Building a Stronger Relationship Between Houston & India

By Ana Rojas Bastidas

HOUSTON: A very special dinner was held on September 28, at the Consulate General of India for a Vibrant Gujarat delegation. It was put together in partnership with TiE Houston and the Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston. Jagdip Ahluwalia welcomed a prestigious group of entrepreneurs and community leaders for an evening of networking, dining, and building a stronger relationship between Houston and India. President of TiE Houston Arun Pasrija spoke about the vibrancy of Gujarat decades back during his stay there. Chamber President Swapan Dhairyawan commended the role of this Delegation, which has been on a road show to 6 cities of achieving significant strides and being able to sign up MoUs in the field of Education, Health, Energy & Skilling.

The evening began with a sumptuous dinner of food from the Gujarat region. The invitees had a chance to network with the special delegation team lead by Arvind Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance). This delegation is one of several touring the globe to promote their upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which will be taking place on January 18-20, 2019. Vibrant Gujarat Summit was conceptualized in 2003 by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and the then Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Mr. Narendra Modi, to re-establish Gujarat as a preferred investment destination within India. Today, the Summit has evolved into a platform for brainstorming on agendas of global socio-economic development, in addition to being a facilitator for knowledge sharing and forging effective partnerships.

Guests were given an opportunity to hear from Dr. Anupam Ray, Consul General India, and the leadership of IACCGH and TiE Houston before diving into the presentation from Arvind Agarwal and the rest of the delegation. The question and answer session allowed the guests and delegates to engage in deeper conversations on how Houston and Gujarat can strengthen their relationship through bilateral trade and partnerships.  

For more information about the summit please visit https://vibrantgujarat.com/

Ana Rojas Bastidas is the Executive director of TiE Houston