Statutory AGM

AMCHAM held its 33^rd Statutory Annual General Meeting at the Oberoi, New Delhi on Friday August 22^nd, 2025. Ms. Ranjana Khanna, Director General CEO, AMCHAM welcomed members and presented the Annual Report for 2024-25. She gave the highlights of 165 interactions organized pan India across sectors which included engagements with the Government of India, U.S. Mission representatives, interactive meetings at various levels between members, U.S. government officials, and state governments officials. Meetings were continuously held on aspects impacting U.S. industry in India. AMCHAM released 6 publications and submitted a large number of policy representations addressing ease of doing business challenges.  She also mentioned that AMCHAM organized a defense delegation to Washington DC in February 2025 to inform and sensitize the U.S. government on defense related challenges impacting the U.S.-India relationship. AMCHAM’s signature advocacy outreach, the annual door knock, had a record 22 delegates visit Washington, D.C. in June 2025, engaging with over 33 departments and offices, as well as 14 Senators and Representatives or their staff. Ms. Khanna shared about the launch of AMCHAM’s Pune Chapter and highlighted various state level initiatives to enhance member engagement. Thanks were conveyed to the members of the National Executive Board. Mr. Sanjay Bhutani, Honorary Secretary & Treasurer, AMCHAM presented the financials and audited accounts for FY 2025-26. The financials and audited accounts, proposed by Mr. Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India & South Asia and Mr. Chaitanya Sarawate, President & CEO, GE HealthCare South Asia, was seconded by Ms. Kaku Nakhate, Chief Executive Officer, India, Bank of America, N.A. and passed by members. Appointment of M/s. Walker Chandiok Co. LLP, as the statutory and tax auditors of the American Chamber of Commerce in India for the financial year 2025-26, as per resolution by the National Executive Board in its meeting held on February 28^th, 2025, was ratified by members. This was proposed by Mr. Ajay Vij, Senior Country Managing Director, Accenture India and seconded by Mr. Vinod Sood, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Hughes Systique Corporation. The composition of the National Executive Board 2025-26 was announced. Ms. Kaku Nakhate, Chief Executive Officer, India, Bank of America, N.A. was felicitated for being the longest standing National Executive Board member since 2011 and leading with vision and grace.

Inaugural Session

Ms. Ranjana Khanna, Director General CEO, AMCHAM, welcomed members and guest speakers to the Annual Leadership Summit themed ‘AI: Redefining the Resilient Supply Chain.’ Mr. Salil Gupte, Chairman, AMCHAM and President, Boeing India & South Asia, in his opening remarks, emphasized how the COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) initiative highlights the breadth of the U.S.-India partnership and its execution is the key to moving the relationship forward. He referred to the ten-year defense development roadmap, and shared goals in the TRUST initiative under AI, quantum, bio tech and other areas, as enablers in continuous development of the partnership. He encouraged promoting partnerships in academia, highlighted how critical it is for U.S. companies to continue their skilling initiatives, and embraced working together towards achieving global standards in AI. In a video message, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Co-Chair Senate India Caucus, conveyed his appreciation for the partnership of the two nations and highlighted that the summit provides opportunities to discuss U.S. investments in India’s tech sector in AI and semiconductors, which power critical technologies. He also highlighted the commitment to improving supply chain efficiency and innovation towards national security.

In a special address Ambassador Arun K. Singh, Former Indian Ambassador to the U.S., highlighted the pivotal role of U.S. industry in advancing the U.S.-India partnership. He noted India’s emergence as a global hub for engineering and innovation, driven by a step-by-step, sustained growth journey since 2000. Emphasizing that India is now building solutions for the world, he underscored the strong synergies and strategic convergence that position both nations to move forward together in deeper collaboration. Mr. Sandip Patel, Vice Chairman, AMCHAM and General Manager, India/South Asia, IBM, Managing Director, IBM India Pvt. Ltd. underlined that because of the pandemic and other disruptions, the world is now exploring the most transformative character in business today — AI. He additionally referred to AI as ‘augmented intelligence’ and not just ‘artificial Intelligence.’ His stressed the need to innovate in AI to enable it being adaptive, predictive and transformative, and consequently enable supply chains to reinvent themselves. Embracing generative AI, has already shown significant progress in organizations, he said.

