USIBC meet to promote agenda for progress with India

Aimed at promoting an agenda for progress with India, the 38th Anniversary Leadership Summit of US India Business Council on July 11 will focus on ways to make the bilateral partnership between the two largest democracies of the world not only stronger but also beneficial to both, USIBC said.

To be attended by who’s who of the Indian and American corporate sector and Cabinet level officials from both the countries, the summit will present its 38th Anniversary Global Leadership Awards to Louis Chvert of United Technologies, and to Analjit Singh of Max Healthcare.

“The award denotes industry-wide appreciation for the commitment companies are making to the advancement of US-India commercial ties,” USIBC said in a release yesterday.

The meeting will feature senior India leaders including the Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram; the Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Newly appointed United States Trade Representative Michael Froman will deliver keynote remarks on behalf of the Obama Administration.

The Summit, themed Agenda for Progress, will focus on ways to make the US-India partnership stronger, to the benefit of both countries.

“India is a long-term business opportunity that holds tremendous opportunities for industry. We are looking forward to productive meetings that bring together both Governments and US and Indian business leaders to discuss proactive ways to eliminate investment barriers and deepen commercial ties.

“The result will be economic growth and job creation for both countries,” USIBC President Ron Somers said.

In a statement, USIBC said it will also release a new publication titled “Investing in America, How India Helps Create American” Jobs during the meeting, to demonstrate the ways the American economy is already benefiting from the successful bilateral and business relationship.

Indian investment in the US recently touched $11 billion, with as many as 100,000 American jobs created.

US executives in attendance this week include Ajay Banga of MasterCard who serves as USIBC’s chairman, Sanjay Bhatnagar of Waterhealth International, Louis Chvert of United Technologies Corporation, Wim Elfrink of Cisco, Dave Cote of Honeywell, Paul Jacobs of Qualcomm, Harold McGraw III of The McGraw-Hill Companies, and Indra Nooyi of Pepsico.

Indian Executives include Hari Bhartia of Jubilant, Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Enterprises, Chanda Kochhar of ICICI Bank, Preetha Reddy of Apollo Hospitals, Analjit Singh of Max Healthcare, and Ratan Tata of the Tata Group.

And in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), USIBC will feature the first of its kind Ambassadors’ Roundtable that will bring together all former US Ambassadors to India that have helped US companies play a crucial role in India’s economic liberalisation, which opened the Indian economy in 1991.

Ambassadors Thomas Pickering, Frank G Wisner, Richard Celeste, Robert Blackwill, David Mulford, and Timothy Roemer will participate in a ‘no holds barred’ colloquy, discussing what steps are needed to revive momentum in the US-India commercial and strategic partnership, USIBC said.

Congressman Ami Bera, the first-ever US Congressman of Indian origin, and India Caucus Chair Congressman Joe Crowley, will share their hopes for the US-India partnership.

COMMENT NOW