Coimbatore: Indian students accounted for the second highest number of foreign students studying at US universities, said US ambassador to India Richard R Verma on Monday.

There are 103,000 Indian students in the US at present, reported The Times of India.

Interacting with the students of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University here, Verma said, “The number of tie-ups between Indian and US universities has been increasing in the last few years. This is important for both the countries to develop research activities.”

He told the students that they were graduating during the pinnacle period of India’s growth. “India is a fast growing superpower, and it is a great opportunity for you students to graduate during this period. While India is developing rapidly, there are some challenges like food safety and security for young scientists like you to find solutions for,” he said.

Verma spoke about food security and food safety. He said, “The world population would rise to 9.1 billion in 2050, and we will have to increase our food production by 70% to meet demands. The US and India can work together in identifying new technologies and agricultural solutions to increase the yield.”