Monday, 16 December 2024 | New Delhi

The 3rd Annual Leadership Summit, organized by SAWIE and supported by USAID, brought together an inspiring group of leaders, including senior officials from the Indian and U.S. governments, industry pioneers, and energy experts from across South Asia. This event was a platform to discuss the pivotal role of women in shaping a sustainable energy future.

Inaugural Session

The summit opened with insightful remarks that set the tone for the day:

• Welcome Remarks: Ms. Nivedita Mehra, Managing Director – India, USISPF
• Special Address: Ambassador Eric Garcetti, United States Ambassador to India
• Opening Remarks: Dr. Steven Olive, Mission Director – India and Bhutan, USAID
• Industry Remarks: Ms. Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Co-Founder & Chairperson Sustainability, ReNewCorp; Chairperson, SAWIE

This session emphasized the importance of leadership in driving innovation and sustainability in the energy sector.

Session 1: Stories from the Boardroom

Theme: The Critical Role of Mentoring and Sponsorship
Moderator: Mr. Parikshit Luthra, Chief of Bureau, CNBC TV18
Speakers:

• Ms. Mansi Madan Tripathy, Chairperson – Shell Group of Companies India & Vice President, Shell Lubricants Asia Pacific
• Ms. Vartika Shukla, Chairman & Managing Director, Engineers India Limited

The discussion highlighted personal experiences and strategies to mentor the next generation of leaders, focusing on the value of sponsorship.

Session 2: Women Leadership in Renewable Energy

Theme: Opportunities and Challenges
Moderator: Ms. Monali Zeya Hazra, Senior Regional Energy Specialist, USAID/India
Speakers:

• Dr. Tripta Thakur, Director General, NPTI, Ministry of Power
• Dr. Rachana Garg, Professor, Delhi Technological University
• Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI
• Ms. Gauri Jauhar, Executive Director, S&P Global Commodity Insights
• Ms. Mahua Acharya, Founder & CEO, INTENT

The panel explored the challenges women face in the renewable energy sector and the opportunities for transformative leadership.

Session 3: Creating an Inclusive Workforce for the Future

Moderator: Ms. Namrata Mukherjee, USAID India
Speakers:

• Ms. Shalini Sarin, Co-Founder, Elektromobilitat
• Mr. Ashish Aggarwal, Chief Administrative Officer, Cummins India
• Ms. Ritika Thakur, Chief Commercial Officer, Honeywell India
• Ms. Chitra Chhabra, Director – Human Resources, Emerson India
• Ms. Swati Sahai, Director – Government Affairs, GE Vernova
• Ms. Kiran Gupta, Chief, Tata Power-DDL

This session focused on strategies to create diverse and inclusive workplaces to drive growth and innovation in the energy sector.

Session 4: Financing Women-Led Energy Ventures

Moderator: Ms. Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President & CEO, Startup Policy Forum
Speakers:

• Ms. Mehnaz Ansari, Senior Regional Representative, USTDA
• Ms. Vibhuti Garg, Director, South Asia, IEEFA
• Dr. Suranjali Tandon, Associate Professor, NIPFP
• Ms. Mani Khurana, Senior Energy Specialist, The World Bank

This discussion revolved around financing mechanisms to support women-led energy ventures, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.

Session 5: Fireside Conversation on Future of Leadership

Moderator: Mr. Aaron Schubert, Director, USAID India
Speakers:

• Ms. Tahesha L. Way, Lt. Governor, State of New Jersey, USA
• Ms. Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Co-Founder & Chairperson Sustainability, ReNewCorp; Chairperson, SAWIE

The conversation provided leadership insights on resilience, equity, and sustainability.

Closing Remarks

The summit concluded with a vote of thanks by Ms. Monali Zeya Hazra, reflecting on the insightful discussions and the road ahead for empowering women leaders in energy.

Friday, December 13, 2024 | New Delhi

We are thrilled to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA).

This partnership aims to enhance collaboration on private equity, venture capital, and alternate capital funds. We will work on key initiatives such as industry issues and climate-related projects. Our joint efforts will assist the government with advisory inputs and raise awareness through conferences and workshops, ultimately aligning industry interests with government policies.

This MoU marks a significant step towards strengthening public-private sector partnerships and driving economic growth in the US-India corridor.

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 | New Delhi

USISPF organized a roundtable discussion titled “Digitization of R&D: Through Digital Innovations”. The discussion was chaired by Honorable Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Prime minister, Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, and joined by representatives from the government in Dr. Manish Diwan, Department of Biotechnology, Shri. RS Mani, CSIR India, Shri. Rajeshwar Singh Jenwar, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The discussion touched upon the current status of digitization in India, key government interventions across the sectors, and recommendations to adopt the digitization practices and their impact.

Friday, December 06, 2024 | New Delhi

The discussion focused on the enhancement of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) in India. The meeting was convened to explore and recommend measures aimed at strengthening the management of stressed assets.

In addition, recommendations were shared to improve the effectiveness and resilience of ARCs, fostering a more robust and efficient framework for distressed asset resolution in India.

Thursday, December 05, 2024 | New Delhi

The Hon. Minister outlined India’s vision as a strategic investment destination, shedding light on India’s renewable energy landscape and its ambitious targets to combat climate change while ensuring energy security. The minister invited American companies and investors to look at investment opportunities in manufacturing and capacity build-up for solar power, electrolyzes, wind and battery space, and green hydrogen, among other sectors. The discussions stressed the importance of ensuring a sustainable and resilient supply of critical raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements, vital for renewable energy technologies. We extend our gratitude to Mr. Ajay Yadav, Joint Secretary, MNRE, for his support, and Mr. Aseem Kumar, Director, MNRE, for facilitating this productive dialogue.

