The Progress of Pride – Film Screening of “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” and an evening of interaction with advocates of LGBT rights 14th June 2016

American Chamber of Commerce in India
Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India

The Progress of Pride – Film Screening of “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” and an evening of interaction with advocates of LGBT rights – 14th June 2016

AmCham, as supporting partner to the U.S. Consulate General, Mumbai, hosted an event entitled: The Progress of Pride – Film Screening of “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” and an evening of interaction with advocates of LGBT rights on Tuesday, 14th June 2016 at the U.S. Consulate, Mumbai.

Ms. Anamika Chakravorty, Cultural Affairs Officer, U.S. Consulate General Mumbai extended a warm welcome to the participants. The evening began with the screening of the award-winning documentary “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” that revisits a crime that sparked national reckoning with the reality of homophobia, and that eventually led to the creation of The Matthew Shepard Foundation and the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
The live webchat that followed was a stimulating dialogue with the film’s director, Michele Josue, Matthew Shepard’s mother, Judy Shepard, who is an LGBT rights advocate, and the U.S. State Department Special Envoy for Sexual Rights, Randy Berry. The participants from Mumbai, which included representatives of various NGOs, foundations and independent advocates of LGBTI right, senior representatives of the U.S. Consulate as well as AmCham members, actively participated in the session.

The evening concluded with remarks by CG Tom Vajda.

Membership

By joining AMCHAM India, you become part of an active and dynamic Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India with a membership base of more than 400 American companies in India. AMCHAM is an important voice for policy advocacy, a critical source for business intelligence, a vibrant platform for networking and expanding your business.

AMCHAM Hyderabad Executive Committee Meeting 13th June 2016

American Chamber of Commerce in India
Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India

AMCHAM Hyderabad Executive Committee Meeting – 13th June 2016

The AMCHAM Hyderabad Executive Committee met at the office of AMD on 13th June. Ms. Sandya updated the excom on the events for the year that have been planned so far. The members suggested some of the topics that we could consider viz FDI etc. The sports event was discussed at length and will be conducted from September to December this year.

Membership

By joining AMCHAM India, you become part of an active and dynamic Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India with a membership base of more than 400 American companies in India. AMCHAM is an important voice for policy advocacy, a critical source for business intelligence, a vibrant platform for networking and expanding your business.

Breakfast Interactive Session on “Future of IT in West Bengal” 10th June 2016

American Chamber of Commerce in India
Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India

Breakfast Interactive Session on “Future of IT in West Bengal” – 10th June 2016

AmCham Eastern Region organized a breakfast interactive session on “Future of IT in West Bengal.” Mr. Talleen Kumar, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Information Technology & Electronics, Government of West Bengal, was the chief guest. Mr. Craig Hall, U.S. Consul General in Kolkata was the guest of honour.

Mr. K.P. Sengupta, Chairman, AmCham Eastern Region, while welcoming the audience pointed out the need for U.S. investment in the areas of education, health and environment. Mr. Sengupta felt that these areas are the foundation of a healthy society. He said that the U.S. is the pioneer in all these areas and collaboration with the U.S. is of extreme importance. He hoped that AmCham in collaboration with U.S. Consulate Office in Kolkata may be able to play an active role in the eastern region.

The chief guest, Mr. Kumar, gave a detailed presentation of all proposed innovative projects of the West Bengal government in the coming years, some of which are in the implementation stage while some are at the proposed stage awaiting approval from the Ministry. His talk covered a wide area of IT strategy for the state that included, inter alia, smart town and going a step ahead smart villages as well. He emphasized the need for digital depository on higher education, research and development to create a central data base system for analysing huge numbers of data. He also touched on the subjects of digitization and paperless office with a major focus on IOE (internet of everything). He also mentioned that West Bengal was the third largest IT provider in India and he hoped that it would become the largest. He discussed a few confident plans for the upcoming Bengal Leads 2017.

Mr. Hall, the U.S. Consul General in Kolkata, in his address said, “There is not a single aspect of U.S.-India bilateral relations not touched by IT. Here in eastern India, several U.S. companies already have IT operations. From Digital India to Start-up India, Stand-up India to Jan Dhan, the National Mission for Financial Inclusion to e-Commerce, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and telecommunications, our nations are working closely to move forward together on a wide range of IT issues. With the Government of India recently naming five additional smart cities in our consular district, we will support AmCham’s efforts to promote U.S. business participation in smart cities initiatives.”

