USIBC & CII host U.S. Ambassador Richard Verma on the eve of Vibrant Gujarat 2015

Senior officials from India and the U.S. Governments as well as top business leaders gather to welcome the newly-strengthened U.S.-India ties

January 10, 2015 - Ahmedabad, India: The U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) today hosted a joint dinner in Ahmedabad to welcome the new U.S. Ambassador to India, Richard Rahul Verma, on the eve of the 7^thedition of the Vibrant Gujarat summit.

U.S. Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, Arun Kumar, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Thomas Vajda, U.S. Consul General, Mumbai were also present on the occasion. The Hon’ble Saurabh Bhai Patel,  Minister of Finance, Government of Gujarat, as well as several other senior government officials also attended the dinner, along with other distinguished invitees from the US and India. This included the 130-member strong Executive Business Delegation led by USIBC for the Vibrant Gujarat 2015 Summit.

Welcoming U.S. Ambassador Verma and his U.S. delegation colleagues, USIBC Chairman Ajay Banga, President & CEO of MasterCard said, “I am pleased to welcome Rich Verma as U.S. Ambassador to India as a new generation of leadership in India is rekindling hopes for India’s future, including the future of India and U.S. bilateral relations.  The importance of advancing the strategic   and economic ties we share cannot be overstated.”

Diane Farrell, Acting President, USIBC, added, “USIBC members are very appreciative to the Ambassador for his remarks this evening. Having been in his post for less than two weeks, his personal commitment to strengthening the U.S-India economic relationship, give a strong indication of his considerable capabilities as a top diplomat in Delhi.”