Category: General News

Chennai, July 28: The U.S. Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin welcomed the United States Chess team to Mamallapuram today. An ardent supporter of education and sports diplomacy, the Consul General greeted the chess players and wished them success in their matches at the 44th Chess Olympiad organized by the Indian Chess Federation and the Government of Tamil Nadu from July 28 to August 9, 2022. CG Ravin also discussed with the players how the Chess Olympiad in Chennai helps popularize the sport of chess and unites chess lovers around the world in a truly global competition.  

The Consul General told the group of U.S. chess Grandmasters (GM), International Masters (IM) and Women Grandmasters (WGM), “I am extremely proud of you for representing the United States at the Chess Olympiad in Chennai. The deep ties between the U.S. and India are built on the people-to-people connections forged by sports diplomats just like you.”  The Consul General also added: “The U.S. Consulate General Chennai is thrilled to see the Chess Olympiad take place in Chennai, especially during the 75th anniversary of U.S.-India relations.” 

John Donaldson, U.S. team captain in the open section, said: “The U.S. teams are honored to compete in the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai. India is considered by many to be the birthplace of chess so it is fitting this prestigious event will be held here for the first time. We are particularly grateful to the Indian Chess Federation, which with the support of national and local governments, has volunteered to organize this event late in the day. We look forward to an exciting competition this year in Chennai!”  

Melikset Khachiyan, U.S. women’s team captain, echoed John when he congratulated India for hosting the Olympiad for the first time. Khachiyan said: “India is a country with strong chess traditions. It is the country of five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand. Chennai itself also has a long history of chess. Back in 2013, Chennai hosted the World Championship Match between Viswanathan Anand-Magnus Carlsen, and it was the first time ever. India these days is becoming a leader in world chess, organizing many top chess events. Our U.S. team is excited to be a part of this World Chess Olympiad and looking forward to doing our best.” 

The U.S. team, captained by International Master (IM) John Donaldson, is seeded first among 187 teams in the open section and is comprised of Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana, GM Levon Aronian, GM Wesley So, GM Leinier Dominguez, GM Sam Shankland, and coached by GM Robert Hess. 

In the women’s section, the U.S. team led by captain GM Melikset Khachiyan is seeded eighth among 162 teams. GM Irina Krush, IM Carissa Yip, IM Anna Zatonskih, Women Grandmaster (WGM) Tatev Abrahamyan, and WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova comprise the women’s team, coached by GM Alejandro Ramirez. 

Photo Caption: U.S. Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin thanked the U.S. chess team players and wished them good luck ahead of the 44th Chess Olympiad in Mamallapuram on Thursday, July 28. Consul General Judith Ravin is seen with (L-R) GM Alejandro Ramirez, WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, GM Melikset Khachiyan, IM Anna Zatonskih, GM Irina Krush, GM Levon Aronian, GM Leinier Dominguez, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Robert Hess, GM Wesley So, GM Sam Shankland, and IM John Donaldson.

Summary

Since 1821 when Alexander Ralston laid out the state’s capital in Indianapolis and located “Circle Street” in the middle of the mile square plat, Monument Circle has served as the literal and figurative center of Indianapolis. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument, designed by Bruno Schmitz of Germany in an international competition, rests at the center of the Circle. Other features include bronze statuary of three former Indiana governors and a general, a grand staircase, and two water pools. There also are striking views of the state capitol building and the city from atop a 231-foot-tall observation tower.

DESIGNATED AREA

Located in downtown Indianapolis where four streets converge — East and West Market Streets and North and South Meridian Streets.

PLANNING EXCELLENCE

The outer perimeter of the space is ringed by a series of large buildings, some dating to 1857, which give the 4.5 acres that make up the Circle, surrounding roadway, and inner and outer sidewalks a strong sense of enclosure.

Architects Preston C. Rubush and Edgar O. Hunter are largely responsible for the unique character of the buildings surrounding the Circle. Their designs for the Art Deco Circle Tower at 55 Monument Circle, the Columbia Club at 121 Monument Circle, and the Circle Theatre at 45 Monument Circle redefined the public space, changing its character from a collection of small, Victorian-era buildings to distinctive 1920s office buildings.

The Circle is a natural gathering place for the city, says Emmis Communications President and CEO Jeff Smulyan. Visitors can find exercise classes and strawberry festivals, and more than 100,000 attend the annual lighting of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Monument Circle was the place where residents spontaneously gathered following the Indianapolis Colts’ 2007 Super Bowl victory.

DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS, FEATURES

History

• Area inside of Circle Street named “Governor’s Circle” in 1827 when the governor’s mansion was built — but never occupied — on the parcel surrounded by the Circle
• In 1867, City Council orders the Circle to be graded and benches and sidewalks added; renamed Circle Park
• Soldiers and Sailors Monument, dedicated in 1902, is first such memorial in the nation honoring the common soldier; added to National Register of Historic Places in 1973
• 1922 city ordinance allows buildings on Circle to rise 150 feet provided top 42 feet are stepped back one foot for each three feet in height; step-back principle included in city’s first Central Business District Ordinance (1964)
• Monument part of Washington Street-Monument Circle Historic District; added to National Register of Historic Places in 1997
• Indianapolis Monument Circle Idea Competition announced in March 2011; the international juried competition solicits ideas for design, land-use, programming and activities taking place on the space during next 30 years

Unique design

• State Capitol building is located in direct view from Monument Circle from its inception
• Soldiers and Sailors Monument, made from Indiana limestone, is 342 feet in diameter and 284 feet tall; at top is an allegorical statue portraying Victory, nicknamed “Miss Indiana”
• Inside the base of the monument is the Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum, dedicated to the city’s fallen servicemen and women
• Monument Circle used as a model for the Indianapolis flag, represented as a white star in the middle of the flag’s red circle
• Pools of water on the base of the monument’s east and west sides contrast with the grand stairs on the north and south sides
• Four bronze statues honor former Indiana governors William Henry Harrison, James Whitcomb, and Oliver P. Morton, and General George Rogers Clark
• Pedestrians on outer ring are separated from vehicular traffic by raised islands containing trees, light standards, planters, and 25-foot-wide sidewalk; a 23-foot-wide inner walkway surrounds Monument’s base

Center of culture, citywide events

• Monument Circle is bordered on each side by a distinct cultural district: the State Capitol building on the west, City Market on the east, North Meridian Street, home to several war memorials on the north, and Circle Centre Mall on the south
• Christ Church Cathedral (125 Monument Circle), is the last of the four churches that were located on the Circle during the mid-19th century; built 1857
• Hilbert Circle Theatre, home to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, is located in the southeast quadrant of the Circle
• Monument Circle events include the 500 Festival Parade that occurs before the Indianapolis 500 auto race over the Memorial Day weekend
• The Circle of Lights is a nearly 50-year-old annual celebration in which 4,700 lights are strung to the top of the Monument; one of country’s largest decorative lightings

We, the United States, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam of the Indo-Pacific region, acknowledge the richness and the diversity of our vibrant regional economy. We share a commitment to a free, open, fair, inclusive, interconnected, resilient, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region that has the potential to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth. We acknowledge our economic policy interests in the region are intertwined, and deepening economic engagement among partners is crucial for continued growth, peace, and prosperity.

We recognize the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the imperative of working closely together to ensure that economic recovery and advancement are grounded in resilience, sustainability, and inclusivity. The pandemic has also emphasized the importance of strengthening economic competitiveness and cooperation and securing critical supply chains, while stimulating job growth and improving economic opportunities, including for our workers, women, medium- and small-enterprises, and our societies’ most vulnerable groups.

In the long term, economic competitiveness will be largely defined by our ability to harness technology, promote innovation, participate in the digital economy, justly transition energy systems and achieve energy security, and tackle the climate crisis in a manner that produces equitable, inclusive growth and improves socio-economic welfare.

In order to prepare our economies for the future, we are launching the process to establish the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity.

This framework is intended to advance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness for our economies. Through this initiative, we aim to contribute to cooperation, stability, prosperity, development, and peace within the region.

We invite participation from additional Indo-Pacific partners that share our goals, interests, and ambitions for the region. We are committed to collaborating with our framework partners in a manner that acknowledges the importance of technical assistance and capacity building, allows us to maintain a flexible approach, and delivers tangible benefits for our peoples.

Today, we launch collective discussions toward future negotiations on the following pillars. Framework partners will be engaging in such discussions on various ways to strengthen economic cooperation to achieve these goals, and we invite other interested Indo-Pacific partners to join us.

Trade: We seek to build high-standard, inclusive, free, and fair trade commitments and develop new and creative approaches in trade and technology policy that advance a broad set of objectives that fuels economic activity and investment, promotes sustainable and inclusive economic growth, and benefits workers and consumers. Our efforts include, but are not limited to, cooperation in the digital economy.

