Gov. Eric J. Holcomb, Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger and the delegation continued their economic development trip this week in India, meeting with government officials and business leaders to highlight Indiana’s global economy and promote opportunities for increased collaboration between the two states.
On Thursday in New Delhi, Holcomb and Schellinger participated in the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit, which convened more than 350 government, academic and business leaders from around the world to discuss key issues impacting global economic growth in Asia. During an infrastructure-focused panel, the governor offered remarks highlighting Indiana’s commitment to building and enhancing the state’s transportation and digital infrastructure to open up new economic opportunities.
Holcomb and Schellinger met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to discuss Indiana’s commitment to increasing global connectivity and international partnerships, including opportunities for growth between Indiana and India. Holcomb also expressed appreciation to Ross for his recent appointment of Schellinger to the newly-created U.S. Investment Advisory Council, which advises on nationwide strategies to increase foreign direct investment. In Indiana, foreign direct investment committed to the state increased by 300 percent between 2016 and 2018.
Holcomb and the delegation met with leadership of India-based Wipro Limited, a global information technology, consulting and business process services company, which acquired Indianapolis-based Appirio in 2016. Wipro has more than 170,000 employees worldwide offering its clients a comprehensive portfolio of technology solutions ranging from product engineering to cloud and IT infrastructure consulting. The company’s subsidiary, Appirio, had moved its global headquarters from San Francisco to Indiana before the acquisition.
On Thursday afternoon, the Indiana delegation traveled to Mumbai, the final stop of the governor’s second economic development trip to India.
On Friday, the Indiana delegation met with leadership and members of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), a trade association representing more than 2,800 businesses from India’s tech industry. During the meeting, Gov. Holcomb touted Indiana’s thriving and competitive tech sector, which continues to gain international recognition and attract new business from around the world, including investment from India-based companies like Infosys, Pradot Technologies USA and Wipro.
In Mumbai, before departing for the National Basketball Association’s inaugural game in India, Holcomb and the Indiana delegation hosted a Friends of Indiana reception to thank more than 100 NBA and Indiana Pacers stakeholders, business executives, government officials and academic and industry partners for their many contributions to the Indiana-India partnership.