GLOBAL INDIAN BUSINESSS COUNCIL (GIBC) DEBUT IN METRO ATLANTA, USA TO FOSTER THE VISION OF PRIME MINISTER MODI FOR JOB CREATIONS IN INDIA. GIBC WOOS INVESTORS TO INDIA!
With a mission to facilitate global economic development with emphasis on India, Global Indian Business Council (GIBC) launched with a meaningful half-day economic seminar on November 22, 2014, in Metro Atlanta, USA. The seminar also helped promote the Pravasi Divas 2015 in Gandhi Nagar and Vibrant Gujarat Summit.
GIBC is a network of business and technology leaders across the globe based in USA to promote and facilitate greater cooperation in trade and commerce between India, USA, and the rest of the world following the new vision offered by the pragmatic and dynamic leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The seminar was well attended by several distinguished speakers, professionals, corporate executives, and leaders in government, chambers of commerce and academia.
The program started with a cocktail/social hour where conference attendees networked and explored opportunities for Indo-US grassroots-level trade and commerce partnership.
In a welcoming address, GIBC President-Elect Mr. Dhiru Shah dwelt upon the need to have such an organization to promote and facilitate bilateral trade, commerce and investment between all countries today. Mr. Shah pointed out that both European Union and Japan are facing recession and China is slowing down. While the US economy is stable, massive investments in India from overseas can help further stimulate the economy of India. GIBC, which strives to help, can become a major player in facilitating investment, trade and business in India.
GIBC President Dr. Mahesh Mehta, an eminent scientist and research scholar in membrane technology, explained the basic mission and objectives of GIBC. Dr. Mehta stated that the 2014 election in India has for the first time in several decades brought a party to power with a clear majority, which in turn has elected the most dynamic, visionary, incorruptible and pragmatic leader, Mr. Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India.
He felt confident that the time has come for India to become an economic powerhouse under the leadership of Mr. Modi and his hard working team. GIBC with its networking abilities with the Indian government and the state governments, USA and the rest of the world will be able to provide services from the USA and the rest of the world to set up businesses and industries in India.
Hon. Consul R. Srinivasan of the Indian Consulate-Atlanta conveyed his best wishes for the success of GIBC. He explained the role of the Atlanta consulate in furthering economic development by offering different services to facilitate investment in India. The Atlanta consulate provides visas and other facilities to eight US states which are home to over 300,000 non-resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs). Currently he also deals with the economic, trade and commerce wing to help US and NRI businesses and companies with information relating to the Indian economy and various Indian government economic entities.
In his keynote address, the Hon. Kwanza Hall, Council member of city of Atlanta, pointed to the need to invest in small and medium scale industries and business in Georgia, which would generate massive employment. The City of Atlanta City welcomes investments in Atlanta from India and the Indian diaspora in America on a reciprocal basis.
The Hon. Yasukata Fukahori, Deputy Consul General, Japan Atlanta Consulate entertained the audience with hilarious stories comparing Japanese reticence with loquacious Indians. He narrated one experience in which the Indian interpreter spent 30 minutes explaining what a Japanese visitor had conveyed in 5 minutes. He then talked about the close economic relationship that Japan has with India. The recent meeting of Indian and Japanese Prime Ministers has further strengthened the economic ties between the two countries. He praised GIBC’s efforts in facilitating the trade and commerce between India and other countries. Japan has a very large investment in Georgia even though the number of the Japanese living in GA is very small compared to the Indian American community. Recently Japan has decided to redirect investment priority from China to India
Ms. Andjela Kessler, President of Incentive Travel & Meetings spoke about her company’s experience of developing tourism in India and particularly in Gujarat. She pointed to the need for continuous certification and verification of hotel standards and development of infrastructure and transportation to ensure that visitors’ experience matched their expectations. She pointed to the successful strategy of Gujarat’s tourism advertisement videos/films, and her good fortune to interact with then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. She pointed out to the success of the tourist industry in Thailand as an example with lessons for India. At his Madison Square Garden rally in NY on September 27, Prime Minister Modi had made a direct pitch to NRIs to woo tourism for the progress of India.
