Washington, DC – One of the key speakers at this year’s prestigious NASSCOM India Leadership Forum 2013, to be held between February 13th and 15th at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai, is Delaware Governor Jack Markell, who was re-elected to his second term as Delaware’s Chief Executive and is midway through his term as chair of the National Governors Association.
Governor Markell, a nationally recognized leader in education who serves as a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, nominated by US Education Secretary Arne Duncan, will be addressing the theme for NASSCOM (The National Association of Software and Services Companies): “Imagineering the Future: Disruptive Innovation for Sensible Growth.”
Speaking to India America Today on the sidelines of the maiden Indiaspora Ball for the inauguration of President Barack Obama, Markell said, “That (the ball) was a terrific event! Very exciting!” and commended the “emergence of the Indian American community which we see very much in Delaware, rapidly growing, really contributed many ways to our state.”
On his upcoming trip to India, the governor was upbeat, saying, “Very excited about the trip – to Delhi – to Bangalore – to Mumbai, to speak at the NASSCOM conference. So we have the opportunity to meet with a number of businesses while we are there.”
“The purpose is to really forge stronger ties between the people of Delaware and the people of India and try to focus on some economic development opportunities as well,” the governor defined the focus of his visit.
As part of the trip, the state of Delaware is working with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) across India and the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises, the top technology industry association, to schedule meetings in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai with manufacturers and health science companies.
“Indian companies continue to expand their operation in the United States, and we want them to know Delaware has an outstanding IT workforce. We are leading the country in developing cyber security personnel and have much to offer a prospective company,” said Governor Markell, adding, “We want international business managers looking to locate or expand their businesses to consider locating in Delaware.”
On the question of welcoming Indian entrepreneurs with incentives from the state government, Governor Markell said, “It is one of the things we are always prepared to talk about. We have a great education system, a wonderful quality of life. When companies are ready to expand, we are always prepared to talk about what kind of incentives we can provide to facilitate their coming to Delaware.”
Since he took office in 2009, Markell has maintained Delaware’s triple-A bond rating through responsible fiscal management and has attracted innovative companies like Bloom Energy, run by K.R. Sridhar, to the state. He led Delaware to first place in President Obama’s Race to the Top competition to improve public schools, and he followed up that success by reinvigorating and expanding Delaware’s early education program. His administration has made smart investments in infrastructure, clean energy, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education, and higher education.
During the upcoming trip, Governor Markell will be accompanied by Shailen Bhatt, Secretary of Transportation, and Felicia Pullam, Deputy Director for International Trade. University of Delaware President Patrick Harker will also join the trade mission in Mumbai.