India,US together can build strong and smart future: Kerry

New Delhi: India and the US can build a strong and smart future as the two nations have the ability to tackle three major challenges - economy, security and climate change - facing the world, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday.

"The world's largest democracy and the world's oldest democracy must do more together uniting not only as a threat to anyone, to counter-weigh some region or other countries, but unite as partners building a strong smart future in a critical age," Kerry said while addressing an event at the India Habitat centre here.

He said he strongly believes in the Hindi proverb 'ek aur ek gyarah hote hi', means one and one makes 11 and the two countries together will uniquely position to take on toughest challenges of our time. He said the two nations share a common DNA "which compels us to look towards the horizon and think of next generation."

Kerry, in his maiden visit to India after taking the charge of State Department early this year, said Indians and Americans share love, skills and affection for innovation and "we have to tap that tradition of individuality and innovation to work now quickly to write a history worthy of the future".

Praising the Indian community's contribution in American economy, Kerry, who arrived here on Mondday on a three-day visit, said the community which only accounted for one per cent of the country's population contributed eight per cent of all technical and engineering start-ups.

Recalling President Barack Obama's view that Indo-US partnership will define the next century, Kerry said there are three major issues including future of the economy, security and climate change on which the two nations can work together.

He said that changing weather patterns posed major challenges to the planet and the climate change screaming formore global action.

"Here in India, the home of so much of the history of science, we must recognise that today the science of climate change is screaming at us for action," Kerry said as he announced a USD 150,000 aid for the victims of floods in Uttarakhand.