Supply Chains: We are committed to improving transparency, diversity, security, and sustainability in our supply chains to make them more resilient and well-integrated. We seek to coordinate crisis response measures; expand cooperation to better prepare for and mitigate the effects of disruptions to better ensure business continuity; improve logistical efficiency and support; and ensure access to key raw and processed materials, semiconductors, critical minerals, and clean energy technology.

Clean Energy, Decarbonization, and Infrastructure: In line with our Paris Agreement goals and efforts to support the livelihood of our peoples and workers, we plan to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technologies to decarbonize our economies and build resilience to climate impacts. This involves deepening cooperation on technologies, on mobilizing finance, including concessional finance, and on seeking ways to improve competitiveness and enhance connectivity by supporting the development of sustainable and durable infrastructure and by providing technical assistance.

Tax and Anti-Corruption: We are committed to promoting fair competition by enacting and enforcing effective and robust tax, anti-money laundering, and anti-bribery regimes in line with existing multilateral obligations, standards, and agreements to curb tax evasion and corruption in the Indo-Pacific region. This involves sharing expertise and seeking ways to support capacity building necessary to advance accountable and transparent systems.

We are continuing to identify additional areas of cooperation based on consultations among partners to further our shared interests, with a view to advancing regional economic connectivity and integration. We look forward to jointly creating conducive environments to boost flows of commerce, trade, and investments amongst our economies, and to enhancing standards and access to opportunities for our workers, companies, and peoples in our combined markets.

The Taj Mahal, which was constructed in 1632 by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, had been initially named ‘Roza-e-Munavvara’ which means Unique Building.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Taj Mahal was constructed in 1632 by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal
• It was initially named ‘Roza-e-Munavvara’ which means Unique Building
• Later, it was renamed by Shah Jahan as Taj Mahal as a loving tribute to his wife

The Taj Mahal, which was constructed in 1632 by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, had been initially named ‘Roza-e-Munavvara’ which means Unique Building, but was then renamed by Shah Jahan as Taj Mahal as a loving tribute to his wife for whom his love surpassed all belief.

A total of 40 thousand labourers and artisans worked on it continuously for twenty years, the culmination of their work now known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a dream for every loving couple in the world. Despite the fact that there are thousands of monuments in the world that are contemporary to the Taj Mahal and even centuries older, the Taj is thronged by thousands of tourists every day from across the globe, who all come to see this monument, which is known as an epitome of love.

STORY BEHIND THE TAJ MAHAL

How the construction of the Taj Mahal started, has been well-documented by several historians and they all agree that the Taj was constructed when Shah Jahan’s most beloved wife Arzumand Banu Begum, popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal, died giving birth to her 14th child near Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh where she had been accompanying Shah Jahan on one of his military campaigns. Mumtaz died at the age of 39.

Shah Jahan was so distraught upon Mumtaz’s death that he confined himself in a room for a week and when he came out of the room, all his hair had turned grey. Mumtaz’s body was interred temporarily in Burhanpur itself and was later on transferred to the Taj Mahal’s central hall.
Historians believe that there is ample evidence to prove that the land on which the Taj Mahal has been constructed, belonged to Raja Jai Singh and there was an orchard on this land, which was removed to build the Taj Mahal. Jai Singh was compensated for the land in the form of 5 ‘Havelis’ as the tomb for Mumtaz Mahal could not be constructed on donated land according to Islamic tenets.

THE DESIGN

The Taj had been designed by Ustad Ahmad Lahori and Ustad Abdul Karim, which was approved by Shah Jahan. The Taj took over two decades to be constructed and there were artisans called from as far as Armenia, Italy, France, and Turkey working on the monument. Over 39 types of semi-precious stones were used in this monument along with 4000-kg of gold. Consequently, by the time Taj Mahal was constructed, the empire was in serious trouble due to lack of funds. With the Marathas and the Rajputs encroaching into the empire’s boundaries and Shah Jahan lost in his own reveries, his son Muhi-ud-Din Mohammad, took charge of the empire’s armies and suppressed the rebellions, later on returning to Agra to imprison his own father and murder his brothers to name himself as the sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Shah Jahan’s last days were spent confined in his room in the Agra Fort, gazing from across the Yamuna at the Taj Mahal.

