’m very optimistic about what we're going to see between the US and India," Chambers said, adding that he believes India will one day "become the number one GDP country in the world."
When asked about the sentiment among US CEOs, Chambers said the commitment to India remains unwavering. "Almost no CEO is going to bet against India as a key partnership as you move forward. Businesses do not make decisions on whether the deal will get done this month or next quarter. When you bet on India, you’re betting five, ten, fifteen years out—and you’re committing billions of dollars."
He added that while trade negotiations take time, business ties remain strong because of "the network of interrelationships between government and business" built over years. "If you'd watched the last two days, you'd see from the government leaders in India and from business leaders from the US a united view in terms of what we can do together," he said.
Chambers also revealed that he personally continues to scale his investments in India. "My own self, I'm doing more and more of my growth of my startups—24 of them here in India. And I've got 11 unicorns now and two decacorns with some pretty good growth. But again, it's the US and India working together," he said.
Chambers, who previously led Cisco Systems, has long advocated India's rise as a global economic hub. Under his leadership, USISPF has played a key role in driving private-sector engagement between the two countries, especially in technology, digital manufacturing, and innovation-led partnerships.
United States–India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Chairman John Chambers has said that American companies remain deeply committed to India despite the absence of a new trade deal, describing the current situation as a “short-term bump” that will not disrupt long-term bilateral momentum.
Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Chambers said businesses see the India–US relationship through a five-, ten-, and fifteen-year horizon, not election cycles or quarterly outcomes.
"We often think in business in three, five and ten-year terms. And as I have talked over the last 25 years about the opportunity between the US and India to have a strategic relationship that'll be a model for the rest of the world. We've hit every objective," Chambers said.
He recalled how two decades ago, when he bet on India as Cisco’s second global headquarters, India ranked 12th in global GDP, and has now risen to No. 4.
"We have talked about whether India could be a startup nation...and who's the number one IPO market now in the world for startups? It's India," he said, adding that "many of the American companies are now betting on manufacturing in India."
Chambers, who has chaired USISPF since its inception, noted that 450 member companies are "all in and investing in India's future." He described the current trade slowdown as temporary and said the broader relationship remains “anchored in shared business and innovation goals."
"They see this as a short-term bump. They don't view it as something that's going to disrupt our long-term relationships and I absolutely agree with that. I’m very optimistic about what we're going to see between the US and India," Chambers said, adding that he believes India will one day "become the number one GDP country in the world."
When asked about the sentiment among US CEOs, Chambers said the commitment to India remains unwavering. "Almost no CEO is going to bet against India as a key partnership as you move forward. Businesses do not make decisions on whether the deal will get done this month or next quarter. When you bet on India, you’re betting five, ten, fifteen years out—and you’re committing billions of dollars."
He added that while trade negotiations take time, business ties remain strong because of "the network of interrelationships between government and business" built over years. "If you'd watched the last two days, you'd see from the government leaders in India and from business leaders from the US a united view in terms of what we can do together," he said.
Chambers also revealed that he personally continues to scale his investments in India. "My own self, I'm doing more and more of my growth of my startups—24 of them here in India. And I've got 11 unicorns now and two decacorns with some pretty good growth. But again, it's the US and India working together," he said.
Chambers, who previously led Cisco Systems, has long advocated India's rise as a global economic hub. Under his leadership, USISPF has played a key role in driving private-sector engagement between the two countries, especially in technology, digital manufacturing, and innovation-led partnerships.