US Congressional and Business Group to Visit India

A group composed of members of the US Congress and businesses are scheduled to visit India this week. It will include a meeting with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. He has been denied a visa for the United States for his supposed role in the Gujarat riots in 2002.

But it looks like US businesses have started to warm up to Modi in recent months. Heading the delegation is Republican Representative Aaron Schock of Illinois. They are set to go to Ahmedabad to meet with Modi Thursday. This is according to an email from the legislator’s office.

The trip is organized by the State Department in partnership with the National Indian American Public Policy Institution. Its itinerary includes meetings with Indian government officials, MPs and business leaders. The delegation will be in India from March 26 to April 7. They will go to Bangalore and New Delhi.

The delegation is made up of at least eight American governors and city mayors along with people from the investment and trade industry. During the visits, private sector representatives and state official will explore opportunities for job creation and investments by American companies in India and Indian companies in the United States.

Last February, a 30 member delegation from California went to India to explore agricultural cooperation with Haryana. The group promoted technological expertise including horticulture, irrigation, and cold storage facilities.

Ron Somers, president of the US-India Business Council, is one of the people who have high praises for the third term chief minister. The advocacy group is made of 300 top American and India companies that want stronger commercial relations with India.

Somers described Modi as a magnet for investment during the Vibrant Gujarat 2013 Summit in Gandhinagar last January. He is just one of the several foreign dignitaries who are praising the Bharatiya Janta Party leader.