The very lively Q&A and interactive session was moderated by Mr. Joydeep Dutta Gupta who said that AmCham would be happy to work with the government to understand the requirements of American companies as they set up or expand their Global Information Centre’s in India. Mr. Gulshan Sachdev, Vice Chairman, AmCham, in his concluding remarks said, “The future lies in big data, technologies, engaging in electronic customer-data-driven innovation using data to find and solicit solutions and thrive on customer intimacy, cloud computing, mobile technologies and in wearable devices. The future lies in embracing technology which continues to evolve along their current performance trajectory. We continue to grow with the times and hopefully without fear hoping that security systems are in place to build the firewall around all vulnerabilities.”

The session was concluded with vote of thanks by Ms. Amada Kidwai, Regional Director – Eastern Region, AmCham.

Membership

By joining AMCHAM India, you become part of an active and dynamic Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India with a membership base of more than 400 American companies in India. AMCHAM is an important voice for policy advocacy, a critical source for business intelligence, a vibrant platform for networking and expanding your business.

Roundtable on ‘Investing in India – What’s in store after the Mauritius Treaty Change’ 9th June 2016

American Chamber of Commerce in India
Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India

Roundtable on ‘Investing in India – What’s in store after the Mauritius Treaty Change’ – 9th June 2016

AMCHAM India in association with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP organized a Roundtable on ‘Investing in India – What’s in Store After the Mauritius Treaty Change’, Mumbai.

An informative and interactive presentation by Mr. Rajesh Gandhi, Partner, Deloitte brought forth the impact of the Mauritius Treaty on investment in shares & other securities, the key provisions of the amendments to the treaty, the spill over effect on India’s treaties with Singapore & other countries and the effect of GAAR on investments going forward.

The engaging session brought in perspectives as well as experiences of the participants.

Membership

By joining AMCHAM India, you become part of an active and dynamic Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India with a membership base of more than 400 American companies in India. AMCHAM is an important voice for policy advocacy, a critical source for business intelligence, a vibrant platform for networking and expanding your business.

AMCHAM Medical Devices Committee Meeting 6th June 2016

American Chamber of Commerce in India
Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India

AMCHAM Medical Devices Committee Meeting – 6th June 2016

The AMCHAM Medical Devices Committee met for its quarterly meeting under the Chairmanship of Mr. Prabal Chakraborty, Chairman, AMCHAM Medical Devices Committee and VP and Managing Director, BSCI at Boston Scientific Office in Gurgaon.

Members from other companies who attended the meeting included participation of representatives from BD India, 3M, Abbott, GE, St. Jude Medical, CR Bard and Zimmer. From AMCHAM Secretariat, Mr. Gaurav Mendiratta joined the meeting. The committee members discussed on the following agenda items during the meeting: update from Bangladesh visit, planning of delegation to Sri Lanka, updates from meeting with Dr. Reddy, CDSCO and drafting of proposal for LBS Academy.

Membership

By joining AMCHAM India, you become part of an active and dynamic Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India with a membership base of more than 400 American companies in India. AMCHAM is an important voice for policy advocacy, a critical source for business intelligence, a vibrant platform for networking and expanding your business.

Annual Door Knock Delegation to Washington D.C. 5th – 8th June 2016

American Chamber of Commerce in India
Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India

Annual Door Knock Delegation to Washington D.C. – 5th – 8th June 2016

The annual AmCham India Door Knock Delegation to Washington DC was led by AmCham’s Chairman, Mr. Pratyush Kumar, President, Boeing India, from 5th – 8th June 2016, to coincide with Prime Minister Modi’s visit to DC. The main purpose of the door knock was to inform and sensitize U.S. policy-makers on issues impacting U.S. investments in India. The delegation interacted with some of the important players in this economic relationship and other key decision-makers.

