Washington, DC – US Congressman Ami Bera recently welcomed at his Rancho Cordova office, a group of visiting professionals and politicians from California’s sister-state of Gujarat, India as the group toured for several days the Sacramento Region which is represented by Bera. The newly elected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was earlier Chief Minister of Gujarat and is expected to visit the US later this year.
“Strengthening and maintaining US-India relations is important for job creation in both our countries,” Bera said during the meeting, adding, “Indian foreign direct investment has resulted in 100,000 US jobs so far and we can work together to create more.”
All the members of the group were visiting the US for the first time and the professional backgrounds of the group ranged from government officials and political party members to a project coordinator for the Self Employed Women’s Association that helps rural women learn skills and build networks to grow their businesses and market their products.
The delegation included Alpa Dave, Project Coordinator (Self Employed Women’s Association, SEWA); Madhukeshwar Desai, National Vice President (Bharatiya Janata Party Youth Wing); Paresh Kumar Dhanani, Member (Gujarat State Legislative Assembly); Javed Juneja, Municipal Councilor (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai); Samir Khan Pathan, Municipal Councilor (Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation); Neeta Babubhai Rathod, Elected Member (Bhavnagar District Council) and Pradipsinh Vaghela, Gujarat State President (Bharatiya Janata Party Youth Wing).
The group was a part of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the US Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. “Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts,” said a note from Bera’s office.