Dear Members,

Man is a threat unto himself, and in natures defence we need to pay heed to the fact that we as denizens of this Blue Marble in the Universe are but tenants, and not owners.

I am fortunate to be IACC’s President at this moment in time, when the pandemic is proving to be a catalyst in heralding a new tomorrow. I have made plans and I would be sharing them with you from time to time as I intend to be in touch with everyone regularly.

This is my first message to you all, while we are witnessing disruption on an unprecedented scale. Hopefully most of you are learning to cope with the ongoing changes in the pattern of our lifestyle, as well as priorities.

Towards this end it our endeavour on behalf of the Chamber to assist you and your businesses to reinvent itself towards a tomorrow that has suddenly arrived today itself.

On behalf of the IACC’s Executive Council, I would like to thank all of you for giving us the opportunity to serve you.

It is our commitment to engage with you more closely, and we would like to hear from you on how we can improve our deliverables to you as our esteemed members.

Towards this end we request your support and active participation in the activities of your chamber.

India and USA are engaging more closely than ever before, and as two bastions of Democracy, and Free Trade it is only but natural, that our economic development is entwined ever more closely, albeit keeping in mind the priorities that drive our economic, and sociological realities.

No doubt our two Nations will benefit from not just a growth in trade, but also in counter balancing our trade volumes, whereby both our nations stand to benefit symbiotically. Good trading is done on a two way street, and it can never be a one way ticket to prosperity.

Both the Indian and the American Governments have a target to achieve $500 billion in bi-lateral trade between the two countries. The partnership between the two countries has been defined as strategic. The pace of trade development which reportedly is approximately $150 billion currently, makes one optimistic about achieving the $500 billion target.

Now, the twist in the tale. Commerce and industry Minister Mr. Piyush Goyal has proposed an ambitious target of $1 trillion for India-US bilateral trade in the next ten years. The Minister mentioned that, “I’m happy to engage with the US, and look for expanding our economic partnership.” Word of encouragement, indeed. Coming at the time when Prime Minister Modi was on a three day visit to the U.S.

Prime Minister Modi addressed the 76th session of the United Nations Security Council, and attended the first in-person Quad summit. He held bilateral and multilateral engagements, including with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and his counterparts from Australia and Japan. This visit created such positive reactions that, in the words of Senator Chuck Schumer, “There has probably never been a more important moment for the relationship between India and the United States than there is right now.”

The pandemic is but a catalyst for some very eventful times ahead, and in all likelihood turning the conventional approach of a mass consumption driven economy – “The BIG E” to a focus on what I term as E- 3 ENERGY – ECOLOGY – ENVIRONMENT.

Some of us do know the quiet, subtle, and vital role that is played by R&D conducted by industries such as Defence & Aerospace in making products that are enabling rapid technological changes in our day to day lives. Quite some of you do know that the internet is free and its origins are originally a military experiment. In this space as is the case with many industries India has been providing the Software inputs, and Management leadership, as has USA been providing us with the R&D setup, hardware, and institutional infrastructure.

India and USA are natural democratic allies, with each country increasingly providing supporting roles, and at the Indo American Chamber of Commerce we aim make you and your company an integral part of a fast evolving Digital Age keeping 3E – or in a manner of expression ECUBE.

We NEED your comments, suggestions and constructive criticism, as we attempt to carry on this challenging task.

I will be engaging with all of you more directly, and I do hope you will not mind my calling you and taking some time to understand your needs, and expectations from us in the leadership roles in your Chamber.

You are the shareholders who have given us this responsibility of shepherding you all into a better, more prosperous and secure tomorrow living in unanimity with the owner of our planet – Mother Nature.

As I prepare to commence my term, I want to take a moment to express my sincere thanks to all my senior colleagues, Past Presidents, and equally importantly our Patron Members who from the inception have committed themselves and who continue to support IACC.

Best wishes.

Kapil Kaul
National President
Indo-American Chamber of Commerce.