Some of the main points of discussion included:

Ease of doing business in India (overall and state-wise)
‘Make in India’ – success stories and challenges that remain
Regulation of medical devices as pharmaceuticals
Increased customs duties on medical devices
Smart city financing mechanisms through OPIC and USTDA
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – a bill seeking to recognize India as a “global strategic and defense partner” (NDAA was passed by the Senate but some of the key amendments were not passed)
Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) – a bill allowing the provision of logistical support, supplies and services between the U.S. military and Indian armed forces
Defense Technology & Trade Initiative (DTTI) – key areas are jet engine technology and cooperation on aircraft carriers
Maritime security cooperation – India and the U.S. plan to work closely together in the Indian Ocean
Skill development/work force training across various sectors
Taxation challenges
Intellectual property in the pharma sector
APEC bill before Congress to include India in the APEC region – the progress, pros and cons

The door knock began with a welcome reception hosted at the Boeing office in Arlington. Ambassador Richard Verma, U.S. Ambassador to India, and Mr. Arun Kumar, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the Foreign Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, attended. Colleagues from various organizations in the U.S. – India engagement were present such as AEI, Council on Foreign Relations, CSIS and FICCI.

On Monday, 6th June, the delegation met with Mr. Peter Lavoy, Senior Director for South Asian Affairs, National Security Council, at the White House. Mr. Adewale “Wally” Adeyemo, Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs, also joined the meeting briefly. Immediately after the delegation went to the Indian Embassy and met with Ambassador Arun Singh, Indian Ambassador to the U.S.

The delegation met with Congressman Sander Levin (D-MI), followed by a meeting at the State Department with Mr. Manpreet Singh Anand, Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State. The day concluded after a meeting with Ms. Elizabeth Littlefield, President and CEO, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Her team briefed the delegation on OPIC’s vast India portfolio and outlined many of their financing policies.

Tuesday, 7th June began with a briefing by Ambassador Tim Roemer, Senior Director & Strategic Counselor, Global Political Strategies, APCO Worldwide (former US Ambassador to India). Next, the delegation met with Ms. Enoh Ebong, Deputy Director, USTDA and her team which included:

Devin Hampton, Chief of Staff
Henry Steingass, Regional Director for South and Southeast Asia
Alissa Lee, Country Manager for South and Southeast Asia
Heather Lanigan, Country Manager for South and Southeast Asia

Later the delegation met with Ms. Dawn Shackleford, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and Mr. Brendan Lynch, Director – India. The delegation proceeded to Capitol Hill and met with staff for Congressman Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) and staff for Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) Co-Chair, Senate India Caucus. The delegation also met with Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Mr. Jonathan Hale, Senior Advisor to Senator Cantwell.

In the evening, the AmCham delegation participated in the USIBC 41st Anniversary Leadership Summit. Featured speakers included:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO, Amazon
Dilip Shanghvi, Founder & Managing Director, Sun Pharmaceuticals

On Wednesday, 8th June, the delegation had a meeting at the Pentagon with Mr. Keith Webster, Director – International Cooperation, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. Immediately following, the delegation met with Mr. Brian Nilsson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense Trade Controls, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

Post lunch, the group headed back to the Hill and met with Congressman Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and his staff. The delegation also met with Congressman Matt Salmon (R-AZ) Chairman, House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific (House Foreign Affairs Committee) along with staff members from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The group proceeded on to meet with staff of Congressman George Holding (R-NC) Co-Chair, Congressional Caucus on India and staff of Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI).

The door knock delegation was also invited to a reception celebrating India on the Hill by Mr. Vinay Singh, Senior Advisor, Global Markets, U.S. Department of Commerce.

AmCham India Door Knock Delegation to Washington DC 2016

Pratyush Kumar, President, Boeing India
Kaku Nakhate, President & Country Head – India, Bank of America
Rakesh Chitkara, Senior Director – Government Affairs, Abbott Healthcare
Abby Pratt, Vice President – Global Strategies & Analysis, AdvaMed
Brian Chase, Director – Global Public Affairs, Bell Helicopter
Swami Iyer, Vice President – Defense & Space, Honeywell Aerospace
Phil Shaw, Chief Executive – India, Lockheed Martin India
Achal Khanna, CEO, SHRM India
Palash Roy Chowdhury, Country Manager – India, Pratt & Whitney, United Technologies Corporation India
Samit Ray, Director – Government Affairs, United Technologies Corporation India
Valerie Swope, Program Coordinator, AmCham India

Membership

By joining AMCHAM India, you become part of an active and dynamic Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India with a membership base of more than 400 American companies in India. AMCHAM is an important voice for policy advocacy, a critical source for business intelligence, a vibrant platform for networking and expanding your business.