India has rejected US President Joe Biden's claim that “xenophobia” is hurting the economies of certain countries South Asian bring nations to a standstill.

External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said at a round table hosted by The Economic Times Newspaper that India’s economy “isn’t stalling.” India has historically been a very open society, he said.

“That’s why we have this CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), which is meant to open doors for people who are in trouble…I think we should be open to people who feel the need to come to India, who have a right to come to India,” Mr. Jaishankar said, referring to a recently passed law that allows immigrants who have fled persecution in neighboring countries to become citizens.

Earlier this week, Mr. Biden said: “xenophobia” in China, Japan and India slowed growth in their respective economies as he argued that migration was good for the US economy.

“One of the reasons our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Mr. Biden said at a fundraiser for his 2024 re-election campaign, marking the start of Asian American, Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

“Why is China faltering so much economically, why is Japan having problems, why is it having problems?” Russia, why is India because they are xenophobic. They don't want immigrants. Immigrants are what matters us strong,” he said, starting that Asian American, Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast last month that growth in Asia's three largest economies would slow in 2024 from a year earlier.

The IMF also forecast that the U.S. economy would grow 2.7 percent, slightly faster than last year's 2.5 percent growth rate. Many economists attribute the optimistic forecasts in part to migrants adding to the country's workforce.

“India has always been a very unique country…I would actually say in the history of the world it has been a society that has been very open…Different people from different societies come to India,” Mr Jaishankar told the newspaper.

The US president's recent comments against his key allies India and Japan in Asia come as he battles against the anti-immigrant stance of Republican opponent Donald Trump.

At the same time, Mr. Biden is also working to champion comprehensive economic and political ties with both nations against global rivals China and Russia.

Immigration is quickly becoming a central issue in the November 2024 presidential campaign, which is widely expected to be a rematch between Biden and Trump, and each man is trying to use the border issues to do so his own political advantage. Mr. Biden supports legal immigration to help Americans Business.