American and Indian business delegations meet in NYC, recognize achievers

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The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce along with Indian Achievers Forum, hosted a day-long meeting in New York City at the Indian Consulate Nov. 3, 2022. The business delegations from both countries discussed potential future collaborations. High-profile speakers addressed the conference and recognized achievers in several fields of endeavor.

About 100 people participated in the in-person and online hybrid “Investment & Business Delegation 2022” meeting.

The business delegation from India is in the U.S. for 8 days. It arrived in New York from Miami, and was scheduled to go to Atlanta to meet American counterparts.

Among the high-profile guests at the event were former U.S. Ambassadors to India Frank G. Wisner who gave the inaugural address in the morning, and Kenneth I. Juster who spoke in the afternoon session. India’s Consul General in New York Randhir Jaiswal was the chief guest. He praised organizers for bringing businesses together and the need for more and stronger collaborations.

Around 25 people were awarded a trophy and certificate for achievements in different fields, among them was Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media/ITV Gold, and Ambassadors Wisner and Juster, as well as business leaders from India and the U.S. Several young people were among the awardees. The awards were handed to many of the awardees by the Ambassadors and Consul General Jaiswal.

Ambassador Wisner, in his speech, spoke of existing and growing bilateral relations between India and the U.S., and dwelt on the time he spent in India as Ambassador, and the changes that have come about. The core purpose for global stability and the pressure from China will drive U.S. and India together. That has to be carefully nursed.

In the mid-1990s the U.S.-India relationship was drived mainly by trade and commerce, and those numbers will continue to grow. Like all gardens the trade relationship to also be tended. There have been difficulty in resolving trade policies – especially on protectionism versus open markets, Wisner said. There was still work to do but the value systems of the two countries are core to the relationship, he emphasized.

Ambassador Juster recognized several of the people attending the event who had worked with him in the past. He called the changes in the U.S.-India relations over 21 years as “unbelievable” and the number of military exercises the two countries have conducted, as well as health and climate sectors. What’s extraordinary is how far the relationship has come and it is one where the two countries discuss problems that arise.

The glue that holds the countries together are not just those of trade and commerce but the Indian-American community that lives in this country, said Juster who is an honorary lifetime member of IACC.

Kapil Kaul, immediate past national president of IACC welcomed guests. He noted that trade value between the two nations has grown considerably, especially during the pandemic, when American investments grew in India. Even as far back as 2000, India and U.S. came together to resolve problems for the globe, and that cooperation has come till today to solving the vaccine requirements around the world.

Harish Chandra, president, Indian Achievers Forum delivered the vote of thanks at the end of the event. Chandra told News India Times, the meetings helped representatives from small and medium sized businesses meet potential partners in the U.S. “In future we will be doing certain collaborations with U.S. companies and will be bringing more such delegations to the U.S.,” Chandra said.

Leaders of the IACC, Dr. Lalit Bhasin, national president; Pankaj Bohra, executive vice president, and A. Sekhar, co-executive vice president, informed the gathering about the role the organization plays, and thanked those present.

Guests also got to hear a pre-taped address from U.S. Ambassador to Montenegro, Judy Rising Reinke, who had been stationed in India for 3 years, and focused on trade issues. “I am proud of the many connections that were established,” Reinke said in the video. She applauded the work of IACC and members of the delegation.

Speakers in the afternoon session included John McCaslin, Craig and Meeryung Hall, Jennifer Heemstra, Jonathan Ward, and virtual participants George and Lee-Alison Sibley.

Kevin Kishor Kaul, founder chairman of US Global Business Forum (USGBF) also spoke at the event.

A B2B session took place where participating organizations made presentations about their businesses and goals.

Wisner emphasized that the bilateral relationship was on the strongest footing than it had ever been between the two democracies.

George Sibley of the State Department who spent 7 years in India, spoke virtually to the gathering joined by his wife. Both emphasized the importance of cultural and business links between the two democracies.