Dr. Arvind Virmani, Member, NITI Aayog, Government of India, shared a compelling vision with inclusive growth as key to sustainable development. He explored the impact of shifting global demographics on talent and consumption, and outlined how India can emerge as a global manufacturing hub while leveraging its human capital to lead in services. He reinforced that India is determined to become a high-income country by mid-century and will do whatever it takes to make this a reality. Mr. Chaitanya Sarawate, Vice Chairman, AMCHAM, President & CEO, GE HealthCare South Asia, thanked the speakers for sharing their views.

Session 1: Future of Artificial Intelligence in India the Complete Ecosystem

Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Abhishek Singh, Director General, National Informatics Centre, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, stressed that with a huge concentration of talent, India has a unique opportunity to lead in the future of AI. To do so, the need to leverage existing skills, address critical gaps, and prioritize AI development at scale cannot be overemphasized. He highlighted that understanding the magnitude of challenges ahead is essential — and U.S. industry continues to play a vital role in driving this transformation forward through collaboration and innovation.

The powerful panel discussion that followed brought together leading voices shaping India’s AI journey. Expert insights were shared by Mr. Anand Ramamoorthy, Chairman – Karnataka Chapter, AMCHAM and Managing Director, Micron India, Mr. Avinash Avula, President & Managing Director, India, Semiconductor Products Group (SPG) Asia, Applied Materials, Mr. Mike Harney, Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs, IBM, with moderation by Mr. Rajesh Ranjan, Head – Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google India. The panel delved into the critical building blocks of a self-reliant AI ecosystem — ranging from semiconductor innovation and infrastructure to fostering robust public-private partnerships. A key focus was on how India can effectively leverage its vast talent pool to position itself as a global leader in AI development and deployment.

Session 2: Communications: Critical Driver of AI in the Digital World

Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Deputy Director General, Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, accentuated the need for models customized to India’s needs, built with a strong ethical perspective and stringent data security. He outlined government efforts such as simplified telecom licensing, reduced entry barriers for service providers, and production linked incentive (PLI) schemes to encourage domestic component manufacturing. He stressed the urgency of ownership of submarine cables, industrial data protection, and rural broadband expansion, while citing India’s successes such as UPI and the Open Data Policy as benchmarks globally recognized. His key message was that digital security will remain the government’s top priority till 2030.

The panel discussion that followed underscored communications infrastructure as the foundational enabler for AI in the digital economy. Moderator, Mr. Vivek Sonny Abraham, Senior Director – External Strategy, India & South Asia, Salesforce, set the context by describing the physical network as the ‘digital highway,’ emphasizing that AI requires robust, reliable, secure, and scalable infrastructure to process the massive volumes of data it depends on. He noted that India’s telecom backbone is being strengthened through fibre optic networks, nationwide projects like BharatNet for inclusive connectivity, satellite launches for remote access, and undersea cables that power global communication. He further pointed out that coordinated investments across terrestrial, aerial, and undersea networks are vital, while DoT’s existing use of AI in telecom security and policy initiatives such as the DDTI Startup Scheme are driving India’s digital readiness. Mr. Ankur Malhotra, Director – Government Affairs, Honeywell, requested that the government must incentivize component suppliers for the ecosystem to scale sustainably, emphasizing that sustainability should be the priority through 2030. Mr. Saurabh Singh, Co-Chairman – ICT Committee, AMCHAM and Head of Digital and AI Policy, India & South Asia, AWS, underlined that infrastructure investment will be driven by demand. He pointed to telecom partners’ role in enabling AI deployment and stressed the importance of interconnecting data centers to overcome operational resiliency constraints, making AI skilling a national imperative by 2030. Mr. Girish Bhatia, Senior Director & Head, Sales Engineering, India, Ciena, discussed skill priorities, calling cloud expertise followed by AI as critical ‘hyper skills’ for the future workforce. He highlighted the need for resiliency across subsea and terrestrial layers, development of multiple landing stations, and dedicated networks for hyper-scalers. He described Ciena’s India-focused software and product portfolio designed to deliver custom-built solutions. He pointed to LLM training and emotional intelligence training as critical short-term priorities for ensuring effective AI adoption. In conclusion, the session underscored that India’s AI journey rests on a secure, resilient, and sustainable digital communication backbone, backed by industrial policy, strong data protection frameworks, and parallel investment in skilling. The roadmap to 2030 converges around four pillars: digital security, sustainability, skilling, and hyperscale-ready infrastructure.