Bhartiya Muslim Vikas Parishad chairman Sami Aghai told India Today that the Taj Mahal is an amalgam of Indo-Persian architecture, which is reflected in the numerous murals and reliefs of the holy Indian flower Lotus adorning the marble walls of the monument. Even on the pinnacle, the Islamic Moon is combined with the Hindu ‘Mangal Kalash’ on which the word ‘Allah’ has been carved.

TAJ DECLARED WORLD HERITAGE BUILDING

The Taj was declared World Heritage building in 1983. American novelist Baird Taylor once said that if India had no other monuments, even then the Taj Mahal would have attracted the entire world with its beauty.

Approved Guides Association President Shamshuddin told India Today that political leaders and heads of state from all over the world come to Agra solely to see the Taj Mahal. British military officer Colonel Sloman’s wife had famously once said, “if someone can build a majestic tomb like the Taj Mahal for me, I would die tomorrow.” Former US President Bill Clinton had said that there are two kinds of people in the world, one who have seen the Taj Mahal and one who hasn’t.

Till the 1960s, the Taj Mahal used to open 24 hours and there was no ticket for the monument. Thousands of people from all over India came to the Taj during moonlit nights to see the ‘chamki’ phenomenon in which the Taj Mahal’s stones glittered like diamonds of viewed at the correct angle under the moonlight.

Now, the Taj is one of the most heavily ticketed monuments in the country and is only open for five moonlit nights every month for a restricted group of 400 tourists in batches of 50. The river Yamuna, which had once been the primary reason of building the Taj Mahal on this location, has dried up almost completely and does not have enough water year round to quench the thirst of even one-third of the city’s population. Agra, a city which was once the capital of Mughal India, has now been reduced to a Class-C township which survives almost entirely on the tourism generated by the Taj Mahal and the other Mughal monuments dotting its landscape.

Today, the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and George Washington University launched the U.S.-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment (Alliance) in New Delhi, India.  The Alliance is a public-private partnership between the State Department, USAID, USISPF, and George Washington University aimed at advancing women’s leadership, economic participation, and entrepreneurship in India in order to gain better access to finance, technical skills, networking opportunities, and other tools to grow their businesses and succeed in the workforce.      

The Alliance was first announced in October, 2021 in Washington, D.C. by USAID Administrator Samantha Power. Smriti Irani, the Honorable Minister for Women and Child Development, Government of India, delivered keynote remarks at the launch today in New Delhi. The launch also featured Patricia Lacina, Chargé d’affaires, U.S. Embassy New Delhi, Katrina Fotovat, Senior Official of the, Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State, and Sanjay Gupta, Country Head and Vice-President, Google, Inc.   

Senior Official Katrina Fotovat emphasized the longstanding U.S. commitment to advancing women’s economic security, “When women’s voices, expertise, and contributions are recognized in the boardroom, marketplace, household, and community, businesses grow, partnerships are formed, and innovative solutions are created, allowing economies [to] thrive and women to prosper.”  

At the event today, Sanjay Gupta announced a “Google pledge to support 1 million women in their entrepreneurship journeys with WomenWill and towards the cause of the India Million Women Mentors Initiative of the Alliance.  Since 2015 in India, Google began the journey to bring more women online with the Internet Saathi program, which trained approximately 30 million rural women across 300,000 villages in basic digital literacy.” Led by Alliance member Pod, the India Million Women Mentors Initiative aims to connect one million women and girls in India with mentors over the next five years.    

Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, commended the launch of the Alliance, saying, “We are glad to see the momentum of the Alliance since it first launched in October and are extremely grateful to Google for their commitment to creating more economic opportunity for women in India through the Alliance’s Million Women Mentors Initiative.”   

GWU is the Alliance’s academic partner and will provide insights and leadership around the acceleration of gender lens investment in India through data and evidence. Amita N. Vyas, Director of the GW Maternal and Child Health Center at Milken Institute School of Public Health at GW serves on the Alliance’s Executive Committee alongside senior leaders from the U.S. Department of State, USAID, and the U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum.  “The Alliance will provide new and innovative ways to create stronger partnerships and investments, and we know that investing in adolescent girls and women is catalytic because it not only changes the lives of individual women, but ensures that their families, communities, and the country thrives,” Vyas said.     

About the U.S.-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment    

The U.S.-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment is a public-private partnership between the State Department, USAID, USISPF, and George Washington University designed to catalyze transformational commitments to foster women’s economic advancement and inclusion in India. We focus on three areas of action: accelerating women’s entrepreneurship, fostering leadership in the workforce and providing access to career enhancing education and skills building opportunities.  The Alliance works with cooperating members in the private sector, civil society, and academia in both countries to advance its mission.   

