USAID's Hidden Agenda In India: Sanjeev Sanyal Reveals All To Arnab Goswami | Exclusive

New Delhi: Sanjeev Sanyal, Economic Advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has exposed the interference of USAID in India's internal affairs and shed light on the growing concerns over foreign influence in national data systems. Speaking exclusively to Republic Media Network’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, Sanyal revealed that USAID has been funding various organisations in India to influence the country's policies and decisions. He discussed the involvement of USAID in India's health surveys and its possible role in elections, raising alarm over data security and foreign intervention.

Sanyal explained that USAID's influence is not limited to funding organisations, but also extends to infiltrating India's systems. He cited the example of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), which was being run by USAID until recently. He revealed that for decades, the NFHS, a comprehensive survey crucial for India’s medical and social policies, was controlled by USAID.

"This data is the source of a lot of policies made in medical and social policy," Sanyal said, underlining how USAID once dictated survey designs and analyses. He stated that he was shocked to discover the situation during his work on COVID-related health data. He explained that after raising awareness, the Indian government removed USAID's influence from the latest round of the survey.

While Sanyal praised the government's efforts, he made it clear that much more needs to be done to protect India's sovereignty and ensure national security.

‘We Have to Peel Out the Layers’

Sanyal stressed that it's not easy to expose USAID's interference, as they operate through multiple layers of organisations and agencies. He said, "The more you dig, the more you will find," and added that USAID’s actions had been hidden behind multiple layers of funding agencies, making it difficult to identify the extent of their influence.

Concerns Over Electoral Data and Foreign Funding

The PM’s economic advisor also addressed the issue of foreign influence on India’s electoral data. When Arnab Goswami raised concerns, Sanyal acknowledged that foreign interference is a concern. He further noted how the USAID's involvement in projects like the voter turnout grants, amounting to 182 crores, which is around USD 21 million, could be seen as an attempt to control narratives around India's democracy.

"These organisations may do good work, but their intent is something else," Sanyal stated, emphasising the dangers of foreign funding in sensitive national data and policy areas.

USAID’s Role In Shaping Global Narratives

Sanyal pointed out that USAID is part of a larger network of international agencies that fund the creation of indices such as the Democracy Index, Freedom Index, and Happiness Index. According to Sanyal, these indices are often used to shape global opinions about India’s democracy, media freedom, and governance, which in turn affect sovereign ratings and international media narratives. He described this as a “layer upon layer” of narrative building that controls how countries like India are perceived globally.

Efforts to Push Back Against Foreign Influence

Sanjeev Sanyal outlined the challenges India faces when pushing back against foreign influence in such systems. He acknowledged that the government has made efforts to address issues like banning TikTok and pushing back against USAID’s control over national surveys, asserting that real change requires a lot of time and effort.

"These changes take time, and they are part of a long process," Sanyal said, stressing that although progress is being made, the battle is far from over. He pointed to the government's success in pushing the World Bank to review its World Governance Indicators, which Sanyal discovered were run by independent researchers rather than the World Bank itself.

‘Need to Expose the Indians Who Took Money from USAID’

He also revealed that the World Bank is involved in promoting USAID's agenda in India. He explained that the World Bank's World Governance Indicators are used to legitimise certain indices and think tanks, which are then used to influence India's policies.

Sanyal praised US President Donald Trump's stance on USAID, saying it's a game-changer. He said, “Trump's administration has taken a strong stance against USAID's interference in other countries' internal affairs.”

Sanyal pressed for the need to expose the Indians who took money from USAID to influence the country's policies. He said, "We need to know who these people are and hold them accountable for their actions."

Long Road Ahead

He acknowledged that dealing with these foreign influences requires patience and continued effort. "It's not easy," he remarked, adding that the battle against foreign influence in India’s data systems and policy-making would continue. However, with the support of the Indian government, he believes that more can be done to address these issues.

"Thanks to the backing of the top political administration, we are making progress, but there's still a long road ahead," Sanyal concluded.