Session 3: To a Trillion Dollar Digital Economy

The session focused on India’s pathways to achieving a trillion-dollar digital economy, with discussions centered around AI adoption, digital infrastructure, and the role of skilling in driving growth. Mr. Ashish Modi, Co-Chairman – Karnataka Chapter, AMCHAM and President, Honeywell India, framed the conversation in the context of current geopolitical dynamics and highlighted that the adoption of AI in manufacturing remains a significant bottleneck, stressing that beyond creating value, the way AI value is propagated across industries will determine its true impact. Mr. Sandip Patel, Vice Chairman, AMCHAM and General Manager, India/South Asia, IBM, Managing Director, IBM India Pvt. Ltd., underlined that data and applications are the two biggest concerns when it comes to AI adoption. He explained how AI enables predictive analysis and augmented intelligence, powered by structured data, and highlighted the transformative role of hybrid cloud in ensuring seamless operations across different platforms. He identified quantum technology as the next dimension of digital evolution and asserted that AI has moved beyond the hype, with practical applications in HR, procurement, and insurance, where it can predict and prevent losses. However, he cautioned that scaling AI successfully will require strong skilling programs, trust-building around the technology, and affordability. While the AI curriculum in CBSE schools is a promising beginning to engage the next generation, he emphasized that industries themselves must invest in internal AI training. Mr. Ajay Vij, National Executive Board Member, AMCHAM, and Senior Country Managing Director, Accenture India, commended the strong foundation of digital infrastructure built by the Government of India and positioned Generative AI as a gamechanger, particularly for its ability to break language barriers. He argued that AI must be human-led and guided to ensure responsible use. On the skilling front, he underscored the need for 65% of India’s population to become AI literate, adding that AI is industry-agnostic and education curricula must evolve accordingly. He called for fostering a ‘learn-to-learn’ mindset and stressed that nationwide, collective skilling efforts are critical and that the human quotient must be strengthened to balance technological advancement with values and ethics.

In conclusion, the session underscored that India’s journey to becoming a trillion-dollar digital economy will be determined by its ability to scale AI responsibly, invest in hybrid and emerging technologies like quantum computing, build widespread AI literacy, and ensure ethical, human-centric AI deployment. With strong industry-government collaboration and a focus on inclusivity, trust, and skilling, India could unlock the full potential of its digital economy.

Special Address

In his special address, the Honorary President of AMCHAM, Mr. Jorgan Andrews, Chargé d’Affaires, U.S. Embassy, emphasized the resilience and depth of the U.S.-India partnership and highlighted opportunities for deeper collaboration in critical domains such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, emerging technologies, and critical infrastructure.

Session 4: Trillion Dollar Target Exports

In his keynote address, Mr. Sunil Barthwal, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, focussed on the global shifts in trade and commerce, describing the present time as both challenging and exciting with paradigm changes taking place worldwide. He spoke about the changing trade dynamics that are no longer driven solely by governments but by multinationals that account for 70% of global trade. Businesses must adapt to demographic, geographic, and technological shifts. He emphasized the need for policy stability to enable businesses being successful. He spoke about the growth of services, digital trade and digital value chains. Currently, 50% of manufacturing value comes from services. Digitally delivered services are expanding rapidly, with the integration of AI, will increase further. With India prioritizing sector-specific understandings in FTAs to strengthen long-term certainty and the government’s endeavour to provide stability while also responding to unforeseen disruptions. He pointed out that markets must function effectively, with governments stepping in when necessary to ensure resilience. With India having the first mover advantage in services and digital trade, India’s role in shaping global trade and consumption will expand significantly. India’s large population provides a strong consumer base making it one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing service markets.

Mr. Chaitanya Sarawate, Vice Chairman, AMCHAM, Chairman – Medical Devices Committee, AMCHAM and President & CEO, GE HealthCare South Asia, in his remarks spoke about how policy reforms and regulatory easing have encouraged companies to invest deeply in India across global capability centers (GCCs), manufacturing, and healthcare. He mentioned that in healthcare, India continues to expand investments, however, the country remains import-dependent, with 75% of medical products still imported. There is a strong aspiration to both grow domestic manufacturing and boost exports. He stressed that resolving non-tariff barriers and diversifying FTAs with other countries would further encourage long-term investments and strengthen India’s global competitiveness. Mr. Michael Fernandez, India Country Head and South Asia Lead, Lockheed Martin, in his vote of thanks, reaffirmed industry’s commitment to further the U.S.-India economic and strategic ties. He noted that the perspectives shared underscored the importance of stable policies, resilient supply chains, and collaborative ecosystems.