About the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum:   

The U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is committed to creating the most powerful partnership between the United States and India. As the only independent not-for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the U.S.-India partnership in Washington, D.C. and in New Delhi. USISPF is the trusted partner for businesses, non-profit organizations, the diaspora, and the governments of India and the United States. 

Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu is one of the most experienced Indian diplomats on US affairs, having served in the Indian Mission in Washington DC twice earlier. He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Washington DC from July 2013 to January 2017. Earlier, he was First Secretary (Political) at the Embassy of India, Washington, DC responsible for liaison with the United States Congress from 1997 to 2000. He has also been at the Permanent Mission of India to United Nations, New York from July 2005 to February 2009.

Prior to his current assignment in Washington DC, Ambassador Sandhu was High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka from January 2017 to January 2020. He had also served at the High Commission of India, Colombo earlier as the Head of the Political Wing from December 2000 to September 2004.

Ambassador Sandhu was Consul General of India in Frankfurt from September 2011 to July 2013. He has worked in the Ministry of External Affairs in various capacities: as Joint Secretary (United Nations) from March 2009 to August 2011; and later as Joint Secretary (Administration) heading the Human Resource Division. He was Officer on Special Duty (Press Relations), Ministry of External Affairs from December 1995 to March 1997, and was responsible for liaison with foreign media in India.

In a distinguished career spanning over thirty years in the Indian Foreign Service since 1988, Ambassador Sandhu started his diplomatic career from former Soviet Union (Russia) where he worked as Third Secretary (Political) / Second Secretary (Commercial) in the Indian Mission from 1990 to 1992. Following the breakup of Soviet Union, he was sent to open a new Embassy in Ukraine. He served as Head of Political and Administration Wings in Indian Embassy in Kiev from 1992 to 1994.

Born on 23 January 1963 in a family of educationists, Ambassador Sandhu studied at The Lawrence School, Sanawar and graduated with History Honors from St. Stephens’ College, Delhi. He pursued a Master’s Degree in International Relations at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Ambassador Sandhu is married to Mrs. Reenat Sandhu, who is a senior officer in the Indian Foreign Service and currently Ambassador of India to the Netherlands. They have two children. His interests include books, movies and outdoor sports.

Ambassador Sandhu assumed charge as Ambassador to the United States on February 3, 2020.

Ambassador Sandhu presented his credentials to the President of the United States of America on 6 February 2020.

On June 7, the U.S. Mission in India organized its sixth annual Student Visa Day.  Consular Officers at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates General in Chennai, Hyderabad Kolkata, and Mumbai interviewed more than 2,500 Indian student visa applicants.  Chargé d’Affaires Patricia Lacina and consuls general throughout India congratulated visa recipients as they prepared to join the growing ranks of Indian students who have chosen to study in the United States – the world’s leading destination for international students.  

“Today we recognize the many contributions of Indian students in shaping the U.S.-India relationship, which is celebrating 75 years of achievement,” said Chargé Lacina.

Student Visa Day celebrates higher education ties between the United States and India.  This year, more than 200,000 Indian students are studying at U.S. academic institutions, representing more than 20 percent of international students currently in the United States. 

“This year, consular officers will interview more students than ever before, and we hope to break last year’s record for issuances,” remarked Don Heflin, the Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs in India.

Counselor for Cultural and Educational Affairs Anthony Miranda added, “We are grateful that international students recognize the value of a U.S. education, with its world-class faculty and infrastructure and hands-on, real-world skills that prepare graduates for successful careers.”

The U.S. Mission encourages all students interested in studying in the United States to contact EducationUSA, the U.S. government-sponsored advising service that offers credible and comprehensive information to help navigate the admission and visa processes.  EducationUSA represents more than 4,000 accredited U.S. colleges and universities with eight advising centers across India.  Students can visit educationusa.state.gov or @educationUSAIndia on Facebook and Instagram to learn more.

Chennai, June 17:  The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai celebrated the 246th anniversary of U.S. independence as well as 75 years of U.S.-India partnership in Chennai on Thursday, June 16, 2022.  Independence Day, also referred to as the Fourth of July in the United States, commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  

Consul General Judith Ravin was the master of ceremonies.  Acting Deputy Chief of Mission (A/DCM) for the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi Brian Heath presided over the celebration this year from the Consul General’s residence in Chennai, while Minister for Department of Industries, Tamil Official Language, Tamil Culture, and Archeology Thangam Thennarasu and Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management Dr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan attended as Chief Guests representing the government of Tamil Nadu.  The event included a video highlighting historical moments over the past 75 years of official U.S.-India diplomatic relations.  Chennai-based neo-jazz singer Susha Raja performed the national anthems of both the United States and India.  