Thursday, December 05, 2024 | Washington, D.C.

Dr. Subramanian spoke about his latest book titled India@100: Envisioning Tomorrow’s Economic Powerhouse.

In this book talk, Dr. Subramanian shed light on why investors should be bullish on India, and how the world’s largest democracy will strive to hit a phenomenal figure of potentially hitting an unprecedented $55 trillion economy by the year 2047 – the centenary year of India’s independence.

Dr. Subramanian’s work speaks of economic reforms and doubling down on economic policies implemented post-2014.

The book is for investors bullish on India and why India is a long game with sound returns.

Conversation moderated by Malachy Nugent

Monday, December 02, 2024 | Nava Raipur

The Chief Minister presented a compelling vision for the state’s strategic investment opportunities, emphasizing its immense potential across key sectors. He extended a warm invitation to U.S. companies to explore Chhattisgarh’s vibrant ecosystem and collaborate on driving innovation and economic growth.

Monday, December 02, 2024 | Nava Raipur

USISPF leadership engaged with entrepreneurs from Chhattisgarh, discussing the state’s business and startup ecosystem.

We thank Ms. Ritu Sain, OSD-cum-Investment Commissioner, Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation, for facilitating this insightful exchange.

December 15, 2024 | New Delhi

December 12, 2023 | New Delhi

December 6, 2023 | New Delhi

December 5, 2023 | New Delhi

December 1, 2023 | New Delhi

December 15, 2022 | New Delhi

December 13, 2022 | New Delhi

December 8, 2022 | New Delhi

December 8, 2022 | New Delhi

December 8, 2022 | New Delhi

December 8, 2022 | New Delhi

December 8, 2022 | Bengaluru

December 1, 2020 | Punjab

On November 17 and 18, USISPF hosted the U.S.-Punjab Investor Summit Roundtable Series. In the inaugural session, the Chief Minister of the Government of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, spoke about the growing potential for investors in Punjab and the significant contributions that the state had been consistently making to India’s growth and development over the last few decades. He also proudly spoke about the farmers of Punjab, and the steps that the government was taking to ensure that their livelihoods would be aptly protected. Taranjit Sindu, Ambassador of India to the U.S., further mentioned that India had proven itself to be a reliable partner and friend in the terms of reform, resilience, and recovery to corporations in the global arena. Referring to the recent developments regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, he was certain that Punjab would lead the manufacturing of the vaccine which will be undoubtedly crucial for its quick distribution. Chief Secretary, Vini Mahajan, added that Punjab has successfully created an ecosystem that provides the kind of setup that corporate leaders are looking for.

Praising the state of Punjab as the “Foodbowl of India,” Ajay Banga, the CEO of Mastercard, stated that doing business in the state of Punjab was “Sacha Sauda,” or a true bargain. He reassured investors that Punjab was the start-up hub of the country and that its growth story makes it an attractive destination for investments. He also recognized the potential for the use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to support development across agriculture, supply chain manufacturing, health and education. Touching upon the issue of education during the time of the pandemic, he commended the outstanding work that the state of Punjab had done to make their public school a true model of learning for the students. Despite challenges being posed by the pandemic, he said, Punjab continues to attract investors. Currently, 30+ American firms are based in Punjab, assisting the state to become a part of global supply chains. Lastly, Alok Shekhar, Principal Secretary of the Government of Punjab brought to attention some key points on the importance of businesses across the globe collaborating for mutual benefit in Punjab.

At the Food and Agriculture Roundtable, USISPF hosted Anirudh Tewari, Additional Chief Secretary, Development of Horticulture, who spoke on the impressive contribution of the state to the total food and vegetables production of the country. He also added that Punjab was on track to becoming the seed production hub of the country. Ambassador Taranjit Sindhu further announced that Punjab and the United States could explore complementarities in a range of sectors including agriculture, food processing, education, textile, garment, renewable energy, light engineering, pharma and IT. Rajat Agarwal, CEO of Invest Punjab, cited the importance of ensuring food security in the nation, a task that the state of Punjab had actively undertaken. He stressed the huge potential for pharma and medical apparatus companies to set up their manufacturing units in Punjab, especially in the midst of the exponential expansion of the pharma landscape in the state. He further shared the recent developments made in the state-of-the-art facilities at the upcoming Bulk Drug/Pharma Park at Bathinda and Wazirabad.

After a successful first day, the U.S.-Punjab Investor Roundtable Series convened again for a conversation with Alok Shekhar, Principal Secretary of Department of Industries and Commerce at the Government of India. Alok Shekhar expanded on the opportunity for investments in GD engineering, bicycle manufacturing, and the demand for precision engineering. He added that there were 250+ registered IT units in Punjab, which is also home to big names like Infosys, Fidelity, Bunge, FIS, Emerson, Meritech, and Quark. Rajat Agarwal, CEO of Invest Punjab, agreed with the general consensus and mentioned that private industry partners were contributing to the infrastructure and industry partners were coming in with their trainers, a move that was sure to improve infrastructure in the state. He presented the major investment opportunities in engineering and manufacturing in the state in key areas including Railway Coach Manufacturing, Heavy Engineering, Precision Engineering, and Automobile OEMs. He also lauded Mohali’s position as the IT and startup destination of Punjab that offers more than 1.5 million sq ft ready to move “Plug and Play” facilities in STPI, Quark City, Bestech, and more.

In the concluding event of the series, Rahul Bhandari, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education and Languages in the Government of India, spoke about the 260+ million students currently studying in educational institutions in Punjab. There were representatives from more than 30 educational institutions from the U.S. present at the event who participated in a collaborative and energetic discussion on the exploration of future opportunities for higher education collaboration between India and the U.S.