Governor Eric J. Holcomb, Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger and the Indiana delegation began the governor’s second economic development trip to India this week, promoting the state’s diverse and competitive economic environment and strengthening relationships with government and business leaders.

In New Delhi, Gov. Holcomb and Secretary Schellinger met with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sharing appreciation for the close ties between Indiana and its sister state, Karnataka, and noting the state’s commitment to supporting mutually-beneficial exchanges and partnerships between Indiana and India. They discussed opportunities for future collaboration across business, culture, community and sports.

Gov. Holcomb and the delegation also met with U.S. Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster to discuss the U.S.-India relationship and opportunities for Midwest states, including Indiana, to continue attracting new business investment and jobs. Indiana is already home to eight India-based corporations in sectors like information technology, life sciences and manufacturing. Together, these businesses support approximately 1,000 Hoosier careers, a number expected to grow with recent job commitments from companies like Infosys, AXISCADES and Wipro.  

The Governor and India Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal discussed shared economic strengths between India and Indiana, from agriculture to information technology, and the many Indiana-based global companies, such as Cummins, Eli Lilly and Hurco Companies, that have operations and provide job opportunities across India.

On Wednesday evening, the Indiana delegation attended a business reception hosted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the U.S.-India SME Council, convening leadership of Indian states, including Karnataka, and more than 80 small-to-medium-sized businesses. Gov. Holcomb offered remarks to the group, sharing the benefits of doing business in Indiana, and Secretary Schellinger highlighted the state’s commitment to increasing global connectivity and the state's efforts to support Indiana companies both at home and across the world.

During the event, the U.S.-India SME Council presented the 2019 Gandhi Global Leadership Award to Gov. Holcomb, honoring the 150th anniversary of the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and the Governor’s commitment to fostering the India-Indiana relationship. The award, which is the first given this year, recognizes those who share the values and leadership traits practiced by Gandhi to “Envision, Enable, Empower and Energize.”

In New Delhi, Gov. Holcomb and Secretary Schellinger also met with executives of India-based Birlasoft, a publicly-listed enterprise digital and IT services company with operations in Columbus, Indiana. The company’s development and delivery center provides more than 100 Hoosier jobs and supports Indiana- and Midwest-based customers.

In India, the Governor, Secretary and IEDC team are joined by Richard Hall, partner and chair of the Government Services and Finance Department at Barnes & Thornburg LLP and chair of the Board of Trustees at Ball State University; Jason Sondhi, founder and president of Sondhi Solutions and secureUP; and Melissa Proffitt, Partner-in-Charge of Client Relations at Ice Miller LLP.