 A/DCM Heath addressed the guests and spoke about the strong bond between the United States and India.  He said: “United in this shared vision, we are tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges together.  From fighting the climate crisis, to leading the global pandemic response, and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific, the United States and India are collaborating across nearly every field of endeavor to improve the lives of our peoples and contribute to the global good.  Our partnership at 75 demonstrates how vital U.S.-India cooperation has been in realizing a more prosperous, free, connected, and secure world and how much potential there is for our partnership to grow further.”  He also thanked the guests for their role in the extensive ties between the two countries.  “You are increasing our bilateral trade and investment, conducting research to combat emerging health threats and address climate change, fostering innovation across a diverse range of sectors, and sharing best practices through academic and professional exchanges.” 

Representing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu and Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan were present to deliver remarks.  Industries Minister Thennarasu extended greetings in honor of the U.S. Independence Day and the 75th anniversary of U.S.-India partnership.  He invited U.S. businesses to invest in the state, noting that “Tamil Nadu has some natural advantages in seaports and airports and is strategically placed for industrial growth.  The state is now a preferred destination for investment because of the progressive and proactive government.”     

Finance Minister Dr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan commented that the years he spent in the United States helped shape his life.  “In a lot of ways, America gave me a special kind of niche.  People-to-people connect runs a lot deeper and we are sure these ties will grow and strengthen the U.S.-India relationship.”       

Chennai-based quilt maker and Bespoke designer, Cognac by Manjeri, created a signature piece for the occasion that incorporates American quilt patterns used to guide enslaved people escaping to freedom on the underground railroad in the late eighteenth century.  Quilting is an early American folk art that is still popular today.  The piece merges the symbolism of Flag Day and Juneteenth, bookend U.S. national holidays in June. 

The evening ended with a U.S.-Indian fusion dinner, where classic American food traditions merged with South Indian favorites, including dishes such as blackened podi idly, southern fried chicken on dosa waffle, and cardamom brownies. 

Link to slideshow:  https://youtu.be/aTBjh8vvuQQ 

Chennai, April 26:  The U.S. Mission in India (comprising the Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates General in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad) has released a star-studded video message to celebrate 75 years of U.S.-India relations, with participation by some of the most iconic and accomplished Indian Americans and Indians in America, whose remarkable contributions reflect the journey of Indians in the United States over the past 75 years.  The full video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/OTZ2tdu4nyA 

Chargé d’Affaires Patricia Lacina stated: “At the core of the U.S.-India partnership are the countless personal friendships formed over the years between individual Americans and Indians as they study, work, live, and learn together.  The contributors to this video stand at the pinnacle of their respective fields of endeavor, highlighting the many ways that these people-to-people connections have helped both our countries thrive.”

The video features (in alphabetical order): tennis ambassador, philanthropist and filmmaker Ashok Amritraj; author and wellness pioneer Dr. Deepak Chopra; activist, first Indian Miss America and actor Nina Davuluri; CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta; tabla virtuoso, composer and music ambassador Zakir Hussain; food and travel author, TV chef and actor Madhur Jaffrey; actor, producer and philanthropist Priyanka Chopra Jonas; television host, producer, food expert and author Padma Lakshmi; comedian, actor and television host Aasif Mandvi; literary author and journalist Suketu Mehta; U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy; film director and producer Mira Nair; former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo and author Indra Nooyi; 2019 Scripps Spelling Bee Champion Shruthika Padhy; 2020 TIME Magazine Kid of the Year, scientist and inventor Gitanjali Rao.

People-to-people ties are one of the cornerstones of the U.S.-India relationship.  In 2019, 15 million Indian visitors traveled to the United States, and Americans are now the second-largest group of foreign citizens visiting India.  Approximately 200,000 Indian students currently enrich U.S. university campuses as they pursue higher education opportunities.  The Indian American diaspora numbers an estimated four million people, and roughly one-third of all immigrant-founded start-ups in the United States have Indian founders.

The U.S. Mission in India will continue 75th Anniversary celebrations with a range of events across the country throughout this year.