From Arizona to India
April 24, 2011Judy Reinke is the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service’s Senior Commercial Officer in India.
Participants of U.S. Commercial Service seminar on business opportunities in India.
Greetings from the Valley of the Sun – Phoenix, Arizona! This is Judy Reinke again, checking in from the first stop of my four-city road show. Phoenix has been a whirlwind of activity for me, with hardly any time to catch up on jet lag from my trip direct from New Delhi, India. But I don’t mind, since I’ve met so many great U.S. companies in my two days here. The highlight of this visit was a two-hour seminar with business representatives who have worked with the US Export Assistance Center – some 50 participants with an active interest in entering (or expanding in) the Indian market. My overview of the economy and business opportunities seemed to stimulate a lot of interest, based on the animated Q&A session, and the line of folks hanging around afterwards with specific questions for me. I’m really sure I’m going to see a lot of these Arizona businesses in India before too long!
One way these Arizona firms may come to explore the India market is through a trade mission being planned by the Arizona Technology Council in October. This mission will give participating firms the chance to visit three major cities in India, providing ample opportunities for briefings, site visits and networking. My office has committed to provide our signature Gold Key service of customized appointments to any participating firm, with the goal of helping the company find the perfect local representative or future partner to help get started in India.
I was also was honored to join several institutions of higher education at a luncheon meeting graciously hosted by Arizona State University. With over 100 thousand students studying in the U.S., India is the leading country of origin for foreign students studying here. And, with 71% of its population under the age of 34, India is an important country for student recruiters. My office is excited to be planning an Education Trade Mission in October of this year, and we discussed this program in detail. Even though recruitment has just begun, I understand 25 U.S. colleges and universities have already signed up to join us for the mission, including a series of student fairs and appointments to help introduce the participating American educational institutions to students in three cities. I am pretty sure we’ll have one or more schools from Arizona along to showcase their great programs!
I’m really glad I had a chance to visit Arizona and get to know so many exciting companies. From the firm that offers cutting-edge protective gear to the young company creating solutions for enhancing thin film applications to a wide range of other innovative companies, Arizona has a lot to offer India, and I’m sure my office will be able to help them find their place in one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
Next stop – Houston, Texas, for the ACCESS 2011 Conference. More later!
Tradeology, the ITA Blog 