Session 5: Towards Food Security: Partnering for India’s Inclusive Growth

Mr. Rajesh Agrawal, Special Secretary, Department of Commerce Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, in his keynote address, highlighted the importance of agricultural security, the role of technology in building resilient supply chains and how India and the United States can strengthen partnerships in this area. His address covered both India’s strengths in agriculture – having the largest sown area in the world, presence of more than 16 agro-climatic zones, production of a diverse range of crops and challenges including high dependence on agriculture for livelihood, small landholdings, low per capita income, high production costs, limited technology adoption, weak post-harvest management and supply chain inefficiencies. He emphasized the need for transformation by equipping farmers and rural communities with resilience against global volatility, accelerating the infusion of technology — digitalization, drones, precision farming, and advanced irrigation techniques, improving post-harvest management and supply chain systems and building farmers’ capacity in quality standards, global best practices, and modern farm management. He also spoke about increasing global integration of India’s agriculture sector. Mr. Agrawal said that emerging technologies such as AI, digital platforms, and agri-tech innovations can transform productivity and sustainability and that collaboration with global partners is essential for knowledge sharing, technology infusion and building resilient supply chains.

The industry panel discussion featured Mr. Ravinder Balain, Country President, Cargill India and Managing Director, Cargill Animal Nutrition & Health, South Asia, Mr. Uday Prakash, VP – Strategy and Implementation, Herbalife, Mr. Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Managing Director & Country Manager, John Deere India Pvt. Ltd. and Strategic Advisor to President – C&F, Mr. Robin Edwin, Country Head and Managing Director, Mosaic India and Ms. Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, Digital Green Trust, as moderator.  The panel discussed topics like farm mechanization, crop nutrition, role of soil health and nutrient efficiency in ensuring long-term food security for India, link between agriculture, nutrition, and food security, as well as food security in the context of the entire value chain.

AMCHAM’s Agriculture & Food Processing Committee released a coffee table book ‘Towards Food Security: Partnering for India’s Inclusive Growth’ that showcases work done by U.S. industry in the agriculture and food sector in India. The book captures the evolving narrative of the Indian agriculture and food sector highlighting how global partnerships are converging to build a more resilient, productive, and inclusive agri-economy. It offers insights into how India can feed its future while ensuring prosperity for every farmer — a vision central to doubling farmers’ income, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Viksit Bharat 2047. The book features ten stories covering sustainable agricultural practices, women’s empowerment, judicious use of resources, skill development, research and development, AgTech, crop nutrition, regenerative agriculture, AI in agriculture, innovation and organic farming. The book was released by Mr. Rajesh Agrawal.

Session 6: AI in Skilling

The keynote address was given by Mr. Deepak Bagla, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, Government of India, who shared his vision for innovation in skilling. He spoke about the dynamic present times which makes building strategies for any business model extremely challenging. He gave an overview of AIM and how it is set to become the central entity for driving innovation across the country. He spoke about the importance of partnerships. Mr. Bagla accentuated how innovation is at the core of building future jobs, with the sectors expected to drive the fastest job and wealth creation going forward to be sports, tourism, entertainment, personal services, and skills. He shared the success stories of AIM and India’s rapid rise in the Global Innovation Index.

The panel discussion featured Ms. Malvika Sethi, Top Partner Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Google India, Ms. Shweta Khurana, Sr. Director – Asia Pacific & Japan, Government Partnerships & Initiatives, International Government Affairs, Intel, Mr. Sandeep Aurora, Group Director & Head of Public Policy & Government Affairs, Microsoft India & South Asia, Mr. Yudhisther Yadav, Sr. Manager, Global Workforce Development, India & South Asia (Sri Lanka and Bangladesh), Salesforce and Mr. Michael Fernandez, India Country Head and South Asia Lead, Lockheed Martin, as moderator. The panel explored both sides of AI in skilling i.e. how it is benefitting the entire value chain while also posing some threats.

AMCHAM’s Annual Leadership Summit was made possible through the generous support of the following partners: Lockheed Martin India Private Limited, GE Healthcare, Google India Pvt. Ltd., Micron Technology Operations India LLC, Salesforce India and Emerson Process Management (India) Pvt. Ltd., IBM India Pvt. Ltd., Amazon Seller Services Private Limited, Herbalife International India Pvt. Ltd., Applied Materials India Pvt. Ltd., Boeing India Pvt. Ltd., Honeywell International India Private Limited, S&P Capital IQ (India) Pvt. Ltd., Visa Consolidated Support Services (India) Private Limited, Ciena India, ExxonMobil Gas (India) Pvt. Ltd., and Bausch & Lomb India Private Limited.