80 years of US-India relations celebrated through music, dance and memories

Dosti House in Bandra-Kurla Complex, formerly known as the American Centre—which was then situated in South Mumbai—celebrated 80 years of US-India partnership on Tuesday evening.

- Aarushi Agrawal

MUMBAI: Opening its doors in 1944, the Centre has since worked on fostering a deeper friendship between the US and India.

While Dosti House is primarily a library, it offers much more, serving as "an American space in India." "Dosti House is a space where Americans and Indians can come together to exchange ideas. It's our way of strengthening ties between our two countries," said Greg Pardo, the spokesperson of the US consulate-general. The library has latest facilities such as 3D printers and virtual reality glasses. "We are leveraging innovation to create equitable opportunity for connectivity and learning," said Gloria Berbena, minister-counsellor for public diplomacy at the US embassy.

For the 80-year celebrations, the library transformed into a space for bonding over art and culture, sharing memories and experiences. After a lively performance of Gloria Gaynor's 'I will survive' by a band of diplomats, the event proceeded to the Indian experience at Dosti House. Justice Roshan S Dalvi, poet-author Rochelle Potkar, and English literature teacher at K C College Kavita Peter spoke about their experiences at, and strong bond with, the library.