Overview
Beginning in 2005, the United States and the Government of India embarked on an unprecedented set of negotiations to establish an historic commercial nuclear energy accord between the world’s first and largest democracies.  Ultimate agreement would create a binding relationship based on shared economic and security interests held by both nations.  As the agreement was being debated in Congress, various opponents from the left and right sought to scuttle the accord based on the perceived implications such a unilateral relationship might create with other nations and the security risks of transferring commercial nuclear technology.   Working to enhance the efforts of India’s government relations counsel, The Herald Group was tasked with positioning the benefits of the accord among key diplomatic, economic and public policy reporters and columnists in advance of official Congressional review. 

Objectives and Strategies
The Herald Group worked to better define the benefits of the agreement by tying it to the broader national security issues faced by the United States and increasing global concerns over the potential proliferation of nuclear weapons.  Rather than making the U.S. more vulnerable, the accord ultimately would afford greater domestic and international security through increased oversight ensuring technology was applied exclusively to commercial development.  To carry this message to target audiences, a bipartisan bench of former senior government officials was assembled to serve as surrogates with the media, including a prominent former national security official who had also served as the U.S. Ambassador to India.

Results
Following significant national debate and negotiations, the historic commercial nuclear accord was signed by the President in 2007.  Throughout the process, The Herald Group secured key interviews and bureau briefings with leading news organizations, including the Associated Press, Financial Times, Knight-Ridder, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, to establish the agreement as an historic accord to benefit both governments, their respective economies and their citizens.