Mr. Raj Anand, CEO of Southern States LLC and an alumnus of the Indian Institutes of Technology, narrated how his company has developed close and mutually beneficial business relationship with Indian companies such as Crompton Greaves. The large pool of qualified engineers and technically trained workers in India can help the country to develop economically fast with the help of the government, foreign investment and established Indian corporations. He specified that success in India requires retaining control in the day-to-day operations.
Mr. Charles Wood of ETech Global Services, Dallas, TX spoke about the US-India Collaborative success in the field of IT industry. His company has set up two offices in Gujarat employing about 500 IT executives who are responsible for software development for their global operations including the USA. Their first office in Gandhinagar was inaugurated by the Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi (then Chief Minister of Gujarat). ITech CEO, Matt Raco conveyed the message that his company will join hands with GIBC in facilitating investment in India and congratulated its President Dr. Mahesh Mehta for this visionary and timely endeavor.
On the topic of Medical Tourism in India, Dr. Raghunath Katragadda, Asst. Prof. of Medicine, Div. of Cardiology, Emory Heart & Vascular Center, talked about his success story of setting up a top class Hospital chain in Hyderabad, India to cater to medical tourism from the USA and other countries. To build a successful medical tourist industry in India, top class hospitals, reliable nursing, follow up care, trained doctors and surgeons with affordable pricing are essential. Only a few hospitals in India are certified to currently treat patients from the western world. Other countries like Singapore and Thailand are also competing to attract medical tourists in their countries.
Mr. Kanchan Banerjee, VP, GIBC made a presentation on Vibrant Gujarat 2015 and urged audience to join the GIBC delegation to Vibrant Gujarat program scheduled to be held on Jan. 9-11, 2015. This will give them the opportunity to meet industrialists, the Chief Minister and top government bureaucrats of the Gujarat government for signing MOUs in investing in Gujarat. He added, never before has the business environment so friendly in Gujarat. “So, take advantage of it!”
Mr. Subash Razdan, VP-GIBC, gave a brief overview of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD-People of Indian origin). He is himself the recipient of the PBD Samaan Award 2013. PBD opens opportunities to invest in India. He encouraged the audience to attend the 2015 event to be held in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat on Jan. 7-9, 2015, especially because it is followed by the Vibrant Gujarat Summit (VGS). The 2015 PBD will celebrate the centennial celebrations of return of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi from S. Africa in 1915. Consulate General of India (CGI) and GIBC can provide further details.
Mr. Ashwin Patel, VP- GIBC offered the vote of thanks to the distinguished dignitaries, invited guests, media persons, officials and volunteers and the hospitality of Staybridge Suites staff. He thanked Dr. Narayanan Komerath for his design of the GIBC website. He thanked the Swapna Indian Cuisine for catering an exotic dinner. The event saw many prominent and other dignitaries present such as Hon. Greg Pridgeon, former Council Member of Atlanta and former Chief of Staff of City of Atlanta under Mayor Shirley Franklin and key proponent of the Atlanta-Ahmedabad Sister City relationship; Hon. Eric De Groot of Sandy Springs International Economic Affairs and President of the Holland Chamber of Commerce; Wayne Lazarus of the prominent law firm Stokes, Lazarus and Carmichael who drafted articles of Incorporation of many Asian (also Indian) American non-profit organizations, and Mr. Jitu Patel, Chair of the Atlanta-Ahmedabad Sister City Exchange Committee (AASCE). The Sister City proposal of twinning Atlanta and Ahmedabad was approved by a public hearing of over 300 attendees in favor of Ahmedabad by near unanimity, but had to be shelved due to the scale-back and economic recession in Georgia and the rest of USA. Fortunately, mayor Kaseem Reed is looking at it favorably now with special connection of Mahatma Gandhi (Ahmedabad) and Rev. Martin Luther King (Atlanta).
Through the sumptuous dinner and after, people continued networking.
For further information on GIBC, please contact Dhiru (Dhirendra) Shah, President-Elect, GIBC at 770-664-8779, and the GIBC website http://www.globalindianbusiness.org
Source